Garmin POI Loader

[+JBnW]

Greetings all, looking for a little advice on changing some waypoints to POIs, and trying to find the easiest and most efficient way.

 

I've got a Map 76 CSx, and a whole bunch of waypoints that I always have on it...along with the current issue of my local caches PQ. To update my PQ on the GPS, I usually download everything into MapSource, delete the caches, erase all waypoints from the GPS, upload the remaining waypoints that I always have, then upload the caches in the new PQ. A pain. So I'm sure I should convert these permanent waypoints to POIs and be done with them. The question: many of them have some specific information associated with them, that I don't yet have completed. I could convert them now, or would it be better if I did my homework on all of them before converting to POIs? That is, if I convert them now without the associated info, how hard is it to add that info later?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! Cheers,

[+fratermus]

I say just store them as gpx, edit whenever you like, then use POI Loader to upload at will. POI loader will work directly from gpx files so there is no extra work.

 

So there is no reason not to upload as POI now; no need to convert them ahead of time.

[+myotis]

I agre with fratermus, but let me add to what he says.

 

Custom POIs can be in categories and when you are trying to find them, you can find by category.

 

Each seperate gpx file and directory in your POI directory will show up as a seperate category.

 

For example, if you have a People.gpx and a Places.gpx, when you load it onto the GPS, and select find Custom POI you can select category. If you select the people category, only the points in the people.gpx file is searched.

 

Also make sure you create a -Home.gpx. That allows you to easily tell the GPS to take you home.

 

http://www.poi-factory.com/ is a good place to get POIs to use as custom POIs.

 

If you create a directory in your POI Directory, everything in the directory will load in a category with the directory name. I have a directory named business. In it I have a gpx file of busineess and restraunts I go to. I also have some POI files of things like non chain mexican restraunts, vegitarian restraunts, etc that I got from POI Factory. So when I load them and use find custom POI and select business category, only the points in that directory show up.

 

Custom POIs are a wonderful feature!

 

I also load all the caches I have found that are still active as custom POIs in case I am caching with someone who has not found that cache.