Montana 700i Gripes

Hi,

I use my GPSs for geocaching mainly, but occasionally for some bushwalks here in Australia.

My old GPS was a Montana 650, and while the 700i has a lot of nice new features, there are a few things that I can't yet determine how to do on it that I could on the 650 or set it up in a similar manner.

1. The resolution on the new screen is so much better than the 650, but it seems as though the icons for geocaches (and probably other things) has the same number of pixels. With the effective pixel density being so much higher, the icons are very small. Can these be replaced by the user with bigger more visible ones?

2. On the 650 I could set up a shortcut/icon to swap to a specific profile. I had one for driving and one for geocaching. I would use the driving profile to get me close to the cache, then swap to geocaching profile. These icons were in the favourites and enabled quick changes. On the 700i I have an icon to go into profiles, then I have to select the profile I want. That's ok while stationary, but .....

Is there a way to set up icons to invoke specific profiles?

3. The 650 favourites on the map was a sideways scrolling list that could be added to. On the 700i, it is limited to 6. Can this be increased?

4. There are some types of geocaches that have been left off the list. While I have downloaded a GPX file containing these other types of caches, and my filter is allowing all types, they still don't show up. Is there the ability to add geocache types to the list, or will I need to post process the GPX file to convert these caches to alternate cache types?
Note: They do show up on the 650 with a generic icon.

5. I read somewhere in the forums that you can't increase the width of the track line where you've been. I think that's a shame, and it relates to item 1 above where it hasn't been adjusted for the increased screen resolution, and again is hard to see. I would also like there to be an option to increase this.

6. I did find how to stop all the icons for map features such as shops, restaurants, etc. from clogging the map, without having to reduce the detail. This annoyed me at first.

I do love the size and resolution of the screen, but I think it definitely requires some tweaking.

Any thoughts, hints, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks

0 atlas_cached over 3 years ago

1. Yes. Garmin does not provide any additional icons for your Montana 7x0, but I can help you with that if you send me a private message.

2. The Montana 7x0 does not have the 'shortcuts' functionality that debuted on the Montana 6x0 series.

3. 6 Favorites? Where? The Montana 7x0 does not have a favorites dashboard.

4. Garmin does not support all geocache types (we have been asking them to improve this for a very long time). You will have to use the pre-configured 'Show All' filter to get the others to appear in the list and on the map as a generic geocache.

5. Another option many users have requested for more than a decade.....

Send me a PM for more info!

0 Aussie-Muzza over 3 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

Hi atlas_cached,

Thanks for your quick reply.

1. Thanks. Will PM you.

2. That's a shame. It was really useful and quick.

3. Perhaps I have used the wrong name for the 6 options permanently at the bottom of most screens. It seems as though it might be called the Favorites Bar.

4. Thanks for that. That worked, although I did have to exclude the found caches. I'm not sure how it gained a list of my found caches as I didn't find them with this GPS and I haven't downloaded them. I presume it was through Bluetooth or Wifi before I turned them off.

Regards

Murray

0 atlas_cached over 3 years ago in reply to Aussie-Muzza

Ah Ha!

3 - That is the Favorites Bar, and it is limited to FIVE user configurable options. The far left is always the home (main Menu), or back or exit or lock button - depending on the current screen displayed.

4- When you register the device for Geocaching Live, the unit automatically downloads some geocaches near your present location. if any were already found by you, that would be the most likely scenario for how they got on the device without you knowing it.

0 Aussie-Muzza over 3 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

My Lab Caches have stopped showing on the GPS. Last Tuesday they were working using the Show All presaved filter, but now they are not, even though I can see them in my GPX file. In order for me to see them, I need to change the Cache Type to something else, and the container type as well. There was an update to the software. Has it stopped the accessing of Lab Caches?

0 atlas_cached over 3 years ago in reply to Aussie-Muzza

No Garmin GPSr has ever supported Lab Caches.

You will need to do some custom work to make them appear.

I use GSAK to export Benchmarks as geocaches so I can use them on all my devices, for example.

You will need to do something similar.

0 Aussie-Muzza over 3 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

Hi Atlas_cached,

4 months ago, you stated that I needed to use the Show_All filter and this has been working up until a week ago. Something seems to have changed with a recent update. I also use GSAK but would like to keep the Lab caches as such within GSAK. However, if I can convert them with a macro on export (without changing the actual database) that will suffice.

Regards

Murray

0 atlas_cached over 3 years ago in reply to Aussie-Muzza

Hmm, maybe a device reset to see if that resolve the issue without changing any other work flow?

I never export 'Events' or 'Mega Events' to my devices, so that gives me two geocache types to use for other 'non-supported' geocaches of my choosing.

Example:

If you make a new database in GSAK with only Benchmarks or Waymarks or Lab Caches (etc.), then convert them all into either 'Event' or 'Mega Event' type, then send them to your device from that database, and use an appropriate custom symbol for that geocache type on your device, you can now search and filter those geocaches.

Should you load any 'events' or 'mega events' in the future, via GPX, GGZ, or GCLive, they will however appear as the new type you have 'assigned'.

Hope that makes sense....

0 Aussie-Muzza over 3 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

Thanks. It does make sense, but I would prefer to have them in with my normal geocaches, so that when I export caches from a selected area, I get them all together, rather than having to filter the same on two separated DBs and exporting twice.

We don't have many virtuals here, so I think for the moment I will just convert them to virtual. The cache ID won't be a GC number, so I can tell if they are Lab Caches or real Virtual Caches.

Regards

Murray