Garmin POI Alerts

While you can enter data for the alert in the name or within the file for each POI, you can also enter the alert with POI loader in the manual mode. When you select the manual mode, you have the option to set distance or speed for each POI you are loading.

Excellent! I managed to find the manual mode option, but if I want to add the alert data in the file itself, what format should I use? For example, I'm building a four column POI with lat, long, info, info.

MikeinBurien

There's more than one way to skin a cat:

you could have the word Redlight in each file name. You could set speed alerts in the file name, or the file ie, -00000,00000,yourhouse@35,alerts me when over 35 mph

You could search the boards here for "setting alerts"
or read the poi loader help file or the faq section or
Sam Penrod's web page here

Or follow Mkahn's advice and use the manual mode

Another way to set an alert, if you have the MapSource software installed, you can use it to make your POI file and set the proximity alert in it directly and save it as a .gpx file, then load it with the PoiLoader.

I am also a newbie, I know about he POI loader software, but what is the POI Edit software that you mentioned?
Thanks,

Check the "Getting Started" tab (Look up, to the right of the search bar)

Then look for;

Useful Software & Web Tools

you'll find the links there.

I prefer to use GeePeeEx Editor. Although not free, it's extremely versatile, and the author is constantly tweeking the product. I think there is a limited function free version. My suggestion is to try the different software available and use what works best for you.

I just had a look at this web page and it is really quite good. If you have any questions about POIs you should check it out.