POI Usage / daily application

What's the point in having your gps tell you where a store is when you already know where all the local stores are?... I have poi's loaded in my gps but it doesn't alert me every time I pass a Starbucks or whatever, there on every corner....

But I do use it as a speedometer, (the one in my car doesn't work) and to alert me of red-light cameras.... And to listen to mp3s and as a handsfree device for my cell... etc, etc.....

edit: BTW you don't have to have it alert you....

I agree with you, I don't want an audible alert every time I pass a McDonalds, Wal-Mart or pharmacy. I do, on the other hand, want an audio alert for red light & speed cameras, and highway rest areas.

So, I pick and choose which audio files I load with which POI files. I do load the icon for each POI file. I mostly use them as destinations.

In the area where I live, certainly, I don't need them as much as when I am in an unfamiliar location. I will sometimes use them locally as destinations when I'm not sure of the best route to take from where I am to where I want to go.

Make sure that you have the speed cameras loaded when you visit Rockville!

I read on another forum topic or saw something about that area....I'll make sure to get that before I leave for there.

Regarding Audible Alerts....I took out the mp3 audio...but I still get a DING or DONG when i get around a POI.

Did I miss something?

Stu

Do a search on "alert"......
or the Garmin folks will be back soon to point you in the right direction.

Just re-load your custom pois but use the express mode this time instead of manual.This will stop the alerts you set up using the manual mode.You will still get your redlight and speed camera alerts because redlight and speed is in the title and it will give you a alert of 1/4 mile.

Excellent suggestion....Thanks!

My two cents.

Your first issue is that you loading custom POIs with alerts set for POIs you don't need or want alerts for. In other words, Custom POIs do NOT have to also have alerts associated with them. So you can continue to use those POI files but do not use alerts with them.

Personally I never use the Custom loading feature of the POI Loader and instead put speed info in the titles of the files I do want alerts for (e.g. local school zones) and not in the ones I do not want alerts for. I then load all my POI files in express mode. The advantage of this is I never have to enter in info each time I run the POI loader and the ones I want alerts for automatically get them and the ones I don't are quiet.

Second, Custom POIs are meant to give you info that either are not already in the Garmin's built in POI files (e.g. Covered Bridges) or that you want grouped together (see example 1 & 2 below) or that you want alerts for (see example 1 below).

As an example (#1), personally I would never bother with the Wal Mart POI since I can look them up in the Garmin's built in POI files. On the other hand, if you are an RV driver and want to take advantage of Wal Mart's free RV parking policy, then you might want that POI file to help you locate Wal Marts or even be alerted to being near one so you can park. Me, if I am not specifically going to Wal Mart, I really don't care where they are.

Another example (#2), I created a POI file of SUM ATM locations (it is on this site by the way). This is an example of POIs that are likely already in the Garmin's built in POIs, but when I need to hit the ATM for cash, I want a surcharge free ATM. My customer POI file allows me to quickly see all the local SUM ATMs near me rather than all Banks, many of which will charge fees.

To me many of the custom POIs on this site are rather silly, since many of them are easily already found in your built in POIs & you would rarely want to be alerted every time you passed one (e.g. McDs, Wendy's, etc.) but many other people have many reasons why they do want them (they want the latest revision and corrections to opened and closed stores, they MUST buy a cup of coffee at every Starbucks they pass, etc.).

Cheers,
PT

Good, common sense approach

Each user has to decide how they want to use their GPS and load only what is meaningful to them.

PT very well put. I couldn't have said it better. I think it is each persons preference.

The only reason why I have 866k+ poi's which includes mcdonalds and wal-mart is because they are all nicely categorized. If I use the built in database, I would have to use the spell name and that would take a longer time.

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/8731/poifileiu7.png

I guess with a web site named POI factory, I would guess that i am probably the minority. I have no custom POI files, and have none in my foreseeable future. I was thinking this thread would open my eyes to their value, but not really.

In my experience, there are a lot of POI locations that are not contained in the built in database. Also, there are many that have outdated information.

With Custom POIs, the data can be very easily updated and will often contain more accurate data that the built in POIs.

Plus with the Custom POIs, the user is able to categorize the data in ways that make sense to that user. For example, if I'm looking for Wal-Mart, I can go directly to that file rather than having the unit have to search through all the various items.

Another example, there are several Starbucks locations in close proximity to me that aren't in the preloaded POIs but are contained in the Custom POI file.

And I also have a POI of speed zones loaded to alert me of areas in which to be cautious.

Another example is the Honda Motorcycle dealers most of which are not in the preloaded data. Or the boat ramps locations none of which are in the preloaded data.