Mapsource Importing?

You need to geocode the addresses. Here's a site that will help with that.

http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert?form=address

If you don't want to batch geocode the locations, you can look them up individually in MapSource to get the longitudes and latitudes and then input them into the file.

Then you save the file as a CSV (comma separated values) format file.

The format needs to be as follows.

longitude1,latitude1,name1,description1 [optional]
longitude2,latitude2,name2,description2 [optional]
etc.

Then you will use POI Loader to load them as Custom POIs onto your nuvi.

Thank you for your help. However, I am receiving an error when trying to get the POI loader to recognize that i have saved a csv file for it.

Heres the error message that POI loader gives me:

The file C:/My Documents/Carl/Garmin Test.csv is invalid. Do you want to continue?

Also, heres the format that i have used for data entry.

-98.854875,34.589421,Nursing Home I don't see why this would be invalid? Thank you for your help!

-98.854875,34.589421,"Nursing Home","Any other info text"

You don't need the quotes. They are optional. When you run POI Loader, you need to be sure you are pointing it to the FOLDER and not the FILE.

Also, be sure to run the file through POI Verifier. And be sure that you don't have any extra lines or extra formatting in the file.

POI loader is pointing to the folder and not the file.

I would like to run POI verifier but I dont know where to find that program?

That format of that line is correct (or were you wanting 4 fields? If so, put a comma after 'Home'). If you're getting that error, evidently all lines aren't this format.

Look at it in Notepad, Excel will sometimes format the file much different than you want. Look for multiple quotes; don't enter leading and ending quotes if using Excel, Excel will enter its own when needed.

I always put each field in quotes (with Notepad), saves flustration when some lines need it, like if the line includes linefeeds, commas, and others.

Like MM said, try Poi Verifier .... it may save you a lot of time.

RT

You can find POI Verifier here

I may have found the problem...someone plz let me know! After batch geocoding the addresses and then copying the lat and long. to excel. Does each entry need to be in its own cell?

Yes; look at it in Notepad.

RT

I've found the results from geocoding at http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocoder/ give you the latitude then longitude and you need to swap those fields before you try the POIloader.

dd

Thank you all for your help. I am on the right track. You have been very helpful...Great informative site!