Speed Camera loading for Dummies

 

How many would like to know how to set speed alerts to only alert if you are going to fast!!!!

Well I have searched on this site and read all the threads and even the help section in the poi loader and it was not clear to me on how this works. I have been watching and reading all this stuff and I see there are a lot of us that can’t understand a lot of this lingo.
So I started to play with all the info from this site and my GPS and have figured it out,, some of you might already know this, but it is hard to ask a question on how to do this stuff on these web sites (it’s easier to talk on the phone or in person to get information).

So here it is as per my findings on how to set the speed alerts to only alert you if you are going faster than the posted speed.

1rst you need to go into the speed camera cvs file and add the @ sign before the speed in all the line (this is on the threads here and in the help section on the poi loader), this will take some time but it is worth it. I only did this for my state at this time.

Example: speed camera @65mph
By doing this it will also turn the grey bar to red and won’t stop alerting till you slow down.

Next on the same file increase the speed by 7 to 10 mph I have mine set at 10mph above the posted speed. (AZ cameras will flash at 11mph over).
Example: 65 + 8 =73mph
Speed camera @73 mph

What this will do is alert you only if the difference is greater than 7 mph. So you can cruise at 65 to 66 mph with out an alert just the icon will appear.

Now when you load this file after you made all the changes go into the poi loader and when you come to speed camera file select the distance at the bottom and enter 0 not the 1985 change to 0.

I hope this will make it easier to understand on how this file will work. I was getting tiered of every mile and a half of beep, beep, beep, caution approaching speed camera.

AZ has or will have over a 100 + speed cameras and I drive all over the valley and it gets annoying at times to have the alert always sounding. Now I set the cruise control and I still see the Icon but no beeping unless I am going to fast then it lets me know.
cool

--
><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><- 4-Garmin Nuvi 760>>>> Owner: Sunrise Mechanical A/C & Heating,, Peoria, Arizona
<<Page 3>>

This is true But I treat all

This is true But I treat all red light cameras as if they all have speed cameras also. But do not have double alert at those intersection. 1 alert is all that is needed...

--
><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><- 4-Garmin Nuvi 760>>>> Owner: Sunrise Mechanical A/C & Heating,, Peoria, Arizona

Hmmm

So let met get this right, does this mean that you will only get a warning of an approaching speed cameara if you are actually driving above the speed that the camera is set to take a picture. confused
If that is so it could explain why I have not been getting any warning of a local speed camera, every one knows its there so they slow down way below the posted limit.

--
Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

Two kinds of alerts

bpaine wrote:

So let met get this right, does this mean that you will only get a warning of an approaching speed cameara if you are actually driving above the speed that the camera is set to take a picture. confused

There are two alerts. You will get an alert whenever you approach a camera. If you set a speed with the @ symbol, your alert will change to red and continue to repeat until you are below the indicated speed. Otherwise it is just the one alert.

--
ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

thanks for this

thanks for this

Ditto

Ditto

--
Nuvi 755T and 1490T; Fort Worth, TX

This is a great guide for

This is a great guide for gps newbies like me laugh out loud

Strange

This is strange. Up untill I downloaded the latest red light and speed cameras file I would get the warning that I was approaching the speed cameras in my area (Montreal) but now I can drive past the camera without triggering any warning on my 265WT. The warnings appear when I am driving in Ottawa and the US though. I never speed past the camera, that is why I asked if the new files were only giving warnings if you were over the posted limit.
Any ideas confused

--
Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

yes

bpaine wrote:

So let met get this right, does this mean that you will only get a warning of an approaching speed cameara if you are actually driving above the speed that the camera is set to take a picture. confused
If that is so it could explain why I have not been getting any warning of a local speed camera, every one knows its there so they slow down way below the posted limit.

This is how this set up works you will see the icon with no bells and whistles and sounds.. If you are going faster than the setting then and only then will the alerts start sounding off ...Cool hu

--
><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><- 4-Garmin Nuvi 760>>>> Owner: Sunrise Mechanical A/C & Heating,, Peoria, Arizona

@Felix Krull

Felix,

There are some speed camera limits that don't convert with your latest script. There are some Canadian speed cameras that have a 100 KPH value which is set to 15 using the Excel formula. As there are only a couple of these, I'm not certain how to test for a 3 digit speed value in a text string. It may end up being a limitation.

There are still others that have ?? for the speed which also do not work. That's a Miss POI and Jon issue where something such as 00 needs to replace the double question marks. Excel won't let you do a replace as the ? signifies any character in the replace function.

--
ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

Try this

a_user wrote:

Excel won't let you do a replace as the ? signifies any character in the replace function.

To replace a "~" or "*" or "?", you must preceed the character with a tilde "~".

On my Excel, I had to do a "find all" before it would let me do anything. I also found that if I used the double question mark (preceeded by the tilde) and tried to replace with a double zero, I only got a single zero. I'll let you run some tests to see what will make the replacements best.

Formula Updated

Felix Krull wrote:

I've only been able to skim the forums of late, and I haven't downloaded the camera files in two months, so I don't know when the format changed. I also don't know if anyone else has already done this, or for that matter if anyone still wants or needs this. But I've updated the Excel formula that I posted to this thread back in December 2008 (it's up there somewhere!). All the steps I wrote there should stay the same, except this is the formula you should use instead of the one posted originally:

=IF(ISERR(FIND("Speed",C1)),C1,(LEFT(C1,FIND("Speed",C1)+5)&"@"&MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+6,2)&RIGHT(C1,LEN(C1)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+9))))

Do NOT enter any returns you may see on your monitor in this formula. It should be entered into the spreadsheet cells as a single line as described back in my original post.

This formula now ought to work for both US and Canadian entries as "MPH" and "KM/H" no longer appear in the file. If you want to change the warning speed from the actual speed limit, you can add a "+n" or "-n" (where "n" is replaced by the number you want to use) just before the second ampersand. This version will add 5 mph/kmph to the listed speed limit:

=IF(ISERR(FIND("Speed",C1)),C1,(LEFT(C1,FIND("Speed",C1)+5)&"@"&MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+6,2)+5&RIGHT(C1,LEN(C1)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+9))))

Hopefully someone besides me will be able to make use of this.

Hi Felix, I noticed a few glitches with the above formula with the most current files.

If you use the following formula it will properly convert any size speed value, as long as "Speed" and a "-" exist in the column C values, it also zero defaults if there is ?? for a speed value:

=IF(ISERR(FIND("Speed",C1)),C1,(LEFT(C1,FIND("Speed",C1)+5)&"@"&IF(ISERR(MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+5,(FIND("-",C1)-2)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+5))+0),0,(MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+6,(FIND("-",C1)-2)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+5))+0))&RIGHT(C1,LEN(C1)-(FIND("-",C1)-2))))

For those of you that like the speed value to be offset, you will need to replace the "+0" in two places with whatever value you want.

Here is an example with +7 added to the speed:

=IF(ISERR(FIND("Speed",C1)),C1,(LEFT(C1,FIND("Speed",C1)+5)&"@"&IF(ISERR(MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+5,(FIND("-",C1)-2)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+5))+7),0,(MID(C1,(FIND("Speed",C1))+6,(FIND("-",C1)-2)-(FIND("Speed",C1)+5))+7))&RIGHT(C1,LEN(C1)-(FIND("-",C1)-2))))

Here is a sample of the formula in action:

Numeric speed value:
From: R/Speed 100 - Hwy 21
To: R/Speed @107 - Hwy 21
.
From: Speed 45 - Moonlight
To: Speed @52 - Moonlight

Bad or no speed value:
From: Speed ?? - Exit Off 395
To: Speed @0 - Exit Off 395
.
From: Speed - St Elmo
To: Speed @0 - St Elmo

Hope this helps.

--
Roleplaying Canuck Gamer with: Nuvi 760 & 2595 LMT (Map Ver.: 2019.30) 2012 RAM 1500 4x4 Big Horn Quad

Thanks

Thank you very much for the info. I will be using it soon.

WOW... !

WOW... thats a lotta info!!!

--
nightrider --Nuvi's 660 & 680--

Thanks

Thanks for the great tip.

Useful stuff, indeed-

Useful stuff, indeed-

--
nightrider --Nuvi's 660 & 680--

Quick question

Do you have to be on an active route for the alerts to work or will they still sound if you are in the “View Map” mode?

--
Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

Yes

bpaine wrote:

Do you have to be on an active route for the alerts to work or will they still sound if you are in the “View Map” mode?

The alerts will still work when you are not navigating, in view map mode.

--
Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

Deleted.Gary beat me to it.

Deleted.Gary beat me to it.

--
Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

HELP

OK, I have gotten lost can someone email how this looks? I have the file and tried everything.

--
Dwayne, Nuvi 1690

Wow

Lots of helpful info
thanks

Have You Tried

Have you tried reading the threads on loading POI files?

They're quite comprehensive... and will let you tell us specifically what component is eluding you as opposed to trying "everything"...

BTW, I suggest starting a new thread or latching onto one about file loading procedures.

Dwaynes wrote:

OK, I have gotten lost can someone email how this looks? I have the file and tried everything.

--
The Wizard of Ahhhhhhhs - Earned my Windmill 4/12/2010

Is it completely impossible

Is it completely impossible to adjust the distance it will start alerting you from if you want it to alert you only if you're speeding? The documentation from Garmin suggests it might be possible to use MapSource and GPI files to override. Anyone try?

No

tsk05 wrote:

Is it completely impossible to adjust the distance it will start alerting you from if you want it to alert you only if you're speeding? The documentation from Garmin suggests it might be possible to use MapSource and GPI files to override. Anyone try?

The way this is set is to alert only if your speed is greater than what you have set it for,, so the distance is disabled,, can have both on the garmin that I know of.

--
><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><- 4-Garmin Nuvi 760>>>> Owner: Sunrise Mechanical A/C & Heating,, Peoria, Arizona

I lost track of this thread

Somehow, I lost track of this thread back around the end of May, and I didn't pick up on it again until today. So I'd like to belatedly thank a_user and sjohnson for respectively pointing out and addressing the areas that my formula rewrite didn't take into consideration.

Speed Cams

Thanks Ramcruzer!! grin grin grin

--
D.H.

Yes, thanks from the many!

Yes, thanks from the many!

--
nightrider --Nuvi's 660 & 680--

R/Speed v. Speed

I downloaded the Speed camera file and noticed in column C some started with R/Speed and some with Speed.

Does this matter? I did a bunch of searches but didn't see this talked about.

Thanks!

R/Speed in the speed cam file

The 'R/Speed' listed in the files are for cameras that are redlight/speed cameras. The others that are only listed as 'Speed' are strictly speed cameras and are not at a redlight.

Red Light / Speed Cameras

ampx2 wrote:

The 'R/Speed' listed in the files are for cameras that are redlight/speed cameras. The others that are only listed as 'Speed' are strictly speed cameras and are not at a redlight.

Thanks ampx2!

I loaded the POIs with no trouble, though I wasn't sure if I should give the speed camera file a MPH warning or a distance warning, so I gave it a distance warning like the red light file. I live near a red light camera and was able to test it out and worked great.

I'll have to load a custom bitmap to replace the grey dot, and see about adding a spoken .wav warning. Not sure if I have to run that 'sox' program/file, I have a nuvi 205 and will have to read more on this site in re .wav files. I know I don't have a mp3 player and want to keep things simple.

Thanks to all on this great and useful website!

Other options

ericruby wrote:

I loaded the POIs with no trouble, though I wasn't sure if I should give the speed camera file a MPH warning or a distance warning, so I gave it a distance warning like the red light file. I live near a red light camera and was able to test it out and worked great.

While setting a distance warning for redlight cameras works fine, it does require you to run "manual" mode in POI Loader - meaning that you must take action on every POI file within the folder to which you point POI Loader. As you add other POI files, this may get to be cumbersome.

The POI Factory "cameras" files are designed so that POI Loader can interpret them in "express mode". they contain "numbers" for speed limits and key words camera distance defaults.

POI Loader determines proximity alert information based on the following criteria, listed from highest to lowest priority:

Proximity alert information listed for individual POIs in a .gpx file. This information overrides all other proximity alert information.

Proximity alert information entered in Manual mode.

Proximity alert distance calculated by POI Loader based on speed information in the file name or in individual POI names. This calculation uses the following formula:

Prompt Distance = 36 seconds * Speed.

A default proximity alert distance of 400 meters/0.25 miles if the file name contains the word "redlight."

While having a custom bitmap for cameras if fine, just remember that you will have to be "zoomed" in to 300 feet or so before you can see them. I am not sure what the default zoom setting on Nuvis is but I know mine is much greater than 300 feet.

A "trick" you should know is that POI Loader creates a file called poi.gpi every time it runs. this file will be found in the X:\Garmin\POI folder of your GPS unit (where X: is the drive letter your PC assigned when it was attached). If you want to "play around" with POI Loader - trying different options for different POI files, say - you can RENAME "poi.gpi" to another name - in your case you might call it "safetycameras.gpi". Doing this will let you maintain your current load of the POI Factory camera file without having to include it in every run of POI Loader.

Have fun

Drive safe

Thanks jgermann

Excellent info! I didn't now there were default warning values in the speed/red light camera files. I will reload on 'express' so I won't have to delineate every POI file, and see how it works.

I may try the custom bitmap too, though I'm more interested in adding a wav sound to replace the bong or ping.

Thanks again!

Thanks to POI Factory!

I was able to load the speed/redlight camera updates, along with icons and .wav files with no problem.

Thanks to the clear instructions in the excellent posts here, loading the sox.exe was easy for a luddite like me.

Three cheers for POI Factory!!!

Installed RLC and Speed Camera POIs

Thanks for the excellent information!

Metric vs Imperial

The Speed Camera file has mixed kph and mph limits. I search for all provinces in Canada and divide the speed limits by 0.6 so everything is in mph.

Without changing the kph limits, US users are in for a surprise when they get stopped in a 100kph zone doing 100mph!

--
Zumo 550 & Zumo 665 My alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

Wow!

Wow!

--
nightrider --Nuvi's 660 & 680--

Thanks for pointing this out

dave817 wrote:

The Speed Camera file has mixed kph and mph limits. I search for all provinces in Canada and divide the speed limits by 0.6 so everything is in mph.

Without changing the kph limits, US users are in for a surprise when they get stopped in a 100kph zone doing 100mph!

Since I sometimes visit friends in Canada, I will be sure to change my GPS unit from MPH to KPH at the border.

Wonder if there is any GPS that has a setting that would adjust the MPH and KPH selection based on where your are?

This is great info - thanks

This is great info - thanks for everyone's contribution to this thread!

i agree this is some good

i agree this is some good stuff

--
A GPS can take you where You want to go but never where you WANT to be.

speed cameras

I would like to find and download poi files for speed cameras throughout the US. I have the red light cameras, but cant find a listing for speed cameras
Thanks,
Andy Cserny

--
Andy Cserny

For this site

the link is
http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles/us/red-light-cameras

But I may be missing something. Your profile says you have been a member for 4 years and 21 weeks so I would have expected you to know about the file.

You would, of course, need to be an active member.
See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/262

Yeah

Andy has been away for awhile.

can't believe this

I have found the red light camera location files easier to use them most. when I loaded this file about 4 years ago it let you set the proximity and type of alerts (verbal or beep or just picture) using the poi loader software. (no need to mess with the file) I just set it proximity alert to 1000 ft so I had plenty of warning a red light camera was ahead. then I just loaded a picture of a red light camera and a celebrity voice verbal warning recording.

why do you have to rewrite the actual file just to set proximity warnings? can't that be done with the poi loader? am I missing something?

--
"real achievement in life comes down to three key elements. preparation, timing and execution!" quote by president LBJ

No Changes

kingofkings wrote:

I have found the red light camera location files easier to use them most. when I loaded this file about 4 years ago it let you set the proximity and type of alerts (verbal or beep or just picture) using the poi loader software. (no need to mess with the file) I just set it proximity alert to 1000 ft so I had plenty of warning a red light camera was ahead. then I just loaded a picture of a red light camera and a celebrity voice verbal warning recording.

why do you have to rewrite the actual file just to set proximity warnings? can't that be done with the poi loader? am I missing something?

When I download these files and load them onto my GPS, I make no changes in the file's contents or in their name.

By definition, the word "redlight" in Redlight-Cameras.csv gives me a 1/4 mile alert. The word "speed" in Speed-Cameras.csv always alerts.

See the POI Loader Help file under "Creating Custom POI Files" and also in "Understanding Speed and Proximity Alert Information."

--
Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

Question

The Speed Camera file I downloaded from this site lists in column c: R/Speed 50 - Elbow & Heritage @31.1

The above formula changed it to: R/Speed @55 - Elbow & Heritage @31.1

So, what is the "@31.1" mean?

--
Garmin Drive Smart 61 NA LMT-S

Help please

I've dug into the formulas for adding 5 miles to the speed camera value - problem is once that is done the Garmin does not display what the speed camera was set at and the location information of the speed camera. I've noticed on the most recent speed camera update that they have moved the "@45" (alert speed) to the end of the file, which is good. But I'm unable to find and Excel formula that will take the speed camera setting and add 5 mph. Example:

Column c: R/Speed 45 - Broadway & Stapley @45
means: red light/speed camera in a 45mph zone ("R/Speed 45"), and GPS will alert if speed above 45 ("@45").
What would an Excel formula be to increase the alert speed 5mph ("@50") keeping the @50 at the end of the field? Thanks in advance...

--
Garmin Drive Smart 61 NA LMT-S

Excel change

Not an expert on Excel but hack a bit. I think the simple find and replace can be used as mentioned early in string. Find "@45" Replace with "@50" [minus quotes]. Note sometimes you have to be clever and include space.

Thanks

Thank you wink

--
[URL=http://www.speedtest.net][IMG]http://www.speedtest.net/result/693683800.png[/IMG][/URL]

which formula?

Jorgenson wrote:

I've dug into the formulas for adding 5 miles to the speed camera value - problem is once that is done the Garmin does not display what the speed camera was set at and the location information of the speed camera. I've noticed on the most recent speed camera update that they have moved the "@45" (alert speed) to the end of the file, which is good. But I'm unable to find and Excel formula that will take the speed camera setting and add 5 mph. Example:

Column c: R/Speed 45 - Broadway & Stapley @45
means: red light/speed camera in a 45mph zone ("R/Speed 45"), and GPS will alert if speed above 45 ("@45").
What would an Excel formula be to increase the alert speed 5mph ("@50") keeping the @50 at the end of the field? Thanks in advance...

Whose formula are you using? If it's the one orignally posred by Felix Krull a couple of year back it needs some help with the new speed camera file layout.

You need to do some operations first.

1. Open the file in Excel and do a CTL H search and replace to locate all the ?? and replace them with a value. I use ~?? in the search and 20 in the replace box. You need the ~ before the question marks as the ? is a special term and the tilde tells Excel you want the character not the replacement value.

2. Insert a column between Columns B & C. Enter the following formula in C1 =if(iserr(find("@",d1,1)),d1,left(d1,find("@",d1,1)-1) This formula will copy either the entire string in D1 or will copy the value of D1 up to the @ symbol into C1. Copy the formula in C1 and paste it into the remaining cells until you reach the last record.

3. Highlight Column C, copy the contents of the column and then do a Paste Special, Value over the top of the copied cells. This replaces the formula with its value.

4. Insert Felix's formula in D1, copy it and paste it in the remaining cells of that column. The speed value in Column C will be increased by 5 and the @ symbol inserted. Repeat step 3 except now for Column D.

5. Delete Column C and then load the file.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

This is very nice, I am

This is very nice, I am going to try it, thank you for this info.

Perfect

Thanks Box Car - appreciate the help!

--
Garmin Drive Smart 61 NA LMT-S
<<Page 3>>