Garmin Quest 115-Megabyte Handheld GPS (010-00306-00) | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $642.99
Buy New: $263.16
You Save: $379.83 (59%)
New (38) Used (6) Refurbished (3) from $89.99
Rating:  142 reviews
Sales Rank: 9680
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 50
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Size: Garmin Part #010-00306-00
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0.4 x 9 x 4.5
Bearing
Electronic compass
Heading
Speed
Distance
MPN: 010-00306-00
Model: 010-00306-00
UPC: 753759041762
EAN: 0753759041762
ASIN: B0002JUH3O
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Pocket-sized 12-parallel-channel GPS+WAAS receiver with automatic routing and turn-by-turn directions | | • | 115 MB internal memory for loading MapSource detail; includes built-in Americas autoroute base map | | • | Trick tracking computer includes odometer, stopped time, max speed, average, and more | | • | Sunlight-readable, 256-color, 2.2-by-1.5-inch TFT display; USB interface for quick data transfer | | • | Runs for 20 hours on rechargeable lithium-ion battery; 4.5 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty |
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Product Description
Portability meets capability in the pocket-sized Garmin Quest. This easy-to-use unit is loaded with the high-end navigation features from Garmin's most popular GPS navigators, and best of all, it's portable. So, you can use it in multiple vehicles - or slip it in your pocket for handy street-level directions when you're navigating on foot.From salespeople to summer vacationers, Quest's features are sure to please: Automatic routing with turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance to get you where you're going; High-speed processor means fast automatic off-route and detour recalculation; Rechargeable internal lithium-ion battery that provides up to 20 hours of use; USB data connection for fast map downloads from Garmin's entire line of MapSource CDs; 256-color, bright, sunlight-readable display makes it easy to view turn-by-turn instructions and map detail.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 (Europe version). 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.
Amazon.com Product Description
Portability meets capability in Garmin's pocket-sized Quest portable automotive global-positioning system. The easy-to-use device is loaded with the high-end navigation features from Garmin's most popular GPS navigators. Use it in multiple vehicles or simply slip it in your pocket for handy street-level directions when you're navigating on foot. 
Navigation page. View larger. | 
Detail map at 500-foot zoom. View larger. | 
Trip information page. View larger. | 
The Garmin Quest Navigator is a pocket-sized device loaded with GPS navigational features. View larger. | Smaller than a standard television remote, the Quest provides ample screen viewing area but won't demand a lot of room on the dashboard or in the briefcase. The device sports a bright, 256-color, high-resolution TFT display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight. The device is easy to use; just make certain your antenna is unobstructed and you'll be ready to navigate. Whether you're on foot or in your car, position the antenna to be parallel with the surface of the road so it can have the best view of the sky. This flip-up antenna design allows you to maximize your reception. Once the Quest has established a satellite fix, it will display the Ready to Navigate message. You can either set a destination or use the handy Find Menu to pick a destination, such as a restaurant, gas station, or other nearby attractions. With your destination selected, you'll love Quest's automatic routing with turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance to get you where you're going. And the built-in high-speed processor means fast, automatic off-route and detour recalculations, so you'll be sure to get where you're going even if you make a wrong turn or meet unexpected road construction. A USB data connection ensures fast map downloads from Garmin's entire line of MapSource CDs. The unit ships with fully unlocked MapSource City Select CD, providing full coverage of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, including more than five million points of interest like gas stations, ATMs, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. With 115 MB of internal memory, this small-but-powerful GPS navigator has plenty of built-in map storage, and the unit's internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 20 hours of use between charges. The unique antenna folds flush with the unit when not in use, and you can connect an optional external antenna as well. For weekend warriors using the unit on a camping or fishing trip, the Quest is waterproof and fully compatible with the entire line of MapSource outdoor cartography, including U.S. Topo, 24K Topo, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots, and BlueChart.
What's in the Box
Quest with flip-up GPS antenna, Americas Autoroute basemap, MapSource City Select North America CD with full coverage and full unlock, PC/USB cable, A/C power adapter, external speaker with 12-volt adapter cable, vehicle suction cup mount, quick reference guide, and owner's manual.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Never Get Lost Again!!! October 25, 2004
Jerry P. Danzig (New York, NY USA)
282 out of 288 found this review helpful
Every now and then -- make that every other now and then, because it's a rare event indeed -- a product comes along that solves a problem that has been plaguing man -- and woman -- for decades, if not centuries. In recent years, these rare breakthroughs have included Combat roach traps, which made those pesky critters a rare sight in even the most infested urban environments, and the pocket hard-drive mp3 jukeboxes enabling you to have your favorite albums with you wherever you go.
Now here come the GPS navigators that make it all but impossible to get lost, not to mention the AFFORDABLE GPS navigators like this fantastic little Quest. One of the guys in my band got one of the higher priced Garmins and was raving about its accuracy. When his Garmin got him right to a place we were playing while the rest of the band circled backroads endlessly, relying on directions that said things like, "go to Smith Road", without bothering to inform you whether you were supposed to turn left or right on Smith Road or cross it -- I knew I had to have one. Better yet, he told me Garmin had a new model that did the same job for half the money.
Well, it turns out that the Quest handles more than the same job the bigger units do. With its pocket size, you can also use it when you're on foot trying to find a strange address in a strange city (or in the Village, here in Manhattan). Otherwise the only downside of the Quest is that you can't add memory; the memory built in can handle enough map detail for a large state, but if you were going across country, you would need to bring your laptop with the detailed maps loaded, to download into the Quest as you passed from one region to the next. For those of us who typically travel within our state (or the so-called tri-state area around NYC), however, the Quest has more than enough memory.
Does the little Quest work? It sure does! I snapped it into its cradle, it came to life (it gives you a warning about using it responsibly when you're driving), and soon it had located and then acquired the satellites it uses to track your position, altitude, direction, and speed. The voice pipes up loud and clear from a speaker hinged to the lighter plug unit, sounding rather like the computer voice on Star Trek, and you can enable or disable a chime preceding the announcement. Announcements are given in plenty of time so you can get in the proper lane, and turns are shown on screen with bright red directional arrows. If you miss a turn (and I did, not once but twice, the street was so poorly marked), the unit says "recalculating" and in a jiffy advised me to hang a uey in a quarter mile, then talked me back through my proper turn.
The display is bright and legible (I can read it, and I am more than 50), and useful information shown includes your current speed (it appears my speedo has been off all these years by more than 10 mph!!!), the time to your next turn, and your estimated time of arrival, based on your progress. The windshield mount works very well, using a suction cup with a vacuum clamp, and articulated joints let you position the unit where it can see the satellites and you can see it without blocking your view of the road. The built-in swing-out antenna seems to work very well; you would only need an external antenna if you had heavily tinted windshields or an in-screen heating system blocking the satellite signals, according to the instructions.
Which brings me to about the only other gripe I have about the Quest, and one for which I almost deducted a star, which is the instructions. Though the hardware and software manuals are well written, this rig cries out for a Quick Start card highlighting a few essential pieces of information, including where to find a useful tutorial on downloading maps into the Quest, which direction is now helpfully buried in an obscure Appendix at the back of one of the manuals. If you're new to GPS, as I was, expect to spend a long afternoon and evening reading and fiddling, before you get a grip on the technology. Otherwise setup all ran smoothly.
And the Quest got me right to my gig; even better, with the push of one button, it got me home again that night. Now if there's anything harder than finding a place when you have bad directions, try finding your way home in the dark, attempting to reverse those same poor directions!!! With the Quest, getting home is a piece of cake. I also tried the Quest on foot, and it led me right to my friend's building in Stuyvesant Town, not an easy place to find for the uninitiated!
Basically I'm telling everyone in the band to get one of these, and if you do a fair amount of driving -- and a fair amount of getting lost -- I'm telling you to get one too! This is already one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century!
One addendum (written a week later): it turns out that Garmin DOES include a Quick Start card -- which they hide in a pocket behind one of the software disks, where you will probably never find it! Unfortunately, except for a chart showing shortcut commands, this card doesn't tell you the really useful stuff, like what the base maps cover compared to the detailed maps or where to find the map downloading tutorial.
So my comment about the documentation holds -- if you start at the BACK of the various manuals and work forward, you might make faster progress learning the system! Nevertheless the unit works so well, you will forgive the slow learning curve the first time the tiny tyke guides you straight home from a strange place in the middle of the night...
I would also like to add a comment about another reviewer's claim that the voice prompts are confusing to follow. In my experience, the voice prompts have been right on. In fact, every time I've approached a confusing intersection, or even a bend in the road, the voice pipes up with "keep [right or left] on [name of road]." Coupled with the big bright turn arrows on the screen, the voice makes it pretty clear where you're supposed to go; and if you still do make the wrong turn, the unit will re-route you in a jiffee.
Again, I couldn't be more impressed with the performance of the Quest. It truly does everything the larger Garmin units do except allow for memory expansion, plus it's pocket-sized so it can help you find your way on foot in a strange city or on a hike...
Don't Let the Small Size Fool You! April 24, 2005
Frederick Koch (Jacksonville, FL)
46 out of 46 found this review helpful
Within a week I purchased a Garmin Streetpilot c330, a Magellan Roadmate 300 (RM300), and the Garmin Quest. I kept the Quest -- it's not just a better value priced at hundreds less, it's actually a far better GPS. The Quest is effectively a miniaturized Garmin Streetpilot 2610, one of the best and most full-featured automotive GPS products on the market.
Superior features of the Quest, which borrow heavily from the high end Streetpilot 26xx series --
*Routes*
Most small automotive GPS's only store points, not routes. When you want to go somewhere, you select a destination, and then the unit automatically calculates a route from your current location. With most models, there's usually not much you can do to alter the route after that.
However, the Quest allows you to customize routes with "via points" -- landmarks you want to pass through on your trip. Then, instead of just saving the various individual points, the Quest allows you to save entire sequences of points as routes.
(While the Roadmate 300 allows you to construct a "trip" as a series of auto-routed destinations, it wil not chain the destinations seamlessly. The RM300 expects the driver to stop or shut the unit off between destinations, or to manually tell it when to proceed to the next point. The Quest's via points are seamless. It tells you when you're approaching the via point, and then it automatically continues navigating.)
*Routing parameters*
In addition to using via points, the Quest allows the following inputs:
Avoid U-turns
Avoid Toll Roads
Avoid Unpaved Roads
Avoid Freeways
Avoid Specific Road Segments
Avoid Specific Areas
Route for shortest distance
Route for fastest time
There are also four levels of compromise between "Quickest Calculation" and "Best Route."
Additionally, the Quest's included mapping software allows you to tell it how fast you drive on various road types, ensuring "fastest time" calculations that truly are.
For comparison, the Streetpilot c330 can only avoid U-Turns, Tolls, Unpaved Roads and Freeways, and although it offers a choice of shortest distance or fastest time, it offers no control between best route and fastest calculation. What's more, the c330's route selections do not seem as well thought out as the routes generated by the Quest in "best route" mode.
*Display control*
The Quest allows you to control the level of detail and font size for different types of display elements, as well as the maximum scale at which each type of element is displayed. The c330 allows you to turn each type on and off, and only provides a global level-of-detail control. The RM300 does not offer any control over the relationship between scale and detail, and in my opinion it generally does not show enough detail until you zoom way in on a point of interest.
And even though the Quest's display is small, it's razor sharp and brilliant (with backlighting on; this can be turned off to conserve power when operating on battery).
While touchscreens are appealing, the Quest is surprisingly easy to use without one. Garmin has thoughtfully laid out the eight main buttons, and the most important ones do different things depending on how many times you press them or if you hold them down. And because it's not a touchscreen, you'll never be bothered by fingerprints. In my opinion, this unit's display is less susceptible to glare than the protective coating on many other models, though it's still not as good as the display on Streetpilot 26xx models.
*A few words about memory*
The Quest only has 115MB available for maps. Since the entire continental U.S. takes almost 2000MB, obviously you can only load a limited area into the Quest at once. However, Garmin has really worked hard to take the hassle out this, and there are strategies that can be used to load maps into the Quest, depending on how you travel. Either way, you can use the Quest for surprisingly long trips without having to reload it.
First, you have to understand that the Quest includes a "basemap" of the interstate highway system. Not much detail, but enough that you should never get lost on a major highway -- even when you've driven off the currently-loaded map. When you drive past the limits of your detailed map, the basemap kicks in automatically.
The mapping software displays North America as a mosaic of perhaps 2000 tiles averaging about 1.5MB each. Since densely populated areas include more points, the tiles are smaller in urban areas. Major interstates are visible on the mosaic.
If you never travel outside a certain region, you can load that entire region into your Quest for uninterrupted coverage. 115MB can typically hold 3 complete states, less if you include a very dense area like New York City or Los Angeles.
If you're planning a trip, however, you can select all the tiles along the major interstates you plan on using. I was able to map from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles on my Quest by selecting all the tiles along I-10. Similarly, by mapping a corridor along I-95, even including Baltimore and Washington, D.C., I could go from Jacksonville to New Jersey with about 60MB.
Finally, you can elect to load only the cities or areas where you're going to be getting off the freeway. Between cities, the basemap provides sufficient detail to keep you from getting lost. As an alternative, you could choose to load only a few significant stops on a longer trip. For example, Lumberton, North Carolina, is a great meal stop on I-95. I could leave Florida with a comprehensive map of New England, and still have room to map a couple of choice towns, like Lumberton, that are on the way.
On the bright side, memory-limited GPS's come with better PC software. The c330, for example, already has full U.S. maps installed, and therefore comes with no software. Even the top line Streetpilot 2620 has no real PC connectivity out of the box. The Quest's 128MB obliges Garmin to include some pretty decent software that usually has to be purchased separately.
I also found the Quest's suction-cup mount to be almost as good as the c330's, and far superior to the one on the RM300. Its small size allows allows you to mount it in places where a bigger GPS couldn't go, from both the physical and driver visibility standpoints.
The Quest is a great GPS, with features of much more expensive models. Despite its small size and low price, it blows away many mid-range units. If you want a GPS that can really assist with navigation, you would do well to pass up a lot of more expensive models in favor of the Quest.
Fantastic Compromise June 23, 2005
Occasional Reviewer (Boston MA)
31 out of 31 found this review helpful
It is not every day that a technically complex product works precisely as advertised. But this one does. It is truly the perfect compromise GPS solution. I'll explain why in a moment, but first let me acknowledge key limitations right up front: (1) the screen is small (2) reception amongst really tall buildings "downtown" is not perfect (3) memory amount has a fixed limit (4) unit requires occasional downloads and computer fiddling (5) user input takes a little practice.
HOWEVER, with that said, this is a really useful and easy to master device and, on balance, it strikes a really good balance amongst the various GPS design trade offs. Key advantages: (1) it is fully featured - literally compares feature to feature with the high end factory units built into new cars, including voice guidance and route quality - I have used it on the dash of a 2005 Honda Oddessey with the OEM unit running for comparison and it gave just as good routes, just as good voice directions, and was fundamentally just as useful. Didn't have the sexy big built-in screen and its voice was a little less rich sounding than the OEM unit, but heck, it was amazing it compared so well at all considering the price. (2) it is totally portable and battery operated (unlike bigger Garmin units like 2610) which means you can use it in a second car, a rental car, a boat, a bike, on foot in strange city, even on an airplane for fun. Mine lives in the end pocket of my briefcase so I have it whereever I go (3) doesn't require installation in the car - easy to stick on and pop off (4) retro rotary volume knob is excellent - so easy to turn up or down compared to OEM units which require multiple menus to shut them up when you need to talk on the phone (5) the additional mapping software options from Garmin are excellent - they are not cheap, but you can get a good map for anywhere in the world, you can get topographical maps, you can get nautical maps with channel markers and hazards, etc. Very nice complement to the unit - extends the usefulness considerably (6) it is well made and fun - a little jewel to hold and use for those of us who like gizmos.
In terms of the specific limitations I originally mentioned, here is some additional perspective: (1) the screen is small, but it is crisp, clear, flexibly back lit, and surprisingly legible - even when compared to a big OEM screen - it zooms in and out automatically and when turn is coming it splits and gives big legible arrows and text (plus voice which amazingly, you end up relying on much of the time anyway) (2) reception amongst really tall buildings "downtown" is not perfect, but no GPS is, this is no worse than any other, possibly better considering the adjustable antenna and the remote antenna option (3) memory amount is fixed, true, but it is a generous amount - you can fit a ton of area into it, even if the area includes big cities - really has plenty for 99.9% of users (4) requires downloads and computer fiddling, but the software is much much easier and more straight-forward than old Garmin software (5) user input takes a little practice, but, again, much easier than old Garmin interfaces - all it takes a couple minutes with the book and a few minutes practicing. Once you have entered a practice address, the second time and forward it is really easy and intuitive.
Now, a couple more observations on the memory issue because it gets a lot of discussion in reviews, and I really struggled with it before buying. It might be nice to have a hard drive iwth the whole US and not ever have to load, but (1) those units are much bigger, (2) not portable or battery operated (3) are clunky on the dash (4) cannot be updated with new software, and (5) perhaps most importanly, contain moving parts which in a harsh operating environment like a car (extreme heat, cold, dust, vibration) is just a huge reliablity unknown, especially when you consider hard drives are totally new technology for Garmin. The rugged solid state design of the Quest is quite appealing in comparison. But it does impose a limit on the amount you can load, and it does require you to plug into the computer at least once. However, neither of these issues is a showstopper. If you are technical enough to surf to this review or covet a GPS unit in the first place, you can easily handle it. Unlike old Garmin units which required a serial cable and a PhD in computer science, this is a simple plug-and-play USB routine. Unlocking the maps initially requires you to follow the quick start card, but is not all that tricky. And once you are done with that one-time procedure, all you do is click the maps you want, and drop them right onto the quest where they will stay until you delete them. As for space limitations, 115 Mb is actually quite a bit. I live in Boston so I tend to keep all of the Northeast including all of New England, southern NY, all of NYC, Long Island and Northern NJ loaded at all times. If I am going on a business trip I will throw on the maps for my destination city as well. Takes two minutes. And you can even do it on the plane if you keep the software on your laptop as most people would. But this is not to imply that you are limited to a regional approach. The instructions go into great detail about how you can load a generously "wide" corridor or route all the way across the country. Or any combination, like all major cities, etc. Plus if you do get nailed without your maps, it still has a good base map of the whole world (more detail in North America than elsewhere) so you can still naviate, just without restaurants and detailed street addresses.
So in the end, even though I had some serious misgivings about the memory issue, I have found it to be perfectly convenient and a great trade off in terms of size, price, etc. And it has one less obvious advantage - it gets you to load and become familar with the simple but really useful desktop PC software. You can do a lot with routes, way points look ups and advanced features on the PC and then just drop it right onto the Quest. Not much easier interface for power users than that.
All in all, a fantastic product. Garmin is a little less flashy in terms of their marketing and design than some of the other companies, a couple of whom are getting splashy editorial coverage lately, but they have been at it for a really long time, including in critical environments like OEM airplane equipment and marine applications, they have had a really long time to work out bugs, figure out what is important, improve their units and software, they really know what they are doing at this point, and they make a great product. At the street prices it commands, it is a very good value and a useful tool. Strongly recommended.
Amazing September 28, 2004
Richard Trapani (New York, NY)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
What a powerful unit for such a small size! The Quest fits in the palm of your hand and is great for salesmen. You can walk around an area without getting lost. It give great accurate directions and it's very user-friendly. With a touch of a button you can locate every restaurant and gas station. The only draw backs are that it can take a few minutes to detect your location (a quick power on/off usually fixes the problem), and it is a pain removing and attaching it from the mounting units. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone, you can't beat the price compared to any other ubit on the market. Happy driving!
Couldn't ask for a better product! March 10, 2005
Ani (North Carolina)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful
I recently bought the Garmin Quest for my fiance and it arrived a few days before his birthday. I gave it to him when it arrived so he could have it all figured out by the time his birthday rolled around. Not only had he figured out by the second day he was using it to help him avoid traffic. He is a big "mapping and distance" enthusiast and loves gadgets to help him get where he is going. He has had the Garmin for a little less than a week now and has thanked me every day for "one of the best gifts he has ever gotten." I read hundreds of reviews before purchasing the Quest and compared them to several others and am VERY satisfied with this purchase.
Cons:
-Don't expect to open the package and place in your car right away.
-Read. Read. Read the instruction booklet.
-You must charge the Quest for at least three hours before downloading anything.
-You have to download maps from the enclosed CD for the certain areas you want to navigate.
-It takes about an hour after downloading the area before locating the satellites in your area. It will probaly read that you are in Taiwan the first time you turn it on. You have to be outside for it to work for the first time.
-This is really an item that should come with a carrying case so use something nice you have already or purchase the optional optional Garmin Carrying case to protect your new $500 toy.
Now for ALL the EXCELLENT Pros:
- Compact
- The screen is bright, vivid and easy to read. The display lighting even changes to make it even easier for you to see during the daytime and night time.
- The speaker is very audible and the voice commands are extremely easy to understand. It doesn't sound like some garbled computer that sounds like it just learned english.
- It gives you plenty of advanced notice to turn or keep going in the same direction while driving.
- If you get lost on your planned route or if you decide to turn a different way to avoid traffic, it quickly re-routes to put you back on track.
- It can tell you what is on a certain exit and you can even find places to go at your destination.
-The speedometer is very accurate.
-There is a timer based on how many minutes or seconds it is going to take you to get to your destination based on speed.
- It is very easy to download additional locations you want to navigate... just remember it only holds 115mb of data.
- Battery life is great (20 hrs), it is rechargeable. Just charge it at home when you get in for the night and you will be fine.
There is so much more I say about this product! Every day my fiance finds one more reason for thanking me for getting the Quest. We have fun at home by picking a destination and seeing who can first, I use the MapQuest or Yahoo! maps on the computer and he uses his Quest and he always wins before I even finish typing in the direction. He says having the Garmin Quest is like having a MapQuest in the palm of his hand only the directions are 10 times better. This is an excellent buy for the cost and the efficiency. Just take your time reading all the information to avoid frustation and to get the maximum amount of usage out of this product.
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