Anybody Using Garmin Quest?

[+SoCalToolGuy]

I am trying to come up with a suitable gps for both geocaching and mapping in our rv. I am looking at a Garmin Quest that is factory reconditioned for 300 bucks. Can anyone give me their thoughts? Much appreciated. Thanks, Ray.

Edited May 7, 2006 by SoCalToolGuy

[+embra]

The Quest is a great autorouting unit, and quite a few people also use it for caching. I happen to use mine for the car almost exclusively because I've got an Explorist 500 with topo software for hiking/caching. The Quest is great for autorouting/RV use because you can customize route settings to avoid interstates, for example, or take a specific route by the insertion of via points.

 

Since the Quest comes with the detail road software, I think it represents very good value. I wouldn't be concerned at all about the reconditioned aspect. I can only think of two negatives: (1) the rechargeable Li-ion battery is not user replaceable, and at some point it probably will be necessary to send it in for a swap, and (2) in driving underneath a tree canopy it seemed to me that it held lock poorly without a clear view of the sky. I suppose if that was a big problem for someone, they could take advantage of the external antenna jack.

 

Edit: I should add that the voice prompts, while not essential, are nice to have while driving. I would consider the Quest a good to excellent road GPS and an adequate caching GPS. You could get some things like a Garmin 60cx that are better caching GPS units and pretty good road GPS units, but you give up some of the road featues like voice prompts and some of the route customization features.

Edited May 8, 2006 by embra

[+Segerguy]

I use the Quest2 to autoroute me to the cache area, then use a Garmin 60 CSX to direct me to the cache.

 

The Quest doesn't have a compass page that will point you to the cache, I'm not sure it would work very good for geocaching. The compass that it does have only works on the track back page, it will show you where you have been, not where you are going.

 

It works great for what it was meant to do....driving directions!! I would not recomment the Quest for geocaching.

Edited May 8, 2006 by Segerguy

[appletree]

The Quest is fine for geocaching and it does have a compass page and will point you to the cache as long as you keep moving, which is true for all gpsr's that do not have an electronic compass. The compass page is only displayed when the Quest is set to the "off road" navigation option, which is easy to do. You can, of course, use a magnetic compass in concert with the navigation screen when standing still. The Quest will give you a bearing and distance and the compass will point you toward the cache.

 

I wouldn't worry about a reconditioned unit, but the prices for new Quest 1's have been incredibly low since they are "old" technology - they do not speak the name of the streets, can't take memory chips, must load the maps from a PC, buttons, no touch screen, etc. What it doesn't have is nothing compared to what it does and how well it performs, in and out of a vehicle. Remember, the purchase price includes the latest version of CitySelect, plus the right to load the maps into one additional gpsr (e.g. Vista, 60CX, 76, etc.).

[+Segerguy]

The Quest is fine for geocaching and it does have a compass page and will point you to the cache as long as you keep moving, which is true for all gpsr's that do not have an electronic compass. The compass page is only displayed when the Quest is set to the "off road" navigation option, which is easy to do. You can, of course, use a magnetic compass in concert with the navigation screen when standing still. The Quest will give you a bearing and distance and the compass will point you toward the cache.

 

I wouldn't worry about a reconditioned unit, but the prices for new Quest 1's have been incredibly low since they are "old" technology - they do not speak the name of the streets, can't take memory chips, must load the maps from a PC, buttons, no touch screen, etc. What it doesn't have is nothing compared to what it does and how well it performs, in and out of a vehicle. Remember, the purchase price includes the latest version of CitySelect, plus the right to load the maps into one additional gpsr (e.g. Vista, 60CX, 76, etc.).

 

Your absolutely correct, I stand corrected. I set it to the off route, and sure enough there was the compass and directional arrow! I'll be dern!

[+Sputnik 57]

There is a pretty good FAQ for the Quest, including some geocaching tips, here.

[andman]

The Quest is great for autorouting/RV use because you can customize route settings to avoid interstates, for example, or take a specific route by the insertion of via points.

 

~

 

but you give up some of the road featues like voice prompts and some of the route customization features.

How do you avoid certain roads on the Quest (and do the other route customization that you spoke of)?

[+embra]

How do you avoid certain roads on the Quest (and do the other route customization that you spoke of)?

Menu/Settings/Route setup allows one to set route calculation for car/motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, or several other commercial vehicles (bus, taxi, truck, etc.).

 

Menu/route options/Avoidances lets the user toggle on or off avoidances for u-turns, highways, toll roads, or unpaved roads. You can also add here custom avoidances (either specific road sections to avoid and/or rectangular areas defined by the user).

[peter]

I can only think of two negatives [for the Quest]: (1) the rechargeable Li-ion battery is not user replaceable, and at some point it probably will be necessary to send it in for a swap

Elsinga's site that Sputnik referenced used to have a link to a picture showing how the Quest could be opened up and that the internal battery is a pretty common one and easily replaced. Unfortunately the picture was no longer available when I last checked, but it convinced me that the battery issue isn't as much of a drawback as I originally thought.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

You can read this review.

 

A friend use one to autoroute and geocaching. It works great, we can assure you that!