please help (creating poi file)

I am not sure what type of help you are looking for, but I assume it is to convert these street addresses into Latitude and Longitude coordinates. If that is the case, you should use a geocoder like GPS Visualizer. I copied your list, changed the addresses so that each one was on a single line, and pasted the listing into GPS Visualizer. After running the conversion, it LOOKS like all the coordinates are correct (Lachute Farmers Market is somewhere in Lachute, the St. Eustache drive-in is in St Eustache, etc.).

could you email all those coordinates to me?

Hi alofficial

Download Extra POI Editor, follow link to TurboCCC's post.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/28107

It will do geocoding for you.

thank you both very much

All programs used for geocoding estimate where street addresses are. The coordinates of the nearest cross streets are known, but the position of the address is estimated between cross streets.

To make up for this somewhat I use Google Earth, which has an overhead photo view, and for many locations, what they call Street View where you can actually see buildings. You can then decide if the coordinates it suggests are accurate or not. Nothing beats being there with the GPS.

dobs108

Build a POI file with Google Earth

STEP 1: Start Google Earth. If you do not have Google Earth, then:
a) Go to http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html to download Google Earth. You will have to agree to Google’s Term of Service. BUT you probably do not want to include Google Chrome in the download. It is up to you. When you click on “Agree and Download”, you will be taken to another screen. Internet Explorer will likely give you the “yellow bar” telling you that it has blocked something. Click on the “yellow bar” and click “Download file”. Save the file wherever you usually save downloads.
b) Install Google Earth
c) When Google Earth is up and running, click in the Menu bar on Tools > Options and you should be on the “3D View” tab. In the “Show Lat/Long” pane, change the selection to “Decimal Degrees”. Click “Apply”, then click “Ok”.

STEP 2: Input data on the addresses you specified above.
a) Start with entering your own address in the “Fly To” box just to get a feel for what the screen will look like. Google Earth will zoom in about 4,000 ft on a side.
b) As you move the cursor into the map, it will change from a pointer to a hand. Notice that, as you move the hand, the latitude/longitude at the bottom of the map adjusts. Put the hand on the address you selected.
c) Write down the longitude and then the latitude - exactly the reverse of the way it is shown on the screen. Why? POI files of the .csv type start with longitude and then latitude. Note that the longitude probably has a minus sign before it.
d) Repeat for your other addresses

STEP 3: Build a .csv POI file which we will call FirstPOI.csv. The simplest files have one row of data for each location and 3 values in each row:

1. longitude
2. latitude
3. name

You can add an optional fourth column for a comment/description. In this case, the four values in each row are arranged:

1. longitude
2. latitude
3. name
4. comment (which might include the address)

For the name and comment values, it is best to always enclose them in quotation marks so that any special characters are interpreted as text
.
a) Open Notepad or Wordpad.
b) Enter a row of values for each of the addresses you entered in Step 2 above

Here are some example rows:
-85.206844,35.008629,"Walmart","Skurlock Rd & Cornelison Rd"
-85.217847,34.998767,"Parkridge East Hospital","941 Spring Creek Rd"
-85.209434,34.989596,"Portofina Pizza","6407 Ringgold Rd"
-85.211035,34.981610,"Sunset Market","1810 Mack Smith Rd"

c) Save the file by clicking, in the Menu, on File > Save As; then, in the File Name, enter “FirstPOI.csv”. Enclosing the File Name in quotation makes sure that you get that exact name without any other extension (like .txt) added.
d) You have now created a POI file.

To add to post about Google Earth.There is another way to do every thing on the same screen on Google Earth and save the file as a kml file.Then converting using Extra Poi Editor to a csv or gpx.See (link no longer available) .If I need to tweet the coordinates I use the grab method on EPE.

Sorry Charley, I couldn't resist! We know you meant tweak.

No I tweet mine .You got me.

dobs108

.....make me feel even older than I already feel. Now I'm learning that "they" have tweaked the meaning of tweak. Cool..... LOL