POI's not working - Why?

Are you using POI Loader?
If so, they would be found under Extras.

I just bought my first nuvi 650). Planning to upload via POI Loader, the Interstate reststops, the State Parks and maybe Walmarts. Can I upload directly into the permanment memory (enough room)?? or shud I go the SD card route...And will the info automatically appear on the screen/voice as I approach on the highway? Stan

Sorry, I;m new at this an I just over-posted someone.... Stan

First I'll assume you used POI Loader to install the POI files into your Nuvi 350. After you have done that go to the "Where To" button like always and then you will find all of the Custom POI under the "Custom" button. If you don't see a "Custom" button you didn't load the POI files correctly and you have no Custom files installed. As long as you have at least one custom POI file installed you will see the "Custom" button on the second screen. Hope this helps out.

I am indeed using POI Loader - However, I don't see any area on my 350 that's called "Extras". Also, I have uploaded a bunch of POIs (red light cams, staples locations, etc) that have gone into my nuvi, where i click "where to?" and then "spell name" and I type in the name (aka staples)... What is the difference with these Futureshop, Bestbuy and now Costco POI's thats I have downloaded, that they won't show up when I search this way?

Thanks for your help!

I don't see a "custom" botton - I just used POI loader to upload the csv or gpx ( I think thats the tag) files? What am I doing wrong.

Hi amorak,

After you've uploaded your .csv/.gpx files to your unit, with the POI Loader and want to "search" for them, first select Where to? -> Extras -> Custom POIs and "then press Search". When searching, you can select the first letter of the POI you're looking for and not have to type the whole name, of the POI file.

Actually, there's really no need to "Search" for a .csv/.gpx POI. Once you've selected "Custom POIs" all you have to do is press the down arrow to scroll alphabetically through all the custom POI's, you loaded on to your unit.

HTH (hope that helps)

Regards,

Tailspin

Nüvi 670
Mac User

The confusion arises from the fact that custom POIs are kept in a separate "database" and are not combined with the built in POIs that come preloaded. So when you search, you have to decide which "database" you are going to search, either the built in POIs OR the custom POIs. You cannot search both databases simultaneously.

On the Where To screen, scroll down and you should see a Custom POI button. Touch that and it will open your lists of loaded POI's.

The 350 does not have the "Extras" choice. You go directly from Where To to Custom POI's.

Perhaps when you ran POI loader it installed your POI's to a memory card instead. Run POILoader again and carefully observe the device drop-down list and at the end the notice of how many POI's were installed.

I have a 350, johnc is correct, the 350 does not have the "Extras" choice. You go directly from "Where To", "My Favorites", "Custom POI's".

If you have all your cvs/gpx files in a single directory group or a main director plus first level sub-directory groups you will have no problem using POI-Uploader. However if you have them each in separate directory and you load one file at a time, one will over-write the prior. You only have one poi file, what ever was last.

What I do is upload a director goup, eg Offbeat Attractions Pennsylvania to Maine. Go to the Garmin drive and rename the poi.gpi to Offbeat Attractions PA-ME. Then load rest areas same way. I have about 20 gpi files on Garmin drive.

Next move all gpi files to an SD card. I do this for inexperience reasons. If you use manual upload with poor proximity settings that causes excessive alerts just turn off GPS and replace SD card with same files uploaded using express settings.

I do this because I did have a problem with alerts making the GPS useless until I got out of that area.

To load to SD card
I don't have my unit with me so I may not be entirely correct. Create the Gardmin directory tree on SD card similar to GPS drive. Move GPS Garmin\poi\*.gpi files to SD card Garmin\poi

Disconnect your PC link, turn off your GPS, turn on your GPS, select not to transfer POI files to GPS drive. Your POI files will be there in Custom POIs menu.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the info. So, I have found the POI's in under "Where To?" "My Favourites" "Custom PIO's".

However, I am confused - some of the POI's I have downloaded off this site seemed to have gone right into the 'normal' POI directory, where i can search by POI type, ro spell the name (such as Staples, starbucks and tim hortons). Why are some of them going into the custom area, and some into the regular area?

I'd really like them all to be searchable by name, under the regular POI's, as the custom ones just come up with a list, which is awkward, as I have to remember which POI's are under custom and which are not.

The POIs that you find by searching under the WhereTo categories OTHER than the Custom-POIs are not custom POIs. They are among the 6 million POIs that are provided with the maps. Many will be duplicated in the custom POI files.

No there is no way to combine the two databases. There are many, many, posts on this subject. A search will give you a lot of reading material.

I don't think the POI files you loaded went into the regular database. It's far more likely that some of those locations already existed in the pre-loaded Garmin database.

I don't think it's possible to do what you think you've done.

[Edit] Beaten to the punch by the previous poster. He was faster.