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Speed Camera Voice Alerts - Install Guide

Updated 27th Nov 2008

Speed Camera Voice Alerts

by Darren Griffin

 

The Speed Camera Voice Files and Other POI Sets are intended and packaged for use with the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database and other POI Collections available on this web-site.

 

Installation is a straightforward process. Each voice pack comes in various versions to suit the different database types we offer i.e. Speed Zoned, Consolidated, Single File etc and you must ensure you choose the correct download type to match the database you have installed.

 

Beside each pack are icons that indicate which version are available for that voice.

 

Please Note: The sound files available on this site are supplied for your personal use only. You may NOT share these files on other web-sites, distribute them or share them through P2P or TT HOME without the express permission of PocketGPSWorld.com (or the original author if different) who retain copyright at all times. The original sound files remain copyright of their individual authors but are used here with their permission. Please consult the Licence terms at the foot of this page before use.

 

Download

 

The voices download page can be found here.


Installation Instructions


To install, download the correct package type that matches your safety camera download type, i.e. if you use the 'Consolidated by type' version of the database you will need the 'Consolidated by type' sound file set.


Garmin Nuvi

 

Standard PocketGPS File Users

  1. Download and extract the contents of the zip file to your computer.
  2. Copy the extracted .mp3 voice files to the POI folder you use when uploading POIs to your Garmin device.
  3. Ensure you have ALL the POIs you wish to upload in the same folder including the correct version of the speed camera database that matches the voice pack type i.e. speed zoned.
  4. Launch POI loader as normal, this will package the POIs AND the voice files and upload to your device. No further action is necessary.

ASH10 Camera Manager Users

 

The author's web page with full help can be found here.

 


TomTom GO, ONE, RIDER and PocketPC - Method 1
Version 7 Users Please Read Additional Notes Below

  1. Extract the contents of the downloaded zip file and copy these to the map folder on your device. The suitably named ogg files should be placed into the map folder where your POI’s are located, do not put them in a sub-folder.
  2. With the files in place start TomTom Navigator and go to Change Preferences/ Manage POI/ Warn when near POI (this MUST be done even if your camera POI’s have been previously configured).
  3. Select the first camera in the list, if asked whether you want to delete or remove the warning answer NO.
  4. You should now be asked to select the warning distance, followed by the Warn Only if POI on route – please set-up these options as per your normal preference, remember everyone will use different settings dependent upon how they use the device.
  5. Now repeat the above, setting up the POI warning for EACH camera category you have installed to the device.

TomTom models with text-to-speech capabilities only (910, x20, x30 etc):

In order to use the ogg files you must ensure "Sound Effect" is selected when configuring your POI Warnings. if you have correctly installed the matching .ogg files then this will be the default selection for all POIs that have an accompanying .ogg file of the same name:

 

GO910

 

NOTE: If at any point you experience issues then soft reset and retry, this cures the vast majority of issues that can occur.



Version 7/8 Note:

With the arrival of Version 7 & now 8 there is a small bug/change that affects the procedure. If you have installed the .ogg file packs you will be asked to choose a sound but will not be offered any options, this is normal. You will be asked 'Is this the sound you want?'. You should answer Yes on this screen. If you do, you will then see the warning distance screen and can proceed as normal.

 

If you mistakenly answer No then you may get a message saying No Photographs and the unit will freeze. If you have mistakenly done this, simply reset the device and start again, this time answering Yes when prompted.

 


TomTom GO, ONE, RIDER and PocketPC - Alternative Method

 

With the arrival of v7 software a new method is now available that allows you to add your own sounds or voices for POI warnings.

 

If you explore your TomTom device with a file manager (e.g. Windows Explorer, Finder etc) you should find an empty folder called "sounds" (if not, then you can manually create one). Any .wav or .ogg format sound files you paste into this folder will appear on the same page as the usual Sound Effects such as "Bell1", "Cow" etc. You can also paste folders containing collections of sound files in this "sounds" folder and they will appear as clickable folders.

 

Ogg files are preferred as their file sizes are much smaller than wavs. If you need to convert .wav files to .ogg format you can use the free sound editor "Audacity" to achieve this. Note that .wav files can be 11025kHz or 16kHz sample rate but MUST be 16 bit. 8 bit samples will be displayed as options on the page but cannot be played.

 

All the TomTom format sound files available here are compatible with this installation method, you can place them in the sounds folder, select them and preview them in the same way you can the other built-in sound effects.


The only problem here is that the naming convention we use puts pocketgps_ at the beginning of the filename. This is necessary to support our preferred installation method above which requires the sound files have identical file names to the database files they are intended for use with. This results in the part of the name which identifies the sound effect being at the end i.e. pocketgps_uk_gatso_30.

 

When you see the files on the sound effects page, only the first 10 or so characters of the name get shown, so they will all just show "PocketGPSWo...". Either use the 'preview' button to hear them first or rename the files before copying to the sounds folder to make them more easily located i.e. gatso30, specs70 etc.

 


Notes:

The ‘p’ (for provisional) mobile site category was added to the download package in 2007. If you select the speed-zoned download this will give you an additional seven 'p' files and just one for the consolidated download. This is an optional category that contains un-verified mobile sites.

 

If you decide to install them you will have to decide how you want to be alerted to them. If you want to use the same warning as for the “normal” mobile sites you will need to make copies of the relevant mobile warnings and rename the copies with a “p” before the word “mobile” each time. However this will mean that you have no way of telling whether the site is confirmed or not.

 

As an alternative for those of you that wish to use this optional category you might like to try the pMobile TTS Crystal files instead. They match the Crystal voice (Created by ‘Andy_P’):

 


Licence


By downloading these files you are deemed to have agreed to the following conditions:


You may copy these files for you own use without financial gain only.

 

You may NOT use the files for commercial purposes nor may you share upload or otherwise offer them in any format to third parties. The files are provided "as is" without warranty, either expressed or implied. In no event shall there be any liability for any damages whatsoever.

 

Copyright (C) PocketGPSWorld.Com Ltd, 2007, 2008.

 


Credits

 

Our thanks go to forum member Andy_P2002 who has spent a great deal of time compiling these Speed Camera Alert sound files into collections suitable for use with TomTom Navigator Versions 5 and later (this includes installations on PocketPC, ONE, RIDER, and all versions of GO) and now also GARMIN devices that support .mp3 files.

Thanks are also due in no small part to Ray Flanagan and his excellent but sadly now defunct web-site TomTomSatNavInfo for granting permission to use his excellent voice files and also to forum members 'Mullet' and WillyEarthworm' for their own compilations and Feek, foun and m-a-r-k for their work on the Garmin compatible packages.

 


 

 

 

Resources

PocketGPSWorld Author

Darren Griffin

Contributors AndyP2002, Mullet, WillyEarthWorm
   
PocketGPSWorld Speed Camera Voices www.pocketgpsworld.com/speed-camera-and-poi-voice-alerts.php
PocketGPSWorld Speed Camera database www.pocketgpsworld.com/uksafetycameras.php
PocketGPSWorld Safety Camera Icons www.pocketgpsworld.com/speed-camera-icons.php
PocketGPSWorld Custom Cursors www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtom-custom-cursors.php
PocketGPSWorld POI databases www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=POIs

 

 

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