Tom Tom!

 

my Pioneer GPS, does similar..
I try to enter the City I'm going for POI, and it sometimes shows nothing or some... but the closer I get to the area... Bammmm all of the POI display...

 

Dave asks:
"OK, I am confused on the POI. Is there some way I can punch in a city
and then pick POI of that city? For instance, can I punch in Knoxville TN
and then see a list of restaurants, malls, etc. Or do I need to download
more info to do that???? I can do all the "near" things, but when I tell it
to look at Knoxville, it doesn't recognize that city. When I enter an
address of a place in Knoxville, it finds it immediately. I would like to be
able to go to a Knoxville search, and then find a COMPUSA listed, hit go
to, and drive from KY to there. Is that possible??"

Lets try this a different way...

Say I'm want to go to the in-laws, Because the GPS does not "know" them,
I have to type in their address and it finds them that way.

If I have them listed in a POI file, I will simply select them from a list that
the GPS presents to me. That way, I do not have to type in anything.

If I had poi file of comp usa's, I could select the one I wanted to go to,
otherwise I have to type in the address, which I may not readily know.

As far as I know, no GPS has a database of everyplace that everyone
would want to go to. Imagine the size, OMG!!!

But, because everything on the face of the earth has a latituide and
Longitude coordainate or "Global position", the GPS can "find it" by using
lat and long expressed as a graphical scene instead of a mathmatical
expression.

I hope this helps...?

And to answer your questions, My GPS has a lot of stuff built-in, but not
comp usa stores. It does have a ton of restaurants, services, hospitals,
etc, as part of the included software. And it "finds" these within 50 miles
of where ever I happen to be...

Also, I can find a restaurant in a "different city" by selecting:
"Where to?", then "Near...", choosing "A different City", then "OK",
then type in the city's name, then choose one of the several presented,
then choose "Food", then type or kind of food, then, the restaurant I want...

I can find the "Down to Lunch Cafe" on 437 W. Jefferson this way..
Punch the "GO" button and "GO to IT"... if I wanted.

But see, that's where a POI file comes in handy, cause all you have to
do is select the poi you want, and not have to search...

MORE... I have a family and friends poi file, a Gallatin redlight file, and
a Nashville points of interest, that I have uploaded into my GPS...

A good commercial application of this POI stuff would be a list of
garage sales and the GPS would take you to the nearest one,
then the next, and so on...

But I ramble on... sorry... Let me know if I can confuse you some more...

 

Not confusing at all. In fact, I'm going to try it today. The wife wants to go to a Kohls Department Store in Knoxville. I got on Kohls website and found the address. Put it into the GPS and it showed me the location. Marked to my favorites, and getting ready to pull out and see what happens. This is fun. I hate getting lost. Maybe this will keep me from it.

 

here is a link that i found ... may make POI's more understandable, and help you create your own... POI Factory

 

Thanks for the site it was very informative. Unfortunately the loader will not work with my Garmin, IQue M5, at least it could not be selected from the list. Will look into it some more but still the site was very helpful either way..

 

JIMZ HHR,

I do not mean to steal your thunder, but I posted the POI site in
post # 30 of this very thread on 11-11...

Sorry...

It's all good, luv my HHR and autonav, how cool?????

 

Jwolfe 99,

The POI loader should work with your Garmin...

Did you get it from the Garmin site?

Did you follow the directions found at the POI factory site for installing
the POI files?

Did you try to create one and it did not work???

PLEASE post where you are having the issues and we can help you
solve them.

I was surprised at just how simple and easy it was to "Customize" or
Mod my GPS...

 

KY Dave,

I still think if you create a POI file, it will help more...

If you choose not to or can not for whatever reason, send me a listing of
places where you live and I will make one for you...

Your list, should you decide to send it to me, can be as simple or detailed,
your choice. BUt it will be easier for me to make one if you send name,
address, city state, and phone number for each location or attraction.

Then we can upload it to the POI factory and share with everybody like
my Nashville file that is up on their site....

It has been downloaded many times and folks just luv it...

Have you downloaded it yet?

Send me a PM with your phone number so that we can chat if you like...

 

I think I got it figured out now. Been reading alot. It routed me around the Gatlinburg area very well.