New map - lost my POI alerts

Try sending the POI to your device again via POI Loader in manual mode, because it sounds like you did what I did the first time I tried uploading the red light camera file: ran POI Loader in express mode. When I ran POI Loader in express mode, I didn't get any proximity alerts of any kind. No sound, no red banner, no nothing.

You should be getting alerts using express mode in poiloader for the redlight and camera locations.The word redlight or speed in a file name triggers the alert plus speed cameras have the speed in the
custom poi.Check the files for double extensions.The best way to prevent double extensions is to go to your folder options in the control panel and click view then find hide extensions for known file types and remove the check mark. Click ok.

Here is something that I copied from poiloader help that will explain alerts.
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.

The reason I recommended he not do it in express mode is that when I tried it in express mode, no alerts popped up at all. Whether it was me or the 200W isn't relevant anymore. I change the proximity alert distance on my red alert cameras anyway, to 1/3d mile.

I prefer to use the express mode for my alerts.What I do is leave the redlight and camera files like they are and for other custom pois I want alerts for.I take the files if csv and convert to gpx.Using Extra Poi Editor I build the alert distance into the file allowing me to use express mode for poiloader.If interested here is the process.

You can download Extra Poi Editor at http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor and build the distance in for the alert. When you download the program if you get message about OCX file missing scroll down on the main page and under troubleshooting you will find the Extra Poi Editor Installer that you will need to download. Once installation is completed you will need to set up the preferences you want first. Under options click on preferences. For example using ft for input. Under units you will see editor, select Imperial/US. For Field Read select metric and Field save select Metric. After setting your preferences click on file and click open to select from your computer the file you want to build the distance alerts for. Then go to edit and click on replace field. Once the next screen comes up use the down arrow for Field name and pick proximity. Under new field value put in the distance in feet you want for the alert. Then click replace all. You now have distance set for each custom poi. Then save as a gpx file. You will lose the built in alert if you save as a csv file. The nice thing about this method is that you can use express mode for poiloader.

Thanks for the replies.
Although I haven't yet tried Charlie's "Extra POI Editor" method, I did confirm that I don't have repeat extensions in the file names.

However Charlie points out something interesting:
If I understand correctly, the name of the .csv file contains 'directives' that relate to the alerts.
This may be my problem:
Since both the red light camera and speed camera .csv files have the same name, I've been renaming them to redlight.csv and speed.csv in order to get them in the same folder for POIloader.

So does the file name "s9P5nFSoV.csv" have to stay unchanged in order for alerts to work properly?
And if that's the case, I assume that the speed camera and red light camera files must be saved in different folders, and installed in two separate steps using POIloader...or is there a way to load both files simultaneously using POIloader?
As far as the POIloader save options are concerned, should I 'replace existing POi's', or is using the 'add new' POI's okay?
And one last question:
How does the unit map the POIs? In other words, do the POIs need to be installed on the SD card if that's where the default map resides, or can they be loaded/maintained in the internal "Nuvi/Garmin" folder?

Thanks,
J.P.

When you download the redlight and speed cameras.You will need only one of the redlight camera files.One is beta that has the intersections.Just pick the one you want again you don't need both.This is confusing to new members.Hopefully one of them will go away soon.I use the beta one.You can rename the files to your own preference just make sure to name your mp3 and bmp the same as the name you have for the csv file except the extensions.I named mine like in your post.redlightcamera.csv and speed camera.csv your layout should be.

My Pois=main folder

redlight camera.csv
redlight camera.bmp
redlight camera.mp3
speed camera.csv
speed camera.bmp
speed camera.mp3

If you want categories

My Pois =main folder
Cameras =subfolder
redlight camera.csv
redlight camera.bmp
redlight camera.mp3
speed camera.csv
speed camera.bmp
speed camera.mp3
food=subfolder
Mcdonalds.csv
Mcdonalds.bmp
Mcdonalds.mp3
Arbys.csv
Arbys.bmp
Arbys.mp3

Once you set up the files on your computer you load them all at one time.Every time you run poiloader it overwrites the existing pois.When you get to browse on poiloader select the My Pois main folder.

s9P5nFSoV.csv not sure where you got that from.

When you use poiloader you can load custom pois to a sd card or to the gps.I prefer to the gps.
When you see screen find device make sure you select the proper one. If using SD card use the pull down window .The arrow located across from device and selects the SD card.Now if you use the csv file and want alerts you will need to select poiloader for manual mode.You can set distance in feet or speed.I use distance.When you run poiloader in manual mode to load pois.It will list each file.If you don't want alert select next until you get to the ones you want alerts for.Don't select skip or they will not load.

This is the name of each of the two downloaded "Red Light Camera" and "Speed Camera" files from the POI Subscription File page.

Is this referring to the .csv file name(s9P5nFSoV.csv in my case)? If so, doesn't this mean that this contains alert information and that changing it will remove that alert info?

Express mode won't provide alerts?

1. When I go to the download page for red light cameras http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles/us/red-light-cameras and click on download I get a zip file 7gr-enforcement-camera.zip .When I click on that I get redlight beta.csv redlight-cameras.csv speed-cameras.csv. I delete the redlight-cameras.csv .I click extract all files.Once extracted I rename the beta to redlight camera.csv and rename and the speed cameras to speed cameras.csv

2.The redlight and speed cameras have the alerts that will work running poiloader in express mode because of key words redligt and speed plus speed cameras have speed assigned to most.They will automatically give you the alert.

3.If you convert files to gpx and build the alert distance or speed in the file or have key words in a file as I posted earlier in this thread you can run poiloader in express mode and still get the alerts.

If you are sticking with the csv files use key words or run poiloader in manual mode and set the alert.

I would image you plan to download more then the redlight and speed cameras and may want alerts for files without key words that is why I explained manual mode.If you are having problems use my contact tab and email me and we can set up some files that I can email back to you with the lay out.You need to decide put everything in one folder or if you want categories for custom pois.I prefer categories.

You do have access to the redlight and speed cameras correct?I don't see your wind mill for active member.I guess you paid the smaill fee.

Charlie,
Apparently there's a difference between file access for 1 year members and long-term members/active contributors. I'm trying to contribute as much as I can to become an active member, but can't seem to build up enough points (too many irons in the fire).
Anyway, I'm a 1 year member at the present time, and I don't get the .zip file as you describe. I get two links to downloadable .csv files with the alpha/numeric name as I describe above. I re-installed this file keeping the name in tact, and will test a known location to see if I get the alerts. I suspect that I will.
Your advice re: how to manage future POI's with unwanted alerts is helpful, and I'll keep this in mind.
Thanks for all your help!
BTW, watch out for "Work Zones" while traveling on I-95 in the state of Maryland. There are now mobile speed cameras in use.

If you have any more problems let me know.One last piece of information that you may want to try later.As far as redlight and speed cameras this does not apply because the coordinates are located at the middle of the intersection.You will only get alerts when travelling down the same road of travel for a business if the coordinates are no more then 50 ft off the road of travel.You can put another key word call TourGuide in the file name and change the alert to a radius instead of along the road of travel.This works well for something like Cracker Barrel being located of the interstates.Good setting of a 2 mile radius works well.See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/13958

TourGuide Cracker Barrel.csv
TourGuide Cracker Barrel..bmp
TourGuide Cracker Barrel.mp3

or

Cracker Barrel TourGuide.csv
Cracker Barrel TourGuide.bmp
Cracker Barrel TourGuide.mp3

As the files as CSV or Comma Separated Variable format, they can be opened with a text editor such as Notepad or a spreadsheet program.

I will have to assume the information in the files is similar to the files Charlie and I download, so we'll concentrate on the contents. One of the files will contain red light camera information. This file spells out redlight in the fourth field. Rename this file to something having red light in the file name and save it again as a .CSV. The other file will be the speed camera file. This file will have speed entries for some of the locations such as 50 MPH. Rename this file so it has the word speed in the file name.

Here is the truly confusing part for many. Redlight is a key word for POI Loader. If a file name contains this key word, POI Loader automatically assigns an alert distance of 400 meters or approximately 1/4 mile. This is the default value that is used if left unchanged. Changing the default is done by running POI Loader in the Manual rather than the Express mode. When the file name shows up in the list of files to be loaded, you tell POI Loader what distance to use for the alert distance. So, having a file with redlight as part of the file name automatically generates an alert of 1/4 mile.

Having a file with numbers in the file name is another kettle of fish and that plays into the speed camera file name. Using Speed generates an alert automatically, just like red light cameras and at about the same distance. Speed cameras alert on both distance and speed. The default speed is 0 as in standing still. If you are moving and you come near a speed camera, you will get an urgent or repeating alert until you pass the location. If you include a valid speed in the file name such as Speed25, then you will receive one alert automatically and an urgent or repeating alert if you are going faster than 25. 25 is now your default speed.

These alerts work at 3 different levels, the lowest level being the default by file name. The next higher level uses manually set values such as when you change the default distance or put a valid speed in the file name. The highest level is on speed cameras and that requires you use the @ symbol within each record. Remember I said the speed camera file had speed info like 50 MPH? Putting the @ immediately in front of the 50 so it reads @50 MPH sets a default for this camera and this camera only of 50.

Bottom line, if you have files using the keywords you will always get an alert. The type of alert is modified by either setting a distance or default speed. Exceeding the default speed triggers an urgent or repeating alert until you are at or below the default.

Mud any clearer now?

I had a similar problem...lost my red light/speed camera alerts after I updated my POI files with POI Loader. I went back and checked the files in my NUVI 680 and found that I had messed up... the POI loader and a couple other document files were actually on my GPS! I deleted them and reloaded, but before doing so, I also did some PC house cleaning. I can't prove it now, but I believe I may have downloaded my camera files into the same directory where I had parked the POI Loader, and when I pointed the loader to the folder with the camera files, it loaded the POI executable into my Garmin instead of the camera files. After cleaning everything up and reloading my camera files, I have my normal alerts back.

Another interesting note. I heard a news announcement that a red light camera at the intersection of MD State route 140 and Malcom Drive was being turned on yesterday, 1 March. My GPS has been alerting me at that spot for several months now...so whoever programmed that file must have had good intelligence that the camera was being installed, even if it was not turned on until this week.

And for the gentleman in Mongtomery County, MD...is the speed camera still there on Route 27 about a mile north of Ridge Road? I did not notice it the last time I was through that area.

It was there last time I went by a couple weeks ago.

See:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/14354