This is the largest GPS in the test and has the biggest screen. It’s also the heaviest and one of the most expensive. The build is rugged and it’s waterproof. The touchscreen is bright and responsive with none of the jumping or lack of movement found on some other screens. It can also be viewed vertically or horizontally like a smartphone, the fi rst time I’ve seen this on a standalone GPS. Also derived from smartphones is a virtual QWERTY keyboard so you can make notes. The Montana 600 has a calendar, on which you can store data, and a calculator too.
The interface is intuitive and easy to use. I didn’t need the manual to fi nd my way around. The large screen means everything stands out and there are no tiny icons to tap. The screens can be customised so the information you require is shown.
The Montana 600 comes with a basic small scale map. OS mapping can be downloaded from Garmin. Prices are on the high side though – £200 for Great Britain at 1:50,000 for example. Even so, I don’t think it would be worth using this GPS without OS mapping. The Montana 600 is easy to use and I love the big screen. Battery life is good and I like being able to use AA batteries as well as the lithium ion one (though this isn’t “one-of-a-kind” as Garmin claim – Satmap has always had this option). However the cost and weight are off putting when compared with alternatives. Against that it does much more than most GPS units.
