Adding POI Factory POIs to Garmin Nuvi which already has alerts built in?

I also have a 2460 and concur with your assessment on this unit; I haven’t noticed the built in alerts near the schools in my area but I did noticed some RLC alerts that are not the ones from POI Factory, both icons show up on the map.

I bought a Nuvi 2450, do so love it, in June and it still has the school alerts. Don't know if they are a trial or on there for good.

I can't remember if I put the redlight alerts from the poi factory on this new unit. Will check later. I only get one alert, I think, will try to notice more and get back with you.

The poi factory RLC's and speed zones will definately be better than the built in ones.

I have built in Red Light Camera database and the one from here (POI). The built in one compliments the POI redlight camera database.

I found Many a red light camera in California and in Chattanooga TN that were not in the POI RED light camera database that were in the Nuvi built in database.

Sometimes my Nuvi beeps (built in database)and Sometimes it says "CAUTION Now approaching a red light camera" (POI Database).

Overall, I like the data base from POI much better becuase its user based and supported we add stuff, when we find its missing and the data keeps getting better.

That's interesting that Garmin now provides Red Light cameras on some of their units.

I highly doubt it, but I wonder if they will be updated when doing updates using Webupdater.

Could it be they are embedded with the maps using the free Lifetime Map Update?

Still it's best to have the POI Factory files that are frequently updated.

They are available for purchase on a subscription basis, and are copy-protected...you can only use them on the subscribed unit. They are provided in .gpi file format which co-exist with user-created POIs in the unit's POI folder. They are supposedly updated on a regular basis and need to be downloaded to your unit from your myGarmin account.

@ DorkusNimrod

Based on your statement, it appears both members flaco and TMan65 purchased a subscription from Garmin. I should have known better, and here I thought they were free with some of the newer units.

FYI and DorkusNimrod I did not purchase anything extra from Garmin or anyone else, the 2460LMT I got cost me $199 from Amazon and as far as I know the only thing included with the unit was the lifetime map and traffic.

I suspect the RLC alert I see is a trial and may go away one of these days, probably when the map gets the next update.

The Safety Camera POIs (trial) come pre-loaded/included on select units and you can also download a limited-time trial as well. The limited-time trial is only good for once per unit.
http://www.garmin.com/us/extras/services/safetycamera

The Garmin Safety Camera POIs won't "go away" nor expire. If you have one already on the unit, you can use it on that unit indefinitely. The only problem with that is the file can get outdated pretty quickly. With no means to update it without paying for a one-time update or a subscription, you're stuck with outdated info.

Also note that a key feature that's available with user-loaded POIs is not available with the Garmin subscription. That feature is the ability set a user-defined alert distance. Garmin's Safety Cameras are fixed to a 1/8 mile alert distance which I've found to be WAY too short. I personally prefer 1/4 mile but of course, your mileage may vary.

@DorkusNimrod & flaco

Thank you for both the education.
Flaco, you got a good deal on that 199.00 sale for the 2460LMT, I was too late on that one. The Amazon price after the sale went to 236.00 and currently went up to 249.61. I will buy that unit but only when the price drops.

I don't like the fact that the Garmin RLC file will remain on the unit indefinately.

Does this mean the RLC file is embedded and cannot be deleted?

I'd rather just have the POI Factory's file only that I can update and delete if desired.

The file can be -used- indefinitely and does not expire. If you don't want the Garmin Safety Camera file on your unit, you can easily move it off and archive it for later if you wish. You can also disable it's alert warnings directly from the nuvi so the file would remain on the unit but would not be active. The file is NOT embedded into the firmware/OS in any way.

Thank you for advising it can be removed, much appreciated.

@DorkusNimrod
Where does it say that in the link you provided? “The Safety Camera POIs (trial) come pre-loaded/included on select units”

http://www.garmin.com/us/extras/services/safetycamera

Or were does it say in the link you provided? “The Garmin Safety Camera POIs won't "go away" nor expire. If you have one already on the unit, you can use it on that unit indefinitely. The only problem with that is the file can get outdated pretty quickly. With no means to update it without paying for a one-time update or a subscription, you're stuck with outdated info.

On your first post you said “They are available for purchase on a subscription basis, and are copy-protected...you can only use them on the subscribed unit.” you didn’t make a mention of the trial until we did so.

You must be either a Garmin employee in the know or a Garmin user with tremendous imagination.

All info I divulged comes from first-hand experience.

1. My nuvi 765 came pre-installed with a Garmin Safety Camera subscription. I believe my 3790T came with it as well. I used the original pre-installed file for months, after which I disabled it (renamed it so the unit would not use the file). I recently re-enabled it after 2+ years and it works just as it did before.

2. I have downloaded and installed the trial subscription as well on my 765. I believe I got three updates within the trial period. I have disabled the subscribed file as above and recently re-enabled it. It works as it did before.

If you've used Garmin units for the number of years that I and others have, you tend to learn a thing or two about them.

No GPS manufacturer's website will give you the kind of info that user's here are capable of providing with hands-on experience.

Simple example: try and find the installed memory that comes on any nuvi on the Garmin product website...they simply don't & won't provide that info. It takes people with hands-on experience and units to post topics here (and elsewhere) with the memory details.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/33586

DorkusNimrod - Was the Safety Camera subscription an option when you bought your 765? I have a 765T, which came with free traffic, but not a safety camera subscription. Not a big deal, since the file here is much more current than any they would have anyway. Just curious.

WOW! I’m glad we have people here with so much experience otherwise we’ll be lost.

You should have mentioned in your earlier post that some of your units also came with Garmin Safety Cameras installed instead of letting us speculate why we were getting the Garmin Alerts when we had clearly not subscribed to anything.

At any rate thanks for setting me straight.

It wasn't an option nor was it advertised on the box or website. The free trial may have been mentioned upon registering the unit but I really don't remember for certain. The same was done with my nuvi 760 which came pre-installed with a MadMaps Route 66 Tour Guide trial...no mention of it other than it being available on the unit under Tour Guides or Routes (whichever it was).

I just got a new Nuvi 2350LMT and took it out on it's Maiden Voyage today. I am in the process of learning how it works and it's differences from my 765T. I updated the software, copied the favorites from my 765T on it, and also loaded my POI Factory POIs on it. When driving around today I notice that when I came upon a redlight camera, it gave me an alert tone (bong) and what looks to be a different looking message on the screen about the RLC instead of my POI Factory icon and audio clip that I'm used to. Also, it shows the POI alerts I installed, but I only get an alert "Bong," not the verbal notifications from the .mp3 files.

Could this be a pre-installed Garmin RLC alert mentioned in previous posts that I'm hearing override the POI Factory .mp3 alerts?

Or, is there any way I can get rid of the audio "bong" and have it go back to just speaking "Caution Now Approaching a Red Light Camera", etc. from my POI Database which I like better? Thanks!

Thanks.

The 2350LMT doesn't play mp3 if you want spoken alert you need to do WAV, do a search here for how to load WAV sounds.

See http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730 for wav files.

If you copied your POI Factory POI files from your Nuvi 765 you won't hear the sounds of those files on your 2350LMT since it can't play mp3 files, it uses wav files. This applies to all POI's you have with sounds, not just red light cameras.

Give this link a look and will explain how to use "sox" to create sounds with POI Loader for your Nuvi 2350LMT.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/34778

It could be. Are you seeing an RLC icon image embedded within the (probably) grey alert notification banner? If so, you should be able to disable the Garmin Safety Cam alerts on the unit itself.

This is using a 3790 but the sequence should be about the same:

Tools>Settings>Navigation>Automobile>(arrow down to)Proximity Points. If the Garmin database is loaded, you should see it here and should be able to uncheck it to disable it.

You can also disable it by finding the file on the nuvi in the (maybe hidden) POI folder and renaming the file. The name should be a clue that it's the correct file and will be named something like "Garmin Safety Camera.gpi". Simply rename that file to something like "Garmin Safety Camera.gpi.disabled" and the unit will not see or use it and you can use the ones from POI Factory.

EDIT:
Also note that the Garmin safety cams do not allow any changing of the icon, the alert tone (other than to sound once or continuously) or the alert distance. WYSIWYG

Thanks for the information, it is starting to make some sense now!

I had no idea that I now need .WAV's instead of .MP3s on this unit. Oy! Another thing I gotta deal with! I will look into the links provided, and I appreciate the info. No, I didn't see any RLC icon images embedded within the grey alert notification banner, but perhaps the banner is overlaying on them. However, today was the first day I used it, so I need to shake it out more and see how everything is working. Thanks for all the information, it answered a lot of my initial questions. I will also disable the Camera.gpi file to get my POI Factory ones back.

Not all intersections where POI factory have an RLC alert also have a Garmin alert, in some locations I get both, first at the default distance of 1320’ the POI Factory with my chosen icon (traffic light) and the spoken WAV warning I loaded, then much closer to the intersection I hear the “ding” and the Garmin icon (red square with a RLC pictured), it is bigger and it looks in the map as big as the intersection covering over my traffic light icon.

To check if your unit has the pre-loaded Garmin RLC do a simulation [near] St. Petersburg FL and check out any of these intersections 58th & Gulfport - Pasadena & Gulfport – Pasadena & Park – 49th & Gulfport

To disable Garmin Safety Cameras:
Tools>Settings>Navigation>Automobile>Proximity Points>Alerts> Uncheck Garmin Safety Cameras

Tools>Settings>Navigation>Automobile>Proximity Points>Audio> Check Off

My advice is to leave it on just in case we haven’t reported a camera or JM wasn’t aware of one.

Thanks so much for the comments - very helpful.