ram2048 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Aug 12, 2006 Posts: 3
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Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:23 am Post subject: Garmin i3 Saftey Camera Database from Maplin's & POI Iss |
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Hi All,
New to this, but found all of the answers I needed by reading through this Forum. Thanks to all who have submitted articles.
I ordered the Garmin i3 from Maplin's and whilst I was waiting for the delivery, scaned pocketgpsworld.com for advanced info, downloaded the POI Loader and other recommeded programs from this forum and made sure my PC was set up ready to load POI's downloaded from http://www.MaFt.co.uk/garmin/download.htm.
I have just received a Garmin i3 from Maplin (18.8.06). It was suposed to be supplied with the Saftey Camera Database free of charge. Not supplied so I rang them and to be fair received the CD in the post today (19th), accept, the database is dated August 2005. No matter, I downloaded the latest version from http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Cameras thanks very much.
From other comment made in this forum, I assume I have the latest version i3, with map pre-loaded and no Transflash card just an empty slot. Like others I assumed the advertised 256Mb flash memory (transflash) was now built in.
I maqnaged to activate the i3 by registering it at Garmin.com and it appeared to fire up OK. I then went to load the POI's from mafti.co.uk and found that I could only see about 20 categories, despite loading many more.
Nect went to load the Saftey Camara Database from the CD and discovered that it wiped out all of my previous POI's and replaced them with only the Saftey Camera POI's and by the way not al of them, as there are 24 files and I hit the limit again.
Not sure what is going on with the internal memory thing! maybe that it is because all of the European maps are preloaded and when you activate the Garmin which includes selecting your region, it opens up the UK maps. The registration text implied that if you selected the wrong region thus activated the wrong map, you would have to purchase the correct map, hence the assumption that the maps are preloaded then probably locked. Assume this would take up a fair amount of the internal memory if this is the case.
Poped out and bought a 256Mb Transflash inserted it into the i3 whilst connected to my PC and nothing. I supposed I expected to see a removeable disk entry pop up on my PC. (As happens with the TomTom.)
Picking up on another article in this forum, I put the Transflash card into a card reader, which luckily I have on my PC, I then proceed to install all of the POI's and the Saftey Camera database files onto the Transflash.
For information when you fire up the PIO Loader, without the Garmin attached, the program will find the removeable disk and place the file 'poi'gpi' in a directory call Garmin/POI on the Transflash. Put the Transflash back into the Garmin and I can now see all POI's and the Saftey Camera POI's.
Finnally I cleard out the POI's from the Garmin by removing the Transflash and generating a new POI generated from a very small csv file downloaded from mafti.com. (Why cant I do this from either the Settings or Custom Points sub menu's on the Garmin :o )
Phew, they don't make it easy do they
I assume those of you with older i3's have the Transflash card thus already know the process described above.
Even some form of help file on the PIO loader would be useful and hopefully, someone (perhaps Garmin) will develop some POI management software to allow the user to manipulate the 'poi.gpi' file interactively. But then I suppose we will have to pay TomTom prices if that happens.
To sum up:
As others have said, create a Directory on your PC, probably Garmin is as good as anything. Copy your Camera Database csv files and any other POI csv files to that directory and keep that as the master. When you download updates, download them to another directory and then copy them to your master directory, overwriting the originals. Then run your PIO Loader to update Garmin/POI/poi.gpi file.
Bset of luck to other newbies and happy navigating.
Regards, RAM2048 |
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