For what kinds of POIs do you use alerts

Located here:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/13797

It was my first sucessfull attempt to integrate alerts directly into the file.

Makes sense for things like Speed Traps, and Rest Areas, although Rest Areas are usually marked well enough.

But my question was really aimed at those who might be using alerts for POIs that might not seem an obvious type for an alert. For example, I don't necessarily see people wanting to be alerted to a Costco, but I guess it could be done?

You set alerts for the things you want to be notified about. Some do restaurant chains, some gas stations, just about anything you want.

I will caution against setting an alert for everything, it's just too much overload and gets very irritating quickly.

Rest Areas
School Zones
Red Light and Speed Cameras

No alerts for all others.

Dairy Queen ahead...

Five Guys Burgers and Fries...

Jersey Mikes ahead....

My wife wants to add 30 mile proximity alerts for garage sales. Her GS radar only works at an effective range of 25 miles in clear weather.

Sigh.

Use mine for Speed cams and red lights. I did at one time use mine for Costco and Sam's as well as Bank of America, but as mentioned before it got to be too much.

Redlight cameras
Speed cameras
Rest Areas
Dunkin Donuts...

"MMmmm forbiden donut"
Homer Simpson

Thanks.

I guess the only way to be alerted to a POI that that is located off your route, as might be the case when you're on the Interstate, is to create a TourGuide file? Can standard POI files be converted to a TourGuide?

Yes, for sure. Do a search on POI Factory for TourGuides. But basically, just rename the file:

if the POI file is Breweries.csv,
it'll become a TourGuide by naming it Breweries_TourGuide.csv.

I use TourGuide for School Zone alerts and set a 550-foot radius.

If we knew what you were attempting to do, we could be more help.

Your first question was about what files people put alerts with. Now you come back with a TourGuide question. What are you trying to do?

Setting alerts and the files that have alerts are one of the personal preferences you can set.

Standard proximity alerts alert only along your current route. TourGuide (and note the spelling) are a radius alert. POI files, either CSV or GPX can have either type. To convert a CSV or GPX to a radius alert, you insert the word TourGuide into the file name of the POI file you want to load.

If you want to display an ICON, your icon file must have exactly the same name as the POI file.

To play an alert sound other than the standard ding or dong, you load your desired sound file for that file. As you have a 765,you can use MP3 files. Again, all file names must match EXACTLY with the exception of the extension.

The most common error when they don't work is a double extension. Make certain you are not hiding common extension types when you display file names.

a_user, thanks for your response.

I already have a basic understanding of most of what you say in your response and have loaded a few POI files into my 765. My original question was not intended to find a solution to a specific problem I'm working on, but rather a curiosity about how others use proximity alerts. It occured to me that there aren't that many types of POIs where an alert would be obvious, to me anyway, but thought maybe I was missing something. Based on some of the responses, like an alert for a Dunkin Donuts, I wondered if you could be alerted to something that wasn't on your route, but might be coming up at the next exit. That got me to the TourGuide concept. I thought there was more to creating a TourGuide file. It wasn't clear to me I could simply rename one of the POI files and have a TourGuide file. Just trying to fill in some of the gaps in my understanding.

Thanks CraigW. Will definitely be looking at trying this out.

Now that I have a better understanding I can understand your curiosity. Personally I alert several different types of files, some with custom sounds and some with the default dings and dongs. It all depends on my personal priorities. I have been going to fewer audio alerts to just using the default ding. Driving through a major suburb and having an audio alert for different gas station pois gets very irritating very quickly.

That's it for me.

Using TourGuide in the file name along with supporting files will give you the off road alerts.I would be selective on what to use TourGuide for.It will trigger other alerts you may have set for along the road.If they happen to be in the radius.

red light and speed cameras...

I haven’t been in this site for several months now since I first purchased my 880. Back then I was curious about POI’s and how to set them up and I would ask for any other ‘tweak’ I could use on my new toy. Back then I found the people in here to be very helpful with suggestions or directions on how to accomplish it or directions to what and where I could find material to read up on it.

As I read the original post and the replies to it I am compelled to complement those who replied to the original post. You all showed the kindness and helpfulness devoid of the harsh comments that other GPS sites might have lowered themselves to.

It's POI Factory members such as yourselves that allow me to continue to direct friends to this site as a friendly place to post questions and receive excellent guidance, be they a newbie to the GPS world or a veteran who wants to expand their knowledge or troubleshoot a problem.

The members of POI Factory are a class above the rest.

I agree that you should be selective about using TourGuides. My question is your statement above "It will trigger other alerts you may have set for along the road.If they happen to be in the radius." Could you expand on this? Thanks.

This is a example of what happen to me using TourGuide.I had TourGuide set up for gas stations for Sam's Club.One Sam's station in FL was off on a side road.Had the radius set for 1 mile.Driving down the side road the alarm sounded for Sam's.Shortly after Cracker Barrel alarm went off.The Cracker Barrel was located on a main road.Alarm set for it was along the road of travel.Cracker Barrel had never sounded at this location until I put the TourGuide in for Sam's.For Cracker Barrel to sound before TourGuide I had to be on the road of travel for it to work.Based on this my observation if you have along the road alerts and another custom poi with TourGuide.The radius of the TourGuide could trigger other alerts in the radius you have set up.

Were getting a little off track here.

I do use an alert for time zones. We travel between WA and AZ going in and out of Pacific and Mountain time zones. Nice to know what zone you are in. It is easy to forget.

Thanks Palestar for the kind words of encouragement.

Hi A_user,
First time on here. A lot of very consice info.
thanks

Welcome to the site. If you are new to using GPS, I recommend reading the getting started and FAQ pages. (Links right above your User Name)

I do the same as CraigW

I use it for red light cameras and for rest areas. The "regular" rest area alert signs are about a mile from the rest area but we sometimes miss them due to trucks, etc. blocking the signs. I set my alert at 2 miles which gives plenty of time to decide if we want to stop. That way, if we're "not quite sure" I have time to check the POI to see how far it is to the NEXT rest area.

Speed & RLC (default values, but I've converted the speed csv to a gpx with Garmin formatting and metric speeds converted to imperial units.)
H-D Dealers (1320ft)
Roadfood (Feasting on asphalt, DDD, etc., 1320ft)
and my RT-66 TourGuide (1320ft).

No alerts for National Parks categorized POIs, as there are too many of them.

My problem with most alerts is ding-ding tells me nothing. Most of the time riding the Harley, I can't see the small text to tell what the Garmin is reporting. For each category, I have an audio "arriving at...(name of POI file) and that helps some.

My TourGuide for RT-66 is POI Loader pre-compiled and includes photos, descriptions and a custom audio announcement for most all of the 187 POIs in the file. When riding RT-66, I get an audio "Arriving at Blue Whale" or whatever the attraction is, can display a short description of the POI and a photo.

If interested, you can freely use the RT-66 TourGuide and a RT-66 Route from here, no strings attached.
http://garmin-mapsource.wikispaces.com/RT-66

because I like to have the voice alert (especially in areas that I have never been before and might not be aware that there is a red light camera there). I am thinking about less obtrusive alerts for other POI's (default "bong") and red text banner, but have not decided on which ones yet.....

-jgracey

I think like many I use my religiously for speed/redlight cams.

I have an alert for the toll way toll booths. I hate having a transponder permanently attached to my windshield. The alert reminds me to pull out the transponder and hold it against the windshield.

I did this with two files. National Monuments because I want to divert if I happen to be near one (I'm preparing to do a Monument Tour to hit all 100 someday,) and Motorcycle Routes, so that I know when I'm within a few miles of an entry point.

Just rename them to get the alert.
Remember to rename the bmp file too, so that the same expected icon shows up on the map.

I also created a wav file that I converted to an mp3 file for a unique alert.

"Hey Oz!! There's a National Monument nearby. Let's check it out."

and

"Hey Oz!! Take me for a Ride!"

I use proximity alerts for
-rest stops
-speed cams
-red light cams

All the usual ones...red light, speed and rest stops.

I have created on specific alert to remind me to look at a highway when I am at a good vantage point. This view of traffic helps me decide on two ways to work. If I forget to look when I am up on the hill then I have lost my data....so an alert has worked great. I use "The Jetson's" doorbell sound for this and it is so distinct and nostalgic that I always look at the traffic.

I use a TourGuide alert for Costco, mainly because of their cheap price on fuel. Usually 10 to 20 cents cheaper than the gas stations around them.

It's great to hear how others use the alerts. Obviously, there are categories where alerts are essential, but you really can use them for just about anything you want to be alerted to. Thanks for your input.

I tried out the TourGuide type of alerting using
7-11s as the trigger. I was looking for a way to be alerted to services that might be some distance away, especially a service located off the highway if you're traveling. It did work, but I'm not sure it is as useful as I hoped. Maybe my test needs more work.

A couple things I see as questions; setting the alert distance to something that makes sense, and locating it when alerted. The nice thing about the TourGuide is you can be routed there, but if you're trying to limit it to find POIs near a highway exit but not too far, and be alerted with enough notice to react, what is an optimal distance to set? Not sure there is an answer to that. As far its location, the alert doesn't really give you a relative location (or have I missed it), so it is hard to judge whether it is close enough to go there. Maybe the second issue would resolve the first one regarding distance because you could widen it a little and then go by where it is located when alerted.

For those interested in TourGuide, be aware that the spelling has to be TourGuide - that is Capital "T", lower case "our", capital "G", lowercase "uide" (no spaces between characters).

You will put the word TourGuide in the name of the POI file you created or downloaded. It can be anywhere in the name - first or last.

Ususlly you will load this POI file in the manual mode of POI Loader - specifying 5280 feet or 10000 feet depending on how much alert you want.

BUT, think of this distance in the sense of "as the crow flies". It is a "radial alert" - not "along the road of travel" - so it can be in any compass direction from where you are at that moment.

One thing I really like about using TourGuide is the ability to see additional info about the POI using the "More" button. I have a historical marker file that contains the text of the markers. Using it as a standard POI file I can not get the text. If I set it up as a TourGuide I get the "More" button to view the text, and in addition can route to the POI. Is it possible to get the additional text without having to make it a TourGuide file?

Make it into a GPX file.

It is a GPX file, but when it was not a "TourGuide" file I didn't see the little icon that pops up on the right side to go to the next screen for more info. Maybe I missed something. Am I supposed to load the file without using POILoader?

I think there is some variation in the way the display of the POI address and description is implemented on different nuvi models. But as far as I know, using the Tour Guide feature doesn't affect the "More" button. The "More" button should show up on any custom POI that has a multi-line address and description that won't fit on the main POI screen, whether the source file is a .CSV or a .GPX.

See if I can understand a little better what it is doing. I have the 765. When I use a TourGuide file there is an onscreen button to take me to the next screen where I can be routed to the POI, and where the "More" button is located. Otherwise, I don't see that.

This is from my 755T using the POI Factory redlight camera POI file, which came from a CSV ...

Where To - Extras - Custom POIs - Redlight-Cameras
select one on list to display (shows RLC 2nd&10th)
Press "More" (shows IA Cedar Rapids poi-factory Jun 16 10)

It should display exactly the same. All TourGuide does in this case is change the proximity alert from along the route to a radius alert.

It can come down to how you build the file. If you use the Description field, you should get the More button. If you build a 4 column CSV type file, then no guarantees. But then again, you have to have more data than will fit on a single screen.

I'm not referring to going thru "Where To." That works as you describe. I'm talking about the alerts that pop up as I'm approaching the POI.

Now I understand what you trying to do. I am uncertain about this ... will have to do some experimenting and let you know. I don't recall ever using the "More" funtion on the alert itself, so maybe it isn't there or maybe I just didn't notice it.

Just did a test myself. Changed file names back to non-TourGuide names and what I get is the alert sound and the small display popup that tells you what the POI is, but nothing else. When it is a TourGuide, in addition you get a small button that takes you to the next screen for the options. TourGuide would be OK except that I'd prefer that it alert me to only those things along my route, not within the proximity distance in any direction.

Really got a good work out on the redlight files.Wouldn't have guessed so many of them in DE and PA for the areas I came through.

I have the red light and speed files loaded all the time. When going on a trip I load rest stops and assorted restaurant files including the Diners Drive Inns and Dives.

I have programmed in most of my primary customer service locations. Then when I send my guys out they get an alert when they get near their service locations. Works great for us.

Red Light, Speed Cameras, Certain stores when I need to remember to buy something