Amalgamated Postcodes file

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

OK, I've finally managed to hack all* of the available UK postcode files in to one "postcodes_gb.ov2" . I'm going to try and get a bigger CD card tomorrow and see if the TTG can happily use a 45 MB POI file (!). If it does I'll let anyone who wants it have a copy. It was a bit of a nightmare to make - had to use the older version of WinOV2 and a couple of file splitting/joining utilities as my laptop kept falling over trying to create the final file in one go!

Tim

* - when I say 'all' I mean all of the codesearch... files from the POI area as well as the big Central London file (I think it contains the entries form the 2m and 5m radius files - there are certainly duplicates at a quick glance) and the additional Surrey file. However it seems as though those files do still have some postcodes missing - for example KT?? ??? had been identified as not in any of them. Anyone who's interested, watch this space.

OZ · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 17, 2004 Posts: 165

Nice one Tim, lets hope it works, sounds like it was a lot of work!.

mutant · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 11, 2004 Posts: 19

timmyo

I've consolidated the London codesearch files into one file and the South and Southeast files into another and they both work. The South / South East combination runs to 8.5 MB and works fine so it will be interesting to see what happens with your 45 MB file.

The only problem I've noticed is that the bigger the file the longer it takes the TomTom to find the code which is why I didn't consolidate the two any further.

As for KT? ??? I think you will find them in the Code Search South East file.

Michael

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

OK it doesn't work. It seems like the file is too big for TTG to search - it can find the 100 closest too you instantly but when it searches for others it either says the code is not there or seems to time out and instead plots the route to the first greyed-out code that was on the screen when you started searching for the one you wanted (often the closest code to your current location resulting in a nice trip around the block! :D )
A quick test with the North East codes (that's where my Mum lives and what prompted this exercise as she lives in the sticks with no road name or house number) shows that you can roll a region in to a single file and that works fine. I'll do that, have a a few Postcodes_North_East.ov2 etc files. That should help. I'll put London, Surrey and the SE in one file and see if it copes with that.

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

OK that works. I now have a few files named Postcodes_South_East.ov2 etc etc.
The South East one with the large Central London file and Surrey added comes to just over 10MB and works fine. There is a delay of about 30 seconds, maybe a little more while it searches that file but I can live with that.

TTG's own 5-digit, street, house number is both quicker and more accurate if you know it, but this method works well, and you then have both options, useful if you are visiting business premises when they often don't list the building number but do give the postcode or if, like me, you have awkward family or friends who live on un-named roads or on roads for which no building number info is on the maps.

If others want the files I will upload them to my website,
Tim

Zuke · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:27 pm Post subject:

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

Uploaded the files. Grab them from http://www.timodonnell.co.uk/ttg/

Tim

TomK · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:21 pm Post subject:

Thanks - I'll give them a try

pilot · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2004 Posts: 36

I've download the Surrey postcodes but there are some missing - such as GU6 8PN - although 8EZ and a couple of others are there. Can I add these to the file or directly into GO ? Thanks.

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

You could do either I think. To add it in to the file you'll need to convert the ov2 file to .asc using WinOV2, edit that with Wordpad or something then use WinOV2 to convert back. I take it you know the Lat Long of the ones you want to add?
I think you could also just browse to the location on the map and add them direct to the TTG that way.

pilot · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2004 Posts: 36

RobP · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 01, 2004 Posts: 18

bestyman · Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject:

Hi,
Having put the postcodes in ok how do I then use them ?

I can navigate to POI then postcodes near to me but how would I find a specific postcode ? where do I type it in?

Many Thanks

Mark

timmyo · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 76

Navigate to, POI, then tap the little keyboard icon and type it in including the space - wait 30 or 40 seconds et voila.

I will add these instructions to my site when I get back (currently away on a work trip)

Tim

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