Can anyone confirm that proximity alerts actually work?

proximity alerts for years but I don't have your particular model GPS.

Can we be certain you have the correct parts for this puzzle? You state the file you want is CostcoGas with a 2.5 mile alert. That's quite a distance and you need to remember that it's a radius around the point.

You need a WAV sound file for a voice alert or you would get just a tone. You also need the correct version of SOX loaded into the same directory (folder) as POILoader on your PC for the WAV file to work.

The WAV file has to have the exact same spelling as the POI file name with only the extension as WAV. You also need to be certain that your computer is not hiding common extensions to prevent double extensions on file names.

Running POILoader pointed at the folder containing both the file and sound file in the manual mode you would enter the alert distance desired when prompted. POILoader will then scan the folder its told has the source files and read all files with a CSV or GPX extension as well as any WAV files wit the exact same name as the POI listing. The WAV sound is the associated with the POI listing and the sound is played when the alert radius is broached.

If I remember the sox file has to be an older file the latest file won't work but I don't remember which file.

I know this is not much help but search on SOX and you might find the answer.

Found it 14.4.2

All of the above suggestions, and....

Mine work for the Speedway POI (as an example)

TourGuide Speedway SuperAmweica.CSV
TourGuide Speedway SuperAmweica.WAV
TourGuide Speedway SuperAmweica.BMP

In POILoader I manually set the distance at 5280

I have other files I set to 10560.

Remember that this creates a circle around the POI point.

Loaded on Nuvi 50LM and various Drive units as well.

That's quite new and probably will not work with POI Loader. The 'correct' version is 14.0.1:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730

Wiley, we need more from you about your method and desires for alerts and you've already received some potential answers.

Without a custom wav audio file, you should get a 'ding' alert and with a custom wav, you should hear the wav file.

If you're looking for a 2.5-mile radius alert, you need to make a TourGuide alert and a custom wav file is required as TourGuides must have an audio file associated with the POI.

If not looking for a 2.5-mile radius, but rather an along-your-route alert 2.5 miles before reaching it, know that the actual POI locations (lat/long) must be within 98 feet of the center of the roadway of the route. For instance, if you locate a Costco gas station more than 98 feet from the route's centerline, there will be no alert. You need to move the POI lat/long to be closer to the roadway and most here suggest setting the location to be at the turnoff from the street to the gas pumps. If not wanting to reset all lat/longs, then a TourGuide is a quicker fix although know that you will get 'false' or at least undesired alerts for Costco stations within your 2.5-mile radius but not on your route; e.g., along parallel roadways, across the river location's, etc.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42425

Give us more info and we'll help get your alerts to work. Although you haven't given us details of your setup, I'm thinking your POI locations are the actual gas pumps and they're typically more than 98 feet from your route's path.

Please use the members, FAQs, Forums, etc. here at The Factory rather than looking to Garmin FAQ or other support as Garmin has never acknowledged that their devices can play wav audio files for Custom POIs.

Super information. I can't help wondering how one is supposed to find all the puzzle pieces...without an experienced community to lean on.

So, the audio prompt is not a necessity, but doable if it helps provide a visual indication of locations on, or off, a given route...but within a 2.5 mile radius around the target point.

FYI... The choice of 2.5 miles is simply a comfort zone I would like to give myself initially. Once I get the setup process nailed and some test drives completed, I'll adjust as necessary.

It seems that the TourGuide approach is most desirable for my needs. Are there any TourGuide tips, techniques or warnings you can point me at? Now I can, and will, do some focused searching of forum posts regarding this topic. Sweet!

Thanks so much guys.

Wiley
Oregon, USA

Just to be sure, it is correct that a custom audio alert is not needed for traditional POI alerts but that it is not optional with TourGuides as a TourGuide will not work at all unless there's an associated audio file. In fact, for folks wanting a TourGuide but without a custom audio announcement, they need to create or download a 'null.wav' file with no sound to use when loading the alerts to your device.

Just to be sure #2: radius alerts are TourGuide POIs while along-the-route alerts are what may be called traditional POIs. Each has its own pluses and minuses.

The FAQ section here offers several tips on POI alerts, icons, etc. and they're all worth reading and of course, come back with any specific questions you have.

If you've never done custom alerts before, a good file to try out is the Rest Areas - Combined USA since each alert lat/lon is specifically located at the exit ramp, not the Rest Area buildings, and this guarantees that when properly configured (wav filename renaming, alert distance set, Alerts enabled and GPS volume on, etc.), you will hear the alert. This avoids the dreaded over-98-feet lat/lon issue that so often confuses folks when they expect an alert for their new Walmart (for example) POI file with audio alerts.

Here's an FAQ with an example of when and how a TourGuide POI should be created. Skip the sections that apply specifically to Schools:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42419

As always, good luck. Custom audio alerts add a lot used in moderation; i.e., opting for custom audio alerts for every McDonalds and Starbucks may sound fun but will quickly drive most folks crazy.

Remember that the POILoader distance is in FEET not MILES so figure accordingly. I know you said that in the opening post, but many seem to miss that small step.

And like I said before, I know it works at 2 miles (10560 ft) and I'm not really sure what the limit is.

I use both a null and a beep sound on my units, since a "banner" is displayed on the unit that you can touch for more info.

There is quite a bit of information on the web, search for TourGuide. You can get really creative and actually use it for what it was originaly designed for - Tours. I think there is a Route 66 file on this site that is set up as a real tour.

...on several POI’s. My prox alert for Costco looks like this:
TourGuide Costco_6000.csv
TourGuide Costco_6000.wav
TourGuide Costco_6000.bmp
Yours should look the same but with 13200 in the place of the 6000. (If you are using a gpx file, use it instead of of csv in the file name.
Ex.; TourGuide Costco_6000.gpx.)

I prefer using EPE to set either a proximity alert.

Go to Edit-Replace Field. Click on the field list and scroll down and click on either Proximity or Speed.

Enter the value you want for either and click Replace All.

This way the values are imbedded in the file and you're set to go. A bit more work, but it ensures that the limit is always there.

I would expect that you only have certain files that you need these kinds if alerts. Don't get carried away and put alerts on things like fast food places and gas stations. Otherwise you'll have the GPS dinging constantly.

That sets the alert distance, but it doesn't format the sound file.

That's the way I do it. And the only three files of mine that I set up that way are Red Light for 600 ft., Rest Areas for 18540 ft. (three miles) and Wineries for 5280 ft (one mile).

Phil

TourGuide is a capital "T" and a Capital "G". Nothing else will work.

All files need to be spelled exactly the same EXCEPT for the extension.
I use both proximity and TourGuide in my files.

I did not realize that there was also a distance limit from centerline for them. I've got to rebuild some files since I evidently ran poiloader in metric mode last time and this is also a good time to check where some of my old waypoints may be off of new road locations.

BIG THANKS to all that responded to this thread. I created the TourGuide files exactly as prescribed, including two .wav files, built the .gpi file with POI Loader, transferred the .gpi to the device and ran a couple of tests. Shazam!

All the key pieces to getting everything done right the first time, were referenced in your responses. Now, if only I had some confidence that Garmin will stay in the GPS business long enough for this learning experience to pay off.

I was doing that - sort of a small pita. I started putting the number in the file name like such ==> "Redlight Cams_5.csv" and it works fine. The 5 gives it about 500 ft.. For the rest areas I add "_53" to give me about 5300 ft. It is basically # * 100 or you can use the formula they give which works out to about the same thing.
I have not tested the rest aarea yet but the redlight cam works.
I think the limit is about 99 or about 1.9 miles.

It doesn't get much better than this. Thanks for the report.

I just set the proximity in EPE for each file. No big deal.

Phil