Adding a POI file to an eTREX30x

[JBB]

Hi!
Had a poke about and the maps t came with look pretty good. However for a European tour I'd like to add the Archie's campsites POI file to my GPS. Is this possible and if so how please?

[Pingu]

I think (without actually trying  ) it should be as simple as:

Download the relevant zip file from the Archie's site
Extract the GPX file from this
Save the GPX file to your eTrex (I don't have my GPS here, so I can't say exactly which folder. It's under Garmin somewhere)

[frankly frankie]

All extra POIs are stored in a data file called
poi.gpi
which must be placed in the folder /Garmin/Poi/
A file like this doesn't use any Waypoint memory.

They can then be found in the menus under 'Where To' and a new heading 'Extras'.  I have this working on a E30x.

If you have several datasets from various sources (eg pubs, bike shops, funeral parlours), they need to be combined into the one file.
Possibly you can have one file on the GPS and another on the mSD card, I haven't tried this.
I think there are free tools downloadable from the Garmin website, to construct a poi.gpi file from GPX.

[Feanor]

POI are a little different from just regular waypoints.
As FF says, they don't use any waypoint memory for a start, and live in a gpi file.

Garmin provide a POI loader here:
http://www.garmin.com/us/maps/poiloader

This will build the .gpi file from a .csv file for you.

The archies_europe.zip file contains a folder called GARMIN-csv-www.archiescampings.eu vs 01-03-16
Inside this folder is a .csv file.
Put this in a folder by itself.

Run the PoI loader and point it to the folder containing the csv and let it create the Custom PoI gpi file either directly on the device, or as a file on your PC.

[frankly frankie]

The trick though is not just to end up with a menu item in the GPS called Archies Campsites - because then if you want to add another one called Pubs In York you're stuffed.

It's a long time since I've done this - and about 3 desktop PCs ago - but as I recall if you put your CSV in a folder called 'Campsites' and you had another CSV for, say, York Pubs and you put it in a folder called 'York Pubs' and then you put both those folders in another one and point the POI tool at that - you'll end up with one gpi file but two separate menu items listed in the Garmin under 'Extras'.  Or something like that.

[EDit to add - by the way there's an update to the supplied map on the E30x available as a download - all 3.5Gb of it ... 

[Pingu]

Heh - I knew it would be simple 

[JBB]

Thanks All, I'll have a go this evening. You really have been helpful.

[Feanor]

The trick though is not just to end up with a menu item in the GPS called Archies Campsites - because then if you want to add another one called Pubs In York you're stuffed.

It's a long time since I've done this - and about 3 desktop PCs ago - but as I recall if you put your CSV in a folder called 'Campsites' and you had another CSV for, say, York Pubs and you put it in a folder called 'York Pubs' and then you put both those folders in another one and point the POI tool at that - you'll end up with one gpi file but two separate menu items listed in the Garmin under 'Extras'.  Or something like that.

Yes, I think that's right.

http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/creating_custom_poi_files.jsp

"All POI-related files should be stored in 1 main directory on the computer. One level of sub-folders is allowed for organizing files and creating POI categories. The POI Loader combines all files in the main folder and its sub-folders to create 1 file. Each time POI Loader sends POIs to a device the existing Poi.gpi file is overwritten. "

[frankly frankie]

Here is a screenshot of the Extras menu showing up inside the Where To menu, then one of the Extras menu opened up to show a list of POIs sorted into subcategories (screenshots from an E30 but the E30x looks the same).

         

[andrew_s]

"...Each time POI Loader sends POIs to a device the existing Poi.gpi file is overwritten. "

From which it follows that you've go to keep your CSV files saved on the PC, as otherwise an attempt to add a new category of POI would lose those you already have.