No alert sounds on my nuvi 260w

Did you get the default bong alert when you went by the location? If not the coordinates may be more then 50 to 75 ft from the road you are travelling on.Another problem did you save the wav whistle sound as PCM, 44.100 kHZ., 16 bit, Mono?

The biggest problems with the alerts not working are the files not being named the same except for extensions and having double extensions. Double-check each of them. The best way to prevent double extensions is to go to your folder options in the control panel and click view then find hide extensions for known file types and remove the check mark. Click ok. See https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?...

to play sounds?

OP stated he had a Mac. Many posters who have a Mac have said no sox.exe needed.

Yes, it'd be useful if we knew what POI files the original poster is using since many will not cause alerts due to data location set-backs from the road being traveled. A great POI file is MrKenFL's Rest Areass combined--first because it's so useful, and second, because the data points are placed so that a drive-by will result in an alert. The "did you get a bong" is a great question, too. If there's no alert bong or custom wave occurring during an alert, then I'd check the nuvi's settings to ensure that alerts are enabled on the OP's 260W.

Regarding double extensions: I'm not a Mac person but I think the double extension folder options problem and cure is a Windows issue. Does it occur with Macs as well anyone?

The WAV files I created for my custom alerts are 32-bit float, 16KHz Mono and they work perfectly in my 1300. Based upon both my experience as well as Gary Hayman's mention of WAV files on his site, the internal composition of the WAV file does not matter. Therefore, I don't believe his WAV files are the problem here.

As to what could be his problem, I couldn't tell you. I don't have a Mac.

To the OP, what charles45 asked is very important.

Are the Custom POI locations sufficient close to the road on which you are traveling?

I've never, as in never, heard an alert "bong" when I passed one of my poi locations.

Most of my poi files were copied from PoiFactory. I'll check my nuvi 260w when the car comes back from the mall to be sure that the bong alert setting is checked. As I recall, my choices were a single or a continuous bong, and I selected single.

While I've never heard an alert sound when passing a poi location, wouldn't I have heard one on those occasions when I pulled up to one of them, e.g., Wegman's grocery store, and thus was w/in 50 feet?

I only have alert .wav files set for some of the groups of poi, do I have to have a ,wav file for every .csv grouping?

My .wav files will "sound" on my computer when I go to the Garmin back up files and try them.

If you have never heard an alert sound, then some things might come into play.

1. Double check that the locations actually have an alert set for them. This should show up when you view the indivual Custom POI on the GPS unit from the menus.

2. Double check to see that the locations are within 50 feet of the road. Note that if the location of the Custom POI is at the door of the store, then you likely are not going to get an alert from the road. (Note that the alert is not a "radius". Alerts function as an "along the road/route" alert.)

3. And as you noted in your post, alerts must be enabled on the unit. Typically, this happens by default when Custom POIs with alert information are loaded but can be turned off by the user.

Try loading the Custom POIs without the .wav files and see if you get the default alert tone.

Just to make sure you do have alerts set up. Try this with your GPS. Go to Where to,Extras and touch Custom POIs last and select one of the files you have set up a alert for.Touch the very first location for that file. If the file has been set up correctly. You will see Alert information distance =xx miles along with the address, phone number etc.Once determined that the alerts are set correctly it gets down to coordinate locations when driving by or extension problems.One note though.If you have TourGuide in the file name the alert distance will not show.

MM has covered some good points to look into. Once you dtermine the problem you can try the simulation mode to check things out see http://www.poi-factory.com/node/31482