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Garmin POIs fro Geocaching Mode


French.

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I just wanted to let you all know I sent an e-mail to Garmin asking them if they thought they would ever offer geocaching mode support using POI files instead of just using the waypoints. They say it's been requested from the "geocaching community" and that they will pass it on to the engineers.

 

To me, it doesn't seem like it would be a difficult thing to program (but then again, these things never do seem to be difficult for those of us that don't know the first thing about programming). I'm thinking it would just be a matter of the software looking at waypoints AND POIs when in Geocaching mode.

 

I just thought I would mention it here as it seemed appropriate, and by all means, if you agree with me feel free to contact Garmin for the request. Maybe the more requests they get, the more likely they would be to add the capability. Using the POIs for geoacaching would open up all of our Garmin units to being "limitless".

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I just wanted to let you all know I sent an e-mail to Garmin asking them if they thought they would ever offer geocaching mode support using POI files instead of just using the waypoints.

 

:anitongue: Not a good idea. Waypoints can be selected to be visible at all ranges, whereas there is a maximum range limit for POIs. In Map Setup - General with Detail = "Most" the maximum distance a POI is visible is 200m!

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that was last century. <_<

try firmware 3.3

 

Okay, I may still be in the dark (a little). I stepped back from the flawed v3.2 to v3.1 as I hated seeing all the Map POI's when I just wanted to see my Custom POIs on the map. With v3.1 they are separately viewable.

 

I have a question. Does v3.3 lump all Map POI's and Custom POI's together as v3.2 did or can they be viewed separately?

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Sounds like a good idea to me! After hunting a few caches and loading in over a hundred along a route via the pocket query, I realized one catch -- they upload back into Mapsource, too. I suppose that's okay, I could go in and delete them on the GPS, but it would be really nice to keep separate Geocaching POI files for different routes and access them as you need to. :unsure:

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It is so funny that what sounds like a great idea to one person, is a lousy idea to another.

 

I fiddled with my settings and I prefer POIs to only show up at .8 miles. So right now, it shows up as a waypoint and then when I'm zeroing in it will show up as a POI.

 

I really just want to be able to use geoaching mode with POIs. So I can select that I found it, and of course then I can have limitless caches. And I could even categorize them. I could have one POI with caches near my parents', one POI with caches where I'm vacationing, etc.

 

Also, Garmin seems to really be working to make the POI loader decent. Here are the most recent updates:

Notes:

 

* POI Loader allows you to load custom points of interest into your unit. The input files can be downloaded from the internet or you can create your own. With POI Loader, you can configure the unit to alert you when you are within a certain distance of a point or if you are driving over a certain speed near a point; perfect to warn you about upcoming schools zones and redlight and speed cameras. The unit will also allow you to search for and navigate to the loaded points of interest.

* See the included Readme for a more information on the changes.

* Although this software is believed to be reliable, it has not yet been released for production and should be used at your own risk.

 

Change History

 

Changes made from version 2.4.0.0 Beta to 2.4.0.1 Beta:

 

* Added support for Garmin Mobile XT.

* Added support for magenta as transparency color in 256 color bitmaps.

 

Changes made from version 2.3.2 to 2.4.0.0 Beta:

 

* Added support for Windows Mobile devices.

* Added support for uninstalling all custom POI's from a device.

* Added support for subcategories of POI's.

* Added support for handling individual bitmap symbols for each subcategory of POI's.

* Added support for jpeg (.jpg) images that can be associated with POI's.

* Added support for wave (.wav) files POI alerts.

* Added support for allowing users to specify a 'Link' directory that contain POI associations, such as bitmap (.bmp) symbols, jpeg (.jpg) images, mp3 (.mp3) audio files, or wave (.wav) audio files.

* Added support for contact information and address information that can be specified in a GPX (.gpx) file.

* Added a command line option to POI Loader to run automatically without requiring user interaction.

* Added the ability to choose POI files to ignore.

* Check for validity of the drive name in the POI path.

Edited by French.
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What I, and others, would like is for Garmin to establish a separate setting for Custom POIs in Map Setup > Points in addition to the present settings for Map POIs and User Waypoints. This would have the advantage in that one would be able to reduce all the clutter caused by all the McDonalds, Pharmacies, Real Estate Agents, Hardware stores, ATMs etc and therefore be able to see YOUR own Custom POIs.

 

(V3.1 had the Custom POIs lumped in with User Waypoints - that's what Custom POIs really are - and then v3.2 moved them and lumped them in with Map POIs - a retrograde step.)

 

The Beta version 2.4.0.1 of POI Loader works just fine. I've been using it since day 1. Recommend it to everyone.

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What I, and others, would like is for Garmin to establish a separate setting for Custom POIs in Map Setup > Points in addition to the present settings for Map POIs and User Waypoints. This would have the advantage in that one would be able to reduce all the clutter caused by all the McDonalds, Pharmacies, Real Estate Agents, Hardware stores, ATMs etc and therefore be able to see YOUR own Custom POIs.

 

(V3.1 had the Custom POIs lumped in with User Waypoints - that's what Custom POIs really are - and then v3.2 moved them and lumped them in with Map POIs - a retrograde step.)

 

The Beta version 2.4.0.1 of POI Loader works just fine. I've been using it since day 1. Recommend it to everyone.

 

If in V3.1 they are lumped with WAYPOINTS then that could mean they were stored on internal memory to the GPS?? So in V3.2 they are now stored on the memory card?

 

This is a question!!

Edited by Ellteejak
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If in V3.1 they are lumped with WAYPOINTS then that could mean they were stored on internal memory to the GPS?? So in V3.2 they are now stored on the memory card?

 

This is a question!!

No. All Custom POIs are stored on the card. They are loaded onto the card using Garmin's POI Loader program. It is just that in gps's with v3.1 firmware (and earlier versions) they are treated differently than firmware v3.2 and v3.3.

 

With v3.1 Custom POI can be set to display separately from all the Map POI (ATMs, schools, McDonalds, Pharmacies, Real Estate Agents and all those other POI that come loaded with the map products). With v3.2 and v3.3 you cannot display separately your Custom POI and Map POI - it is either both at the same time or nothing! With both showing the map screen is completely cluttered in builtup areas. I am only interested in seeing the Map POI when I either do a specific FIND for Map POI or I am at or below the distance I have set as the Max Zoom range for Map Points [Map > Map Setup > Points > Map Points = 50m]. I do though like to see my Custom POI at all times when I am at or under the max range I have set for Detail. [Map > Map Setup > General > Detail = MOST (MOST=200m, MORE=120m, NORMAL=80m, LESS=50m, LEAST=30m)]

 

If the above sounds confusing it is probably best to explain the settings I have in my 76CSx with v3.1 firmware:

Map Setup > General > Map Detail = Most (200m)

Map Setup > Points > Map Points = 50m

Map Setup > Points > User Waypoints = 8km

 

With the above settings, without doing a specific FIND the following appear:

I see all my geocache waypoints whenever the map range is 8km or less.

I see all my Custom POI whenever the map range is 200m or less.

I see all my Map POI whenever the map range is 50m or less.

 

I usually operate when travelling by cycle/car at map ranges between 120m to 800m.

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Tonight I updated my 76CSX with the v3.30 firmware to do some experimenting with the map settings and managed to achieve a map setup that gave almost the same waypoint and POI display as I got with v3.10, but at a cost - the topo map detail suffered somewhat.

 

With the following settings:

Map Setup > General > Map Detail = Less

Map Setup > Points > Map Points = 200m

Map Setup > Points > User Waypoints = 8km

 

and without doing a specific FIND for a waypoint/POI the following appear:

I see all my geocache waypoints whenever the map range is 8km or less.

I see all my Custom POI whenever the map range is 200m or less.

I see all the Map POI whenever the map range is 50m or less.

 

However, the topo map only began to show when the zoom range was reduced to 8km.

The contour lines and streams showed only when the map range was 500m or less.

Finest map detail (individual houses etc) showed when the map range was 120m or less.

 

Inceasing the Map detail setting improved the topo map presentations but with the cost that the Map POI then began to clutter the screen at the zoom ranges I normally use (I prefer not to see MapPOI until I really want to).

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Update: The recent v3.50 firmware update has improved the situation. There is now no limit to the zoom range to which Custom POI may be displayed. Just set the Map Setup > Points > Map Points = whatever range you desire and your Custom POI will be observable all the way up to that range. If you leave the Map Setup > General > Map Detail = Less then the Map POI will remain observable only to 50m range.

 

It would have been less confusing if Garmin had taken the opportunity with the v3.50 update to have renamed 'Map Points' as 'Custom POI'.

Edited by BaldEd
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