help

Read this section. http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1631

Then read this section. http://www.poi-factory.com/faq

Who is the manufacturer of your GPS unit? Is it compatible with Custom POIs?

I would love to see if you can follow this. I wrote this for myself and do not know if I have made it complete.

BUILD A CSV 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 several addresses near you. It really doesn’t matter what the addresses are because this is just an exercise, but try to pick addresses that you will be visiting soon.
a) Start with entering your own address in the “Fly To” box. 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 several more 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 marks sure that you get that exact name without any other extension (like .txt) added.
d) You now created a POI file.

thankx you guy tell me how to make poi files,,,i think i need to try first,,,look like is not easy to do file,,,

if you think other easy way, welcome to tell me too...

it is c320

It is not that hard to make a poi file. At minimum you need 3 columns in the file and the file needs to be a csv extension. You need to have latitude and longitude in their own columns and another column needs to describe what you are looking for. The 3rd column can be just a name, or get more inventive and have an address/ phone number/ zip, etc.
Its up to you what you want. You can use and excel sheet and then do a "save as" to csv.
You need to find the coordinates and there are numerous ways to do that.

Are you looking for a particular poi file? Because there are many on this site.

A few things to keep in mind on your c320. It is a great reliable unit, but one of the first that went touch screen. It will not show up on your computer as a flash drive, so you must use the poi loader to transfer any files you make. You will also only be able to get ~15,000 to ~20,000 locations to your unit. It has limited memory, so sounds, pictures and lots of text reduce the amount of data you can transfer.

My folks are still using my old c330 with out a problem. You will not probably be able to fit any new maps on the unit, but could get a flash drive map to work. Check with Garmin to see which ones are compatible. The c320 will not read pois on a flash drive, map data only.

Have fun,

Daniel

Yes, but is it a Garmin, a Magellan, a TomTom, something else?

i want to know you said i can go to the carmin web to download or what else?

1) how long i should be update my map ?

2) if i don't want to pay for update is still work on ?

3) do you have any ideas to help me , like can i buy something can help me transfer from pc etc....

it is garmin c320

I am not sure I under stand all your questions, but here I go:

1) Depends. My c330 is still using 4 year old maps. It works just fine for my folks. My other units are using 2-3 year old maps with no problem. Unless you are making deliveries or for some other reason have to have the most accurate maps, then my personal feeling is at least three years before updating.

2) Your unit will work just fine with the old maps. Realize that some highways interchanges may be different, but just follow the signs and the gps will catch up. Some newer roads will not be in your maps, so if you are going some place just look up the final leg online before you go. The gps will normally get you in the area.

3) The similar nuvi that replaced the c330 was the 200, then 200w (wider screen). It was the basic unit with no TTS (text to speech - tells you turn right on ELM STREET / not just turn right). So look at Garmin's webpage for a similar product that is in your price range.

Let me know if there is anything else you need.

Daniel