A FAQ request....

I cobbled this together from posts here on the forums and added a little. Please feel free to add or edit as needed. Have I missed anything?

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-- How would I load Custom Icon files for POIs onto my GPSr?

- Find or create an image that you want to make into your icon.

- Save the file as a bitmap (BMP file extension) using a graphics program. Microsoft Paint will work just fine. Be sure to save as a 256 Color bitmap. The size should be 24x24 or smaller. I have found that 18x18 or smaller works best.

- If you download an icon from this site, it will already be in the correct format and the correct size.

- Rename your icon EXACTLY the same name as your POI file except for the file extension (the three letters after the dot).

- For example, if your POI file was "Starbucks.csv", you would rename the icon for that POI as "Starbucks.bmp". Note that the names are case sensitive.

- You would place both files in the same folder on your computer. (Not on your GPSr.)

- Then run POI Loader and the icon will load with the file.

-- Why do I need icon files. Is it to make the POIs look better? Please explain.

- Yes, to make them look better. The default icon (at least on mine) is a grey dot. If you create a custom icon (bmp) for the POI file and give it the same name as your POI file, that icon will (should) show up on your map screen on your GPSr instead of the dot.

- Having said all that, you don't "need" them. They are just nice to have. That way you can visually tell what the POI is when you see it on your map.

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--- How would I load Custom Alert sounds for POIs on my GPSr?

-- Simple steps

- Find or create an sound file that you want use for your alert. It must be in MP3 format.

- Rename your MP3 EXACTLY the same name as your POI file except for the file extension (the three letters after the dot).

- Example: If your POI file is named redlight_camera.csv … then you must name the MP3 file … redlight_camera.mp3. Note that the names are case sensitive.

- You would place both files in the same folder on your computer. (Not on your GPSr.)

- Then run POI Loader and the custom alert will load with the file.

- You can create custom alert sounds in a variety of ways.
- You can take a file you already have (a song for instance) and edit the part you want as your alert. For example, you might edit the song “Stop! In the Name of Love” to include just that part of the song. The alert should not be more than a few seconds because the entire MP3 will play each time that alert is activated.

- You can use a text-to-speech converter to create custom messages at http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php. The output will be a WAV file. You will need to convert this to an MP3 for it to work.

- Or you can download an alert sound that someone else has created.

- Whichever method you use to get your MP3 file, if you want to set the SAME custom audio for ALL the locations in your POI file, just name the MP3 identically to the POI file except for the extension. Put it in the same folder with your POI file on your PC and run POI Loader. The MP3 will be automatically associated with that file.

- Your unit must support MP3 playback for this function to be available.

- Also, you must set Proximity Alerts to “On” on your unit.