Clarification for New User

No they are ready to go unless you want to run poiloader in manual mode and chage the alert setting.You could also add mp3 for voice alert if you have not done so.Here is some info stright from poiloader help that you may use.

POI Loader determines whether or not a file contains speed and proximity alert points based on specific criteria. Use the following information to help you create Custom POI files:

If a file name contains a valid speed number or if all records in a file have speed encoded in the name, then all records in the file will include speed and proximity alerts. For example, a data file with the file name "Speed_30" generates speed alerts of 30 mph (or kph, depending on the type of units selected in POI Loader) for each POI in the file.

If the file name contains "redlight", POI Loader assumes all records in the file have proximity alerts with a distance of 400m/0.25 miles.

If a file contains "GATSO," "mobile," "SPECS," "safety," "speed," or "camera," but does not have a speed, POI Loader uses a default alert speed of 0, which means you will always be alerted. You can override this default value by entering the speed in Manual mode.

You can also enter speeds for each POI individually by adding the @ symbol and a number after the name of the POI. For example, a Custom POI named "Ridgeview@25" would create a POI named "Ridgeview" with a 25 mph speed alert.

POI Loader calculates proximity alert distance based on speed. You can enter proximity alert distance for individual Custom POIs in a .gpx file. You can also enter proximity alert distance for all Custom POIs in a data file using Manual mode.

Edit.One other thing I forgot about some users of 855 have reported.On the Nuvi 8x5 series. After you load the pois to your Garmin you will need to remove the battery or hold the off switch in the off position for 10 seconds to clear the memory before your new pois will take effect.

You didn't state what all you loaded or how it was done.

An 855 can use MP3 alerts and display icons if they are loaded at the same time as the POI file. The alert for the cameras is automatic in that they do not have to be loaded in manual mode, but if you wish to use other than the default values, you have to load them in manual and specify values.

Sorry. Am a three-day GPS user. Great instrument. When they were invented, and first installed on military aircraft (around 1978 or '79), I wouldn't let my pilots use them. I thought (1) they weren't proven accurate, and (2) they would be used INSTEAD of good observation technique. But I finally got one thirty-some years later, and already enjoy using it. Albeit on the ground.

So, I downloaded the files for Redlight-Cameras.csv and Speed-Cameras.csv.

Using POI Loader, I installed these files on a Garmin Nuvi 855.

I confirmed that they were on the GPS unit [WHERE TO? > EXTRAS > CUSTOM POIs, then Redlight-Cameras, and Speed-Cameras.

Now, I'm wondering if there is anything else I must do in order for an alert to sound when I come near one of these cameras.

Thanks!

~George

Here is a tutorial I put together, Charlie (Charlesd) also has a good one located in the FAQ section.

POI Loading Procedure Using WINDOWS

Following these instructions will allow you to load custom POI into your Garmin unit. These are BASIC but VERY detailed instructions intended as a process on how to load POI to the memory in your unit.

1. Download and install the latest version of POI Loader from http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/.

2. Create a Folder to hold all your Custom POI. NOTE: I put my folder on my Desktop.

3. Download the desired POI files from POI Factory and put them into the folder created in Step 2. POI files may be either CSV or GPX format. GPX format files are written using the XML programming language and normally contain more information about a particular point of interest so the downloaded file size is much larger than a CSV format file.

4. Visit the Icon library and download the desired icons for your POI files and put them into the folder created in Step 2.

5. Visit the Sounds Library and download the desired sound files for your POI. Nüvi 2XX and Nüvi 1XXX units require WAV sound files. WAV files require you to install a sound conversion program called SOX. SOX.EXE can be downloaded from http://rapidshare.com:80/files/139638423/sox.zip. Unzip the folder containing the program SOX.EXE. Select the SOX.EXE file, right click and select COPY.

6. Using Windows Explorer, go to C:\Garmin. This must be the same folder that has the program POI Loader.exe. Right click on any BLANK space in this folder. Select PASTE. SOX.EXE should now be copied to the folder. Check and be certain the folder contains BOTH POI Loader.EXE and SOX.EXE. If SOX.EXE is not copied to this folder, WAV sounds will not play.

7. Using Windows Explorer or another program, open the folder containing the files to be loaded into your Nüvi. POI Loader will only load about 32 POI files along with their icon and alert sounds from a single folder.

8. Match the file name to the ICON file. Rename the ICON file so it has the same name as the POI file. POI files can be either CSV or GPX – it doesn’t matter. These file names must match exactly with the exception of the file extension. NOTE: there can only be one period in a file name. A period in a file name marks the beginning of the file extension. Icon file names can only end in BMP.

9. Match the file name to the SOUND file. Rename the SOUND file so it has the same name as the POI file. POI files can be either CSV or GPX – it doesn’t matter. These file names must match exactly with the exception of the file extension. NOTE: there can only be one period in a file name. A period in a file name marks the beginning of the file extension. Sound file names can only end in MP3 or WAV. Using WAV files requires another program not found on POI-Factory.

10. Connect your Nüvi to your computer using the USB cable. Wait for the Nüvi to show it is connected and ready to receive files (Black screen with an ICON at the bottom showing it is connected to the computer.)

11. Run POI Loader.

12. Select Garmin Device as Where to save your Points of Interest.

13. Press Next and wait for the program to find your Nüvi. The Nüvi will be shown in the box labeled Device:.

14. Press Next. The program will ask the location of the files to be loaded. Use the BROWSE button and select the FOLDER containing the POI, ICON, and SOUND (Alert) files.

15. Select the measurement units used for your Nüvi. Feet and Miles per hour or Meters and Kilometers.

16. The Nüvi POI Loader suggests running the program in Automatic. For BASIC file loading, this is sufficient. NOTE: The only two alert sounds that will play automatically are for Red light and Speed cameras. For other alert sounds to play, you must select MANUAL and set either a distance or speed alert trigger. The default alert sound is a bong or ding. NOTE: If a file name contains ANY numbers, POI Loader will assume it is a speed alert and play the sound file for that POI automatically. If you have set a speed alert and are travelling faster than the alert speed, the alert will continue to sound until you are at or below the alert speed. Press Next.

17. POI Loader will read and convert the POI files, ICONs and ALERT sounds and load them to your Nüvi. If POI Loader encounters an error with a source file, it will tell you the name of the file POI file containing an error. When finished, POI Loader will tell you the number of POI successfully loaded to your Nüvi.

NOTE: Every time you run POI Loader, it will overwrite the previous output file and you will loose any POI not contained in your source folder so all files have to be present in the folder every time you run POI Loader.

18. Disconnect your Nüvi using the Stop or Eject USB device.

19. Power up the Nüvi and select WHERE TO -> EXTRAS and see if CUSTOM POI is displayed. Press CUSTOM POI and you should see a list of all the POI loaded.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

20. If you do not see a custom icon or hear the custom alert sound for a Custom POI that successfully loaded, it is most likely because you have a double file extension (two periods in one or more of the file names.)

21. Open Windows Explorer. Select TOOLS. Select Folder Options. Select VIEW. Under FILES AND FOLDERS uncheck the box that states: Hide extensions for known file types.

22. Using Windows Explorer, open the FOLDER containing the custom POI files, icons, and alert files. Verify each file name has only ONE period just before the 3 character file extension. Rename any files containing more than one period so the file contains only ONE period.

23. Restart this procedure at Step 8.

Repeat as necessary.

ADVANCED OPTIONS

POI files can be grouped and categorized. The most common method is by using sub folders. Sub folders are created under your main folder holding your POI files. You can only have one level of sub folders.

An example is:

My POI top level

>Food sub folder
>>Applebees.csv POI file
>>Applebees.bmp icon file
>>Applebees.mp3 (wav) custom alert sound file
>>Cracker Barrel.gpx POI file
>>Cracker Barrel.bmp icon file
>>Cracker Barrel.mp3 (wav) custom alert sound file

>Stores sub folder
>>Best Buy.csv POI file
>>Best Buy.bmp icon file
>>Best Buy.mp3 (wav) custom alert sound file
>>Wal Mart (Combined).csv POI file
>> Wal Mart (Combined).bmp icon file
>> Wal Mart (Combined).mp3 (wav) custom alert sound file

>Fuel Locations sub folder
>>Loves.GPX POI file
>>Loves.bmp icon file
>>Loves.wav custom alert sound file
>>Pilot Locations.GPX POI file
>>Pilot Locations.bmp icon file
>>Pilot Locations.wav custom alert sound file

Selecting Where To --> Extras --> Custom POI will show only two entries, Food and Stores. Pressing one of these names will show the POI files contained in that folder. NOTE: You must have more than one category in order for the category method to work. Having only a single subfolder will display all the file names rather than the desired group name.

There is no change to how POI Loader is run. POI Loader is told to load the contents of the top level folder, My POI. The sub folder names become category names. Using the subfolder method you can have 32 sub folders each with 32 POI files along with custom icons and alerts.

a_user

did you really mean only "Two entries" would show under Custom POIs? I would have thought your example would have shown three.

Welcome to the site George.

If you found the custom pois on your unit you have gotten the download technique correct.With your present setup without a mp3 you will get the standard defult bong alert.To add a mp3 for getting the voice alert and to do away with bong alert go to http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6503 and pick out the mp3 sounds you want.Once selected just rename them the same as the csv redlight and cameras files except for the extensions.Put them in the same folder you have the csv files.You can also add a bmp file the same way if you want.

Redlight Cameras.csv
Redlight Cameras.mp3
Redlight Cameras.bmp
Speed Cameras.csv
Speed Cameras.mp3
Speed Cameras.bmp

editing. Thanks for pointing it out. Originally I had stopped with two, then threw in Fuel.

kind of figured you added something. by the way great tutorial. Thanks

What a great forum! Thanks very much, for the answer, and also for the additional info.

~George