FAQ: what is the layout of the Quest connector?

The connector on the back of the Quest is not very well documented. Most of us hook it up to the car cradle, to get audio prompt while driving. But what if you want to connect a small ear bud for use on a motorcycle?

The connector on the back has six terminals. When looking at the back of the Quest, with the antenna and USB connectors at the top, going from left to right, they are used like this:

• +5 Volt (the conversion from 12 Volt to 5 Volt is done in the speaker piece)
• 0 Volt / Ground
• Audio out, enough power to drive an earphone, adjust the volume by holding the speaker button
• Audio out
• NMEA NEGATIVE which is data receive
• NMEA POSITIVE which is data out

The audio out works, even when no external power is connected, so it is possible to use an earpiece during battery powered operation.

Source of the NMEA terminals is Garmin Support. If anyone has more info or had it working, please let me know!