Shipwreck Files

I am no expert but it looks like Column A and Column C need to trade places. Also not sure if the first row of comments may be causing part of the error.

Yes The File Is Wrong Column C needs To be in Column A And A In C For Example Below

-69.3439,40.32514,"Strathdene"

ooops that one slipped right past me. I will get it fixed.

Miss Poi

Where is the shipwreck file? I can't seem to find it.

I have put the files in the moderation que until the file is fixed, it should be up again soon.

Miss Poi

Ok files have been fixed and are in the boating category.

Miss Poi

Wow, you work fast, thanks!

Sorry about that, folks. Thanks, Miss Poi for fixing them!

In the future I'll save them in Garmin CSV format rather than Navio (then check in notepad) - that should solve the problem.

I wish I could get some of the descriptions in too; They usually have some details about the wreck. However, trying to use RetiredTechnician's program didn't seem to work on it (of course, the fact my home PC needs to have the old version of Microsoft .Net to run my media adapter doesn't help, nor that I have limited time to play with files over my lunchbreak on my work PC, which CAN run the program). Anyone want me to send the "pre-formatted" CSV I derive from the access database to them so they can take a crack at it?

Sure, send it on over and I'll work on it for you. Send an email and I'll give you an email address to send an attachment.
RT

Hey RT, I figured it out (I think). I checked off the box to remove line breaks, then opened the -R version of the cleaned up file in POI Edit (Garmin CSV) and it worked - well except that, with the label of the wreck in column 3 and the history/description in 4, POI Edit showed the History rather than the labels. Therefore, I took a guess and reversed 3 and 4 (put the label in 4 and the history in 3) and that did it - I can see it on POI Edit correctly (and, after batch converting it to an .ov2 file, it shows correctly on my TomTom too).

I'll send you the Garmin csv I created with the reversed columns - maybe you can see if it'll convert to your Nuvi version correctly. I'm a little afraid to post it as an update yet!

I would like the original file to work with as this one obviously has some data missing (I'd like the file before it was run on POI File Verifier and then modified).

But using the file provided, I reconstructed it in the correct format with 'Name' field as field 3 and 'Comments' as field 4. I corrected multiple errors, ran POI File Verifier on it, and loaded it in my nuvi 350. Although it has missing data, it displayed the 'Comments' field correctly.

I sent you what I reconstructed; but if you want to send me the original file I'll work on it also.

Thanks.
RT

ManchVegas,

I got your raw Excel file. It appears the info in the 'History' field is cut off in this file as well as several rows end in half-words. I converted it anyway and sent you the three 'POI File Verifier' files. Below is the procedure I used. It appears the major problem was the quotes embedded in the 'Comments' field. Since the quotes were not used to indicate inches, I replaced them with a half-quote (').
RT

1. REMOVED ALL MULTIPLE SPACES.
2. REMOVED 'OBSTRUCTION', 'SNDG', AND 'SOUNDING' POIs.
3. REMOVED UNWANTED COLUMNS.
4. CONVERTED LONGITUDE TO NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
5. REARRANGED COLUMNS IN CORRECT GARMIN POI ORDER.
6. CLEANED ALL MISC COLUMNS AND ROWS BY HIGHLIGHTING AND DELETING.
7. REPLACED QUOTES WITH HALF-QUOTES (') IN FIELD FOUR.
8. SAVED AS CSV FILE.
9. RAN POI FILE VERIFIER OK.
10. INSTALLED ALL 3 POI FILE VERIFIER FILES IN NUVI 350, DISPLAYED CORRECTLY.

Thanks much for your help. I'm betting since I'm using Outlook & Access 2000, I'm running into an old limitation in field size, which is why the comments sometimes get cut off. How did you remove the multiple spaces? I can't see going through the whole file manually to do that, perhaps "search and replace", like we did to add the negative sign to LON?

The files you sent back, with the name in column 3 and the history/details in 4, show in POI Edit and (after batch converting) on my TomTom with the details rather than the label. For some reason POI Edit chooses column 4 rather than 3 for the label when I open them as a Garmin CSV file, as long as there's a column 4 in the file. The only other CSV that would work at all with POI Edit was Destinator, and that would merge 3 and 4 together (which was worse).

Another note is that the V(erified) files don't open in POI edit or batch convert, but the R and M versions do.

For now I'll stick to uploading versions without the details. When there are only 3 columns and you open them with POI Edit as Garmin CSV, that works fine - you avoid all the issues I'm having with the detail column. That way I can get around to getting all the regions processed and uploaded correctly.

To change longitude to negative number I did =a * -1 formula in an empty cell, did a 'fill down', copied and did a 'paste special-values' into the longitude column.

To remove the spaces I did a replace 10 spaces with 1 space (used 10 to start to speed things up) and worked down to replace 2 spaces with 1 space.

It sounds like there is an issue with POI Editor. I'd like to have you post the _V file (with all 4 columns) to see if anyone has an issue loading on Garmin GPSs with POI Loader. Maybe after posting the _V file, if you send a Tom Tom file to the 'Contact' link they will also post it as an attachment.

There are many issues with POI editior (such as only presenting 3 columns of data). Have you tried another file converter i.e. Babel at: http://gpsvisualizer.com/gpsbabel/

I ran RT's "R" file through Babel - it wouldn't take the V file - and while it said it was successful, my TomTom doesn't see it.

For now I'll throw in the towel on the versions with history and concentrate on the ones with the coords and names. That way, I know the ones I post will work.

Most people start out eating little gold fish and you kind of decided to eat a whole whale on that one;) Love the ambition though.

Miss Poi

I don't understand this quote. I would think Babel would indicate 'it wouldn't take the V file' or 'it said it was successful', not both. Just because POI Edit (with known problems w/4 fields) and TomTom don't see field four doesn't mean the file is bad.

Again, I respecfully request that you reconsider your decision not to post the files with the data in the 'Comments' field. I had the files checked on another Garmin GPS and they displayed the 'Comments' field successfully. It seems that the problem lies with POI Edit and TomTom, not the files I converted. After all the time we spent on correcting this data, please don't deprive Garmin users of this pertinent information.

Thank you.
RT

I think that the best solution here is to post both files, one for Garmin and one for Tom Tom. RT is sending me the file with the comments and I will attach it to the file that is up and running. I will add a comment regarding his assistance with the formating of the file.

Miss Poi

RT: I tried running the V version through Babel. It didn't work. I then tried the R version. It did work (though I need to find a better converter program than POI Edit, so that when I put it in TomTom format, it'll come out right, like it apparently does for the Garmin - but I can live with that).

The reasons I've thrown in the towel myself:
1) I can't run the Verifier program on my home PC. My work PC is supposed to be for, well, work, so I really can't be playing with POI files there (I don't technically get a lunch break, if it'll help you get some perspective). I won't risk posting files that haven't been verified unless they're lacking the history section, because I already know the versions without the history section work fine both right on the Garmin and when converted to TomTom and others on POIEdit. Sure, I could use Babel to work my way around the issue, but I've already learned that if there's a problem it's not very instructive as to what it is.

2) I have Office 2000 at home - which has a character limit per field in Excel which has caused the histories to be abbreviated; that's a problem when I export the NOAA DB's to XLS format. Sometimes instead of cutting off the description it puts it on a different line, which throws the whole file off. I have Office 2k3 at work, but again, that's at work. I'd love to just go out and buy Office 2k3 to resolve this, but that's not an option right now.

Do you have Office 2k3? If so, you can download (or I can download and email to you) the Access DBs, and you can take it from there, since you don't seem to have the same issues, and I'm guessing you have more time to play with this than I do (though I've known a few retired folks who seem to be busier than the folks still working! ).

I have Office 2002.

I had already download the original file, opened it with Excel, kept the complete text in the comments field (not cut off), and converted it to csv. Removed the quotes and spaces, ran POI File Verifier on it, and loaded it in the nuvi 350. The text is complete in the csv file; but when displaying on the nuvi the comments data is cut off. This indicates the nuvi (and other GPSs??) have a character limitation.

I was going to email these files to Miss POI, but decided to 'leave well enough alone' since the cut-off text in the uploaded file is about the same length as the displayed text on the nuvi using the full-length text file.

If anyone would like to try the full-length text file on a their GPS, I will be glad to attach it to an email. It would be interesting to know if other GPSs have that character limitation.

Thanks for your response, ManchVegas. There is so much good information available in the Comments field I would like to have it available for those who desire to have it.

Thanks again.
RT

Turns out I found a way to save the XLS files without clipping the history section (I think, the ones I checked looked good). I sent you the Section1 XLS (Maine and Northern MA). I've already generated a new Section 2 XLS (Southern MA, RI, East CT) but I guess I need to figure out how to add the Narragansett Bay wrecks that I added to the original non-comment version (I don't have comments but at least the wrecks; I'd have to transcribe various sources, a "to do later" task").