GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Hi Ho,

I use my GPS's mainly at night and one thing I noticed with the 700 compared to my other receivers is the night mode screen/backlighting on the 700 series seems a lot different compared to a 276CX and a Montana 610's night mode display.
I'm not sure the differences between screens & backlights in the 3 devices but the 700's screen is almost like it has too much lighting behind it, this appears to 'wash' out the screen colours.
A map with a black ground colour on both the 276CX and 610 appears black in night mode with the backlight set at 50% on each, but with the 700 set at 50% it looks horrible, greyed out and bland compared to the sharp clear image generated by the other two.

Turning it down to below 50% improves it slightly, though even at the lowest clearly viewable level it still doesn't give the sharp crisp correct colouring the CX and 610 do.

Images below show the differences.
The second pic is with the 700's backlight at the lowest visible usable level and it's still showing a map that should have a black background as a greyish colour.
Take a screenshot with the 700 and view it on the computer & it's black as expected, therefore it has to be a backlight issue causing it to display as it does.

I must be the only 700 series owner this irritates
I was expecting when I first got it that's it's display day and night would be as crisp, clear and high quality as the displays on the older devices, but it would seem not...

The bottom pic the 276CX is actually in day mode there, hence the differences between the top and bottom pics with regards to how the font in the data fields is displayed, the top pic with the 3 devices shown it's in night mode.
Garmin ignored my requests to make the data fields display 'filled in' like the 700's are in night mode so I found a work around
Changed all the colours in the .typ file to suit what I desired, now use it in day mode at night with a nice dark map and clear, easy to read data fields.
My ageing eyes struggle to see the default night displayed ones with the highlighting around them while moving, stopped is ok but moving they're just a blur, not anymore though, easy to see now

Well, I see the problem here, that you can't compare both displays, because the use a different approach. The 276Cx looks nice, because it uses only brightness, to give a good visible display. It's not really transreflective, as the Montana 7x0. It also does matter, that the 276Cx is completly non touch. AFAIK, non touch displays always have a better backlight than touch variants. Due using a very strong backlight, it looks 'colorful' and has a better black color, as you observed.

The Montana 7x0 ist a fully transreflective display, which is in directy sunlight just awesome. So more sunlight, the better the display gets. But this is of a cost, as you also observed, that the colors look more pasty, since it more reflecting in day use. But the 276Cx just cannot keep up in direct sun light, as the Montana 7x0 can do. But I can't really confirm, that it's washed out? Or do you mean by washed out less contrast? Then I agree.

But I have to admit, that I think, Garmin should have choosen a display, which has offered a stronger backlight, as in indirect sun, the Montana 7x0 is due its transreflective more weaker than the 276Cx. But at least for my eyes, the Montana 7x0 is not a problem and I can ready it good on daylight. However, I can understand, that not everyone will be satisfied with Montana 7x0 display in indirect sun light.

Yeah I guess it could be less contrast, whatever it's called the quality for such an expensive device isn't up to scratch in my opinion, a black background should display as black, not grey.
I believe the 276CX screen is better in direct sunlight and at night compared to the 700, but I guess that also is a matter of opinion, I find all 3 good in daylight and 2 of the 3 good at night.