Alert??

You can get it to work by changing the file names by adding "safety" to it.

Here is an example of how to name:
school zones_safety.csv
school zones_safety.bmp
school zones_saftey.wav

When using POI Loader select manual method and type in the disatnce you want the alert to sound.

Thanks..Ill try that

First, your nuvi 2597 may benefit from the new firmware:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/40907

which includes: Enhanced School Zone Alerts coverage and functionality and I've read at least one owner's report that this firmware update is now giving school alerts without the need for Custom POIs:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/40905

But--if you're going the Custom POIs route, the following are my thoughts.

What follows is what I use for an all-USA "school zone" poi. If creating your own local School Zone file where you use actual School Zones rather than Schools (buildings) for POI locations, my procedure will not be needed. But if you're using a POI file that uses locations of the school buildings and you want to use it for School Zones alerts, you will likely need to follow my procedure.

First, download the Schools POI file from The Factory with its 170,258 schools:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/17

Unzip the file and use the csv as you would any other Custom POI.

Rename the file to include TourGuide; i.e.:

Schools_TourGuide.csv

Download an icon and audio file from The Factory and rename each to: Schools_TourGuide.bmp, and Schools_TourGuide.wav (or if your nuvi can handle it, Schools_TourGuide.mp3). For TourGuides to work, an associated audio files is required--it is not an optional feature.

Load to your GPS with POI Loader in manual mode and set an alert distance for the Schools_TourGuide file. I use 550 feet. I find that if I use a larger value, I get false positive alerts for schools on adjacent streets parallel to me. You can tinker with this setting but for me 550-600' is what works best for me.

Make sure that alerts are turned on with your GPS, then either take your GPS out for a drive or run a simulation past some schools and see if you get alerts.

For beginners, I do NOT recommend starting with this Custom POI installation. I assume folks trying this are already familiar with POI Loader in manual mode, familiar with installing bmp icons and audio (remembering that wav files and sox.exe are required for most new nuvis, while mp3 can be used on several older nuvis), and understand the special nature of TourGuide compared to other POI files. For those needing help, a search through The Factory's FAQs and message archive is where you need to start, then come back and ask questions as needed.

Why TourGuides? With this schools POI file, the locations identified are the actual school buildings which are oftentimes set back quite a ways from the roadways, meaning that driving past the school will not result in a GPS alert. As an approximation of School Zone locations, using the Schools file as a TourGuide with a 550' distance will set a radius large enough to include the streets adjacent to the school and will offer an alert. I find in general that I get an alert about 50-100 feet before I see most schools' 15mph School Zone warning signs. I'd love more of a warning but that increases the number of false positive alerts.

Note on the Schools POI file: 1) the file is USA only, 2) the file is a zip and needs to be unzipped, 3) the description states that changes are made to this file 1-2 times a year although I suspect it's much less frequent that that, 4) The Schools POI file does not appear on your "My Favorite Files" list at The Factory so you need to check it on occasion for updates, and 5) there's no indication of revision dates so you almost need to download the file every now and then and see if the file size is different than the one you're currently using. If different, it's time to install the newer version--if not, then you can keep using the older one already installed to your GPS.

More discussion:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39621

Good info thanks..looks like Ive done all that you suggested except rename the files. I have updated to the lastest and only had one school alert popup in an area where theres no school..actually driving on the Conowingo Dam...Ive gone by many a school and nothing happen so I dont know what Garmin installed and cant find any new files on the unit. Also cant find any new catagoires or settings after the update...so maybe something else down the road..so to speak.

Ditto what CraigW states. The school file is set up for the building so the only way it will work is with TourGuide. I discovered that also. And there are a lot of schools not on the list. Some are schools that are used today and some happen to be real old schools from very early years (like 1 room school houses). I have received alerts and then seen the road signs indicating where a school once was.

If you have gone by a school and do not get an alert then check the file when near the school. Go to where to/ custom poi and see if it is in the file.

Well I did as instructed..named every thing TourGuide an no luck..I even picked a school from the list and went there and no alerts.

Did you check for double extensions? This is the most common reason audio alerts do not work.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30393

Looks like I had to rename them this way..TourGuide_schools...with TourGuide first

@lamplighter1 - I am wondering what else you did to get them working because I have been using files with "TourGuide" at the end of the file name for years.

I learned this from Gary Hayman's site: He says

Double extensions might have been your problem or perhaps the three file names (.csv/.gpx, .mp3/.wav and .bmp) were not being spelled exactly the same [what I do is to name the poi file, do a F2 to highlight the name and copy it; then, F2 on the sound file and paste the name before the extension; repeat for the icon file. This way I am certain the names are identical].

So unless you happened not to have the exact character string "TourGuide", its placement was not your problem.

It might help others reading this thread to know what the problem was, so would you please get back to us?

Well im very well versed working with files..all I did was place TourGuide in the front..I read that somewhere in another thread so tried it and now it works..other than that I did nothing different, but it is possiable now that I think of it that maybe there was a double ext..im using Win7 and sometimes it tough to see the ext...so I guess your probably right

I have mine at the end and they work.