Starbucks POI

I assume that you know that the character string to the left of the extensions (.csv, .wav, .bmp) must be the same for each file. Usually, this is the problem. Since other POIs work, double extensions is not the problem.

see
http://www.poi-factory.com/garmin/problemsolver

Yes, I do. I even did a copy and paste with the name to be sure that it was the same. Sox calls up the .wav file so I know that it is being processed.

If I Find By Name the Starbuck .bmp file shows up, but still no alert of any kind. I have deleted the Starbucks.gpi file from the GPS and uploaded again with the same results. If I go to a location a mile past the Starbucks, I do not get notifications with either .bmp, .wav, or the default beep when I don't upload the .wav file.

Starbucks worked just once yesterday.

For any POI file that uses the location of the buildings rather than the intersection of the roadway and the entry-way into the business, it's going to be hit or miss for alerts--and usually a miss. If the building is set back from the roadway more than a few 10s of feet, you will not get an alert regardless of the alert distance you use.

You have two options for alerts:

1) Reset each Starbucks location to be the turn-off from the roadway.

2) Use TourGuides to set a radius alert--see the POI Factory faqs for TourGuide usage.

The POI file for RestAreasCombined was created by MrKenFL to be the exit ramp to a rest area and was done to ensure that alerts will occur. If he had set the rest area locations to be the actual rest area building or even parking lot, alerts would rarely occur. I expect that the Startbucks POI file uses building locations.

One last thought: given the number of Starbucks in cities and even in towns, do you really want an audio alert each time you pass by one?

Probably right about the audio alert. Then how do I get a POI dialog box by itself? If I use the GPS POI to search for a Starbucks, the location is found and an icon shows even if it is off the roadway.

I opened up the CSV and checked the closer locations and they are correct. So I take it then that there is a difference in Find by Name, or POI than using a custom POI. Curious that the other POI files seem to work just fine. Oh well, not a big deal. I get kinda fixed on an issue and don't like to let go without a solution ... even if it doesn't have one ... LOL

Just tried the TourGuide option and it works perfectly. All locations are being identified.

The along the route alert needs the location within a specific distance from the road you are on. The TourGuide alert uses a circle and will pick up the location any distance to the side as you enter the circle.

The location of the Starbucks are to far from the road.

The specific distance ... Isn't that the distance that you choose in POI-Loader?

I have 4 Starbucks that within 3 miles of home an not a one of them is more than 1000 feet, two are less than 100. If what you say is true, then why does Subway work along the same route? Starbucks is the only one that does not ... at least on my system. But it does work when I use TourGuide.

Just trying to understand

Don

Don, you're doing amazingly well with accomplishing what you want to do. So often, it can take several days of back and forth with POI users to accomplish some of the more challenging tasks like getting a TourGuide to work.

It's not the most intuitive task, but maybe this will help.

If an alert is going to occur, the distance you set in POI Loader Manual Mode is how far in advance along your route the alert will sound.

But the distance you set in POI Loader doesn't tell you if an alert is going to occur. Instead, it is the offset from the roadway you're on that determines whether an alert is possible.

I always forget the offset distance but I think it's in the neighborhood of 70-80 feet, so a lot of POI locations will be set back far enough from the roadway to not alert unless you use a TourGuide radius.

One final thought on TourGuide usage: many here think it's possible that TourGuides put more of a strain on a nuvi's processor compared to a standard Custom POI. If true, then if you start experiencing overall performance slowdowns or nuvi freeze/crashes, you may want to reduce your use of TourGuides. I don't think anyone's proven this idea but keep it in mind if you see problems. In my older nuvis, I only use one TourGuide, but it's for all schools in the US and has over 170k locations. Even with this many locations, there are rarely overlaps where two TourGuides wish to alert at the same time. If you were to TourGuide, say, Starbucks and McDonald's, you may run into issues exiting an interstate highway where a Starb and a McD's TourGuide alert both may occur nearly simultaneously.

The along the route is from about center of the road to the location (latitude and longitude) of the poi. The poi needs to be within about 98 feet from center of the road (that 98 ft is approx).

If you set poi loader to alert at 1000 ft, you would get an alert if you reach 1000 ft AND the location of the coordinates is within the approx 98 ft.

Since you set up TourGuide and its working that tells me that Starbucks coordinates are outside the approx 98 ft when you use the "along the route".

TourGuide uses a circle that surrounds your vehicle as you drive down the road. If you use 1000 ft again, the alert will be 1000 ft from your vehicle within that circle. You need to be carefull TourGuides because depending on the poi you will get a lot of alerts.

You need to look at the coordinates of the Starbucks that you are not getting alerted on and see how far they are from the road.

EDIT: Craig beat me to it. I have a few TourGuides and what I see is that they both won't alert. One day one will and the next the other one will if they are to close.

A specific version (v14.0.1) of Sox.exe (for a PC, at least) needs to be in the folder where POI Loader resides. Currently this folder will be something like c:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\POI Loader

When you say "Sox calls up the .wav file", this raises a red flag with me. When I use POI Loader, I never get any indication that sox.exe is involved at all (and macs are not supposed to need sox.exe).

Expand on what you said, please

But here goes. As explained there are two proximity or distance alerts. The TourGuide is a radial alert which creates a circle around a location with the radius being the alert distance. Anytime you enter the "circle" the alert will sound.

The along-the-route alert is best thought of as a box approximately 50 meters wide and extending the distance set as the alert distance. The POI sits at the center of the back edge of the box so two conditions have to be met. The route of travel has to be within 25 meters (75 feet) of the road you are on, and you have to enter this "box" while moving toward the POI. This alert will sound (repeat) anytime you stop and restart such as at a light as long as you are "in the box" and moving toward the location.

Driving past a Starbucks (in your case) that's located in a strip mall probably will never trigger an along-the-route alert as it doesn't meet the "within 75 feet" part of the trigger conditions but will always trigger a TourGuide as you will enter the "circle" at some point.

Clear as mud now?

OK. Pretty Clear

OK ... We like Perkins and Cracker Barrel when we travel. I have the Perkins and Cracker POIs loaded. If I set the distance to 25000' will I get an alert when I am within that distance when NOT using TourGuide? I think I know the answer to that one ... NO. What about with the NON TourGuide setting at 25000'? The reason I set it so far is that some of them are further off the road than at an exit and we don't want to miss out. I hate finding the next exit and turning around.

I tried Les Schwab Tires with a distance of 5000' and it alerts every time with a dialog box (no wav). This is why the 75/98 feet is confusing to me. I also tried Subway and they alert within the 2500' I set up with dialog box and alert sound.

Along-the-route alerts mean you have to be traveling toward the location. Just having a box that's 5 miles long doesn't mean the alert will trigger just because you enter the box, you have to be pointed toward the location as well. And remember, every time you reenter the box or stop and then start, the along-the-route alert will sound.

As far as restaurant POI, why even bother with an alert? If you are hungry, then just search for the nearest ones on your route. Having the GPS alert you after just eating something gets old after a while in my book. That, and then there is the constant issue of trying to get the unit to do several things at once. Displaying a moving map after calculating how much to move the map on the screen, giving directions for a maneuver, displaying a junction view and then trying to play an alert will often cause the unit to freeze. They just don't multitask well. Keep the alerts to a minimum. That way you won't miss important instructions

OK ... got it. Being new to this POI stuff, guess taking what it does in a wrong direction. It is sometimes we don't think about where to eat, but an alert for one of our favs was to serve as a reminder.

I loaded Triple D. We watch Guy quite often and there are several places that he has featured on his program. We thought it would be nice as we travel around to get a bleep when we were close to one of them, even if a few miles off the road being traveled... like on our way to NM, CO, or ... But from what all of you are saying is that this won't happen with the GPS. I could be traveling south and a Triple D could be 5 miles east and I would not be able to know from the POIs loaded regardless of the settings. Is this correct?

This is the biggest differences in the two types of alerts. The TourGuide will go off whenever you enter the circle. You don't need to be pointed towards it. I set an along the route for McDonalds as my wife feels safe stpping anywhere to use their facilities. Because we both like Dairy Queen's ice cram treats, I TourGuide them but with a short distance (750 feet).

I don't get alerted for a lot of the Mickey's but it's handy when you are just out for a drive and need a pit stop.

How far the poi is from the road you are on is the factor. If the poi creator sets the location at the entrance from the road AND it is within the 75 to 98 ft you will get an alert. If the location is on the building and the location is greater than the 75 ft you wont get an alert. If you use TourGuide you will.

The offbeat tourist attractions is set for a TourGuide of 2 miles. Dunkin Donets is an "along the route" of .5 miles.

You can use TourGuide for the Triple D because there probably won't be a lot of constant alerts on that file.