Garmin Quest Autorouting Portable Automotive GPS

Smaller than a standard television remote, the Quest provides an ample screen viewing area, but it won’t demand a lot of room on the dashboard or in the briefcase. The unique antenna folds flush with the unit when not in use and users can connect an optional external antenna as well.

The unit ships with fully unlocked MapSource City Select CDs, which provide full coverage of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico (North America version) or major metropolitan areas throughout Western Europe with separate purchase of City Select Europe software. For weekend warriors who want to use the unit on a camping or fishing trip, the Quest is waterproof and fully compatible with the entire line of MapSource outdoor cartography. With 115 megabytes of internal memory, this small-but-powerful GPS navigator has plenty of built-in map storage. So, in a pocket or on your dash, Quest gives you the freedom to travel light — with lots of map detail at your fingertips.

Garmin Quest Frequently Asked Quesions:

Q: What is your Quest?
A: The Garmin Quest is a compact autorouting GPS navigation system similar to the Garmin StreetPilot 2620 and 2610.

Q: What advantage does the Garmin Quest have over the StreetPilot 2600 series?
A: The Garmin Quest is a portable low-cost alternative to the StreetPilot 2610. It is small enough to fit into your shirt pocket and can be powered by an internal rechargable lithium-ion battery. This allows you to take it hiking, fishing, off-roads or anywhere else you need to go.

Q: What does the StreetPilot do that Quest can't?
A: The StreetPilot 2610 has unlimited expandable memory with Compact Flash cards. The Quest has 115MB internal memory only. This will cover an area roughly the size of five states, making the Quest a good choice for local driving but a bad choice for a cross-country road trip (see the StreetPilot 2620 instead). The StreetPilot also has a larger display with touch-screen capabilities.

Q: So the Quest is all I need for outdoor use as well?
A: Not necessarily. The Quest's internal processor is programmed for automotive routing, and although you can turn the "road-lock" off, the included basemap and software provided fall far short of what you'd require to use it outdoors. You'll want to add Garmin MapSource Topo or MapSource BlueChart Americas software, depending on your needs. The Quest lacks features found in dedicated outdoors receivers, such as an electronic compass and barometric altimeter and dedicated hiking and geocaching modes. The waypoint entry system is designed for road use, and thus the Quest won't find waypoint coordinates as intuitively as, say, a Garmin GPSMAP 76CS. In addition, the flip-up patch antenna is less sturdy than a handheld GPS unit with a protected internal antenna. It is also recommended that you use a GPS unit that has exchangable batteries, as the internal battery is irreplacable if the Quest loses power. For a dedicated handheld receiver that can provide directions (but no voice prompt), see the Magellan Meridian Color Traveler Value Bundle. See our full selection of handheld GPS units by clicking here.

Q: Does the Quest provide voice directions?
A: Yes, the external speaker is built in to the cigarette lighter adapter that is included in the box. Without the speaker, the Quest can beep to provide prompts, but won't talk.

Q: Does the Quest come with all the maps for the entire United States?
A: Yes, the Quest is packaged with the latest Garmin City Select North America CD, enabling you to unlock detailed road maps for all of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico on your PC. You must then select the regions you need and upload them to the Quest via the USB connection that is provided.

Q: Does the Quest allow me to enter multi-point routes, vias, road avoidances, detours and alternate routes? Does it have a Points-of-Interest (POI) database?
A: Yes. You can customize your route with the Quest just like with the StreetPilot, tailoring it to suit traffic conditions and road preferences. If you're not sure where to go, the Garmin City Select software provides over five million POIs, which is one million more than any other company's software. POI categories include: Food and drink, Lodging, Attractions, Entertainment, Shopping, Services, Transportation, and Emergency and Government.

Q: How does the Garmin Quest compare to units such as the Magellan Roadmate 300 and the TomTom GO?
A: The Roadmate 300 is similar to the StreetPilot 2610; it has a larger display size than the Quest with a touch-screen interface and expandable memory. The TomTom GO has a touch-screen interface and rechargable batteries, but lacks the advanced multi-routing options of the Quest and isn't compatible with other kinds of software (such as topographical or marine).

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"Garmin Quest FAQs" Copyright © 2005 TigerGPS.com, Ltd. All rights reserved.