Review on 🚗 Enhanced Driving Experience: Garmin Auto Friction Mount Kit with Speaker by Dan Tsourvakas

All we wanted when we bought this automatic friction rest (with speaker) was for our new Garmin Montana 680t to give us verbal navigation instructions on how to ride. The 680t itself does not support voice output. The assembly takes place without instructions. When I first attached the 680t to the mount, the speaker didn't work. Then, when I tried to use the 680t on its own, it was no longer connected to the computer's USB, which is a disaster if you want to add a map to the unit or use Base Camp. I had to call tech support and they told me to do a master reset on the 680t before I could reconnect the Garmin to my computer via USB. It's done by flipping up your finger in the top-left corner of the screen (portrait) and then having to answer a scary "yes" when asked if you really want to erase the data, which tech support pointed out, the guy said that he would not erase any maps, waypoints, routes, etc. It saved my maps, waypoints and routes, but please don't take my word for it. I'd rather you hear it from Garmin. After that I tried the 680t again on the mount. It still didn't work. It turns out that for the speaker to work during navigation, the mount needs to be plugged into the car's cigarette lighter with the ignition on. It sounds like metal but is loud enough when the 680t's volume is turned up to 100%. The volume control activated by a short press and release of the power button does not appear when headphones, computer speakers or similar are not plugged into the 680t's 3.5mm jack OR Garmin is not plugged in. attaches to a powered bracket, meaning it plugs into the car's cigarette lighter socket when the ignition is on. One more thing they don't tell you before you buy the 680t: it will only work for navigation and location if it's NOT plugged into the computer's USB port. So there's no way to keep the external power on and charge the battery while using the 680t - UNLESS it's connected to an enabled mount, in which case the 680t works like the 10-year-old Nuvi 750 that we've had before, the battery stays charged and the 680t still works. Garmin would have done the right thing by spending 10 cents to add such instructions that they could attach or put in the mount box.