Help with POI's (alert sounds, etc)

 

Hello,
I have Nuvi 200 and have figured out how to use and create and upload poi's to the Garmin but I have a few questions if anyone knows why when the custom pois,icons,bmp in the same file for the pois they are all renamed corectly but the sound file to alert me does not work also how can you get the pois to display on the screen when you get close to there area?
Thanks Merlin

Frequently Asked Questions

There are tons of info on

There are tons of info on this site about this, but in short...

1) Make sure that all files are named the same. For example... Redlight.csv and Redlight.mp3 and Redlight.bmp
2) if in map mode, alert will happen only if you are on that street.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Check the help file for POI Loader

Check the help file for POI Loader. It will explain which keywords must be part of the filename for a alert sound to work.

To see the bitmap you must be zoomed in to a certain level (300 ft on the nuvi 200, I think).

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><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

key words?

you don't need key words for mp3 sounds to work with any particular poi.

you can have

kmart.csv
kmart.bmp
kmart.mp3

you would have a kmart poi, a kmart bmp and any mp3 sound you like.

You do have to set a proximity or speed setting. Which is selectable while loading the files with poi loader.

Key words in the file name will automatically set the proximity or speed. It is another way of accomplishing the same result, but not a necessity.

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........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........

Okay.

I think that the not seeing the icon is I am not zoomed in enough,will try that. I am a driver so my GPS is most always in a route mode I noticed you said map mode will it not alert you in route?

Custom POIs will alert in

Custom POIs will alert in "Map Mode" if it is set to alert. Doesn't matter if you are in Map or Route Mode.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

I have not found this to be true

First, I have been lurking on this page for about a month now. I have a Garmin c330, and looking to get a c550 I like it so much. I am a technically inclined, but what has impressed me the most about these units is my wife and sister used them without much prompting. Since I am in technical support and development I find this to be great engineering!!

I have been trying to get my custom poi's to work. The biggest thing I had to overcome was in labeling in the folders. You can't have folders within folders. On my unit I have the list of state rest areas. The name.csv, pic.bmp and sound.mp3 are all labeled properly. If I am on a route, (tell it to go home) it will not alert for the rest area or show the icon. But if I am just in show the map it displays and beeps. I have tested this both north and south. It has never spoken REST AREA AHEAD, just shows a red line at the top and ding dong.

Am I missing something?

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

dkeane wrote: "First, I have

dkeane wrote:
"First, I have been lurking on this page for about a month now"

Your problem is that you need to visit the rest of the website and stop looking at this page alone...lol. Just kidding.

The problem is that with the 330, you can't attach a mp3 file to the POI file. So you will always get a Ding dong. With 550, you will then be able to use a mp3 file that says, "Rest Area Ahead"

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Mp3 player...

dkeane wrote:

It has never spoken REST AREA AHEAD, just shows a red line at the top and ding dong.

Only those units that have .MP3 playing capabilities can have custom sounds associated with POI's. I don't think the C330 fits the bill sad

As an aside, the unit is definitely capable of playing .wav files, and up to recently, POI Loader was capable of associating .WAV files with POI's. But, they still wouldn't play, on non mp3-playing units! Some restriction that Garmin decided upon, in their infinite wisdom!
It's not a problem any more, because they broke that part of POI Loader wink

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------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »      

Nature of the business???

Hornbyp wrote:

...It's not a problem any more, because they broke that part of POI Loader wink

Sounds like our software, we fix something and break something else...lol.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

not found this to be true

Not sure if clear on your post but you can have a folder and a sub folder.You have to establish them on your computer then upload to your garmin 330 using the garmin poi loader.You will need at least 2 subfolder to make them show up on the unit under custom poi's.I don't believe the 330 has mp3 capability.I have the 340 and it doesn't have it. I have went through the same problems you are posting and after reading the faq and help from MISS POI and others got it figured out.You also have to be on the same road to get the alert.Also if you use the poi loader in mnual mode you can change the alert distance.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

No mp3 capabilities = no play mp3 alerts :) Duh

asianfire wrote:

dkeane wrote:

The problem is that with the 330, you can't attach a mp3 file to the POI file. So you will always get a Ding dong. With 550, you will then be able to use a mp3 file that says, "Rest Area Ahead"

Ok - that makes sense (should have known) - I can remove a lot of wasted file space now....smile But what about why my poi's will not show or alert if I am on a "route?" Is this also a quirk of the c330?

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

poi's will not show or alert

If you are on the route it should alert.Do you have the alert setting turned on?Check on your settings.The little wrench at the bottom of your screen.Click on system then make sure prioximity alarms is on.When you used the poi loader if you used the manual mode you can set the distance you want the alarm to sound.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Alerts can be funny. Do a

Alerts can be funny. Do a search about alerts and you will find tons of info on this site.

Couple of things you need to check in addition to what Charlie said.

1) Make sure that you are on the same road as the POI
2) make sure that the POI is VERY near if not on the road

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Settings

The alert settings are on, and I am using the rest area files for Kansas to do my testing. I travel quite a bit, and have been using these to get the hang of how it works before I make my files for all my facility work locations.

All the rest areas have been located correctly. Either center median or proper shoulder. I will try and make some files and do some more testing in town this weekend.

If this works as well as I think it should, then I will try and get one for everyone in the company.

Thanks for all the tips.

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

Thanks for the info

I figured it out and it is now working only thing is I have the basic in garmin models so the alert sound is only the ding but it gets the job done for my business as an expedite truck driver, the only thing I wish I could get it to do is while on the interstate it now alerts me to the Weigh stations and rest areas but because the Truck Stops though just off a ramp don't alert because I am not on their street adress is there a way around this qwirk like an addin to the file for the interstate I am on if you know what I mean?

Proximity Alert

You'll have to set a proximity alert when using poi loader. It gives you an option to enter the distance you want the alert to occur.

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nuvi 2460LMT

Truck stops off highway

You can add a POI for the truckstop that is off the highway and locate it at the appropriate exit. That way you will get the alert before you get to the exit.

POI ALERT SOUNDS

I have a Nuvi 2460 and have not been able to get alert sounds to work. My computer is running a 64 bit version of windows 7. Is this a problem for the SOC program. Does the SOC program work with 64 bit operating system. I have an older computer using a 32 bit system which could be a solution if it's a 64 bit problem.

RE: POI ALERT SOUNDS

While some units can load and play MP3 files, all the newer NUVI units can only play WAV alert sound files. WAV files require a sound conversion program called SOX. SOX.exe can be downloaded from http://rapidshare.com:80/files/139638423/sox.zip. Unzip the folder containing the program SOX.exe. Select the SOX.exe file and right click and select COPY. If you load and use SOX.exe, any unit can use and play WAV alert sound files NOTE: You only need to load SOX once.

Using Windows Explorer or a similar program, go to C:\Garmin. (Windows 7 puts the Garmin folder in Program Files (x86) folder.) This must be the same folder that has the program POI Loader.exe. Right click on any BLANK space in this folder. Select PASTE. SOX.exe should now be copied to the folder. You can also drag and drop the file from the unzipped folder and drop it into the POI Loader folder. Check and be certain the folder contains BOTH POI Loader.exe and SOX.exe. If SOX.exe is not copied to this folder, WAV sounds will not play in any unit.

JohnMarylou wrote:

I have a Nuvi 2460 and have not been able to get alert sounds to work. My computer is running a 64 bit version of windows 7. Is this a problem for the SOC program. Does the SOC program work with 64 bit operating system. I have an older computer using a 32 bit system which could be a solution if it's a 64 bit problem.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.

http://rapidshare.com:80/file

http://rapidshare.com:80/files/139638423/sox.zip.
the rapidshare.com file no longer provides a copy of sox.

You can get the Sox.exe here

You can get the Sox.exe here http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Thanks for your help. I

Thanks for your help. grin

I finally got the alert wav to play in my 2460. Once I had the sox.exe it was still a struggle until I got the WAV into a PCM 44100 HZ 16 BIT MONO format. I found the Switch Sound Converter by NCH software as a good way for me to accomplish the needed conversion. I used their encoder options PCM uncompressed 44100 hz, 16 Bits, Mono. Downloaded the free version from http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html

MP3 or WAV

butleredw wrote:

Hello,
I have Nuvi 200 and have figured out how to use and create and upload poi's to the Garmin but I have a few questions if anyone knows why when the custom pois,icons,bmp in the same file for the pois they are all renamed corectly but the sound file to alert me does not work also how can you get the pois to display on the screen when you get close to there area?
Thanks Merlin

If your unit does not play MP3 files then likely will need to use WAV files for the POIs. Free software such as JetAudio can convert MP3 to WAV. Good luck.

--
Garmin Drive Smart 61 NA LMT-S

.

Garmin Gal wrote:
butleredw wrote:

Hello,
I have Nuvi 200 and have figured out how to use and create and upload poi's to the Garmin but I have a few questions if anyone knows why when the custom pois,icons,bmp in the same file for the pois they are all renamed corectly but the sound file to alert me does not work also how can you get the pois to display on the screen when you get close to there area?
Thanks Merlin

If your unit does not play MP3 files then likely will need to use WAV files for the POIs. Free software such as JetAudio can convert MP3 to WAV. Good luck.

Just an FYI that you just responded to a 5 year old post.

Most likely the poster has solved that issue or moved on. smile