A 'How To' Guide on Downloading POIs for SatNav

[new to the game]

Just downloaded aires via instructions succesfully thankyou. Another que stion bought new book in France for downloading aires via Gps coordinates example gps 48 06 59 N 05 09 04 E , my problem is got TT 700 but GPS icon is not highlighted on menu, does anyone know why and if so how do i put in GPS coordinates as there is no other info but name of aire. This book has new aires that the other one hasn't. Les aires de camping-cars 2008 and stresses on front cover avec les coordinates GPS only 7 euros too. :-(

[Way2Go]

new to the game - 2007-08-26 12:50 PM Just downloaded aires via instructions succesfully thankyou. Another que stion bought new book in France for downloading aires via Gps coordinates example gps 48 06 59 N 05 09 04 E , my problem is got TT 700 but GPS icon is not highlighted on menu, does anyone know why and if so how do i put in GPS coordinates as there is no other info but name of aire. This book has new aires that the other one hasn't. Les aires de camping-cars 2008 and stresses on front cover avec les coordinates GPS only 7 euros too. :-(

OK, not sure I understood all of that but we'll have a go.

To check location using coordinates you could try Browse Map > Find > Latitute/Longitude then type N 48^o06'59 [enter] followed by E 05^o09'04 [enter].  That should show you the map below.

To navigate to a Latitude/Longitude use Navigate to > Latitute/Longitude then type N 48^o06'59 [enter] followed by E 05^o09'04 [enter] as before.

You could also check the location using Google Maps.  Just type in 48 06 59 N 05 09 04 E then click [search maps].

Regarding the €7 thing, it sounds as though they have a web site where you can download coordinates from.  Sounds like a pretty good investment if all you have to then do is Navigate to > Point of Interest > Les Aires (or whatever the POI set is called) then pick one.

[potjoe]

Hi to way2go.Can you help please have Garmin navi 350.have looked at your Air`s part all ok but ?do i go to cam-infos.com go to next part to pick up airs for Garmin and will they be ok for the Navi 350 as i have down loaded then but need ok from you if poss please.Regards John

[carioca]

caljoe - 2007-10-19 4:53 PM

 

Hi to way2go.Can you help please have Garmin navi 350.have looked at your Air`s part all ok but ?do i go to cam-infos.com go to next part to pick up airs for Garmin and will they be ok for the Navi 350 as i have down loaded then but need ok from you if poss please.Regards John

hi caljoe i carnt help sorry but try sending w2g a private message hope this helps

[potjoe]

thanks will do .john

[Way2Go]

Hi John,

I've just got back from the NEC and have been going though my emails.

I'm not sure I understand your question.  I have a TomTom and am not familar with others systems although they all work on a similar principle.

It would appear that you can add additional POIs to your Garmin through some additional software called POI loader http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/.  The link takes you to all sorts of interesting articles.

It would appear that you can download any POIs you want as long as they are in a .GPX or .CSV format and you'll need to install the software from the link above to allow you to transfer the POIs to your GPS.

If you go to somewhere like www.poihandler.com for example, you can pick which format you want to download the files in.  The choice will vary from wes site to web site so look for Garmin, Garmin .GPX or Garmin .CSV format.

I hope that answers your query.

W2G

[Randonneur]

Hi Barry,

 

Have finally worked out how to download POI's to my new tomTom One XL Europe SatNav. When I downloaded the info onto the computer it gives me 3 different files for each item and if I exclude copying the Setup file everything is correct. If I include the setup information file then it gives me a weird bit of scribble against the icon. I have also done the same with the speed camera database and again it downloaded correctly without using the setup information file.

 

Do you know whether this is correct or should I be including the setup file. I have attached the file to show you what I mean.

 

Regards

 

Sylvia

 

Aire_Camping_Car_Fr.bmp

Aire_Camping_Car_Fr.inf

Aire_Camping_Car_Fr.ov2

[michele]

Excuse me for butting in Daughters Tom Tom I dont know who (no one wants to own up to it) jobbie. Anyway the thing that sticks to the screen is broke . Can I deal with them direct if so where ?

can you help with the best place to buy a new one at the mo we travel with it on our laps.

 

Thank you .

[Randonneur]

Michele, have a look at:

 

www.expansys.com

 

[Way2Go]

Randonneur - 2008-01-17 8:27 PMWhen I downloaded the info onto the computer it gives me 3 different files for each item and if I exclude copying the Setup file everything is correct.

Hi Sylvia,With the latest version of the software make sure you only have a .BMP and .OV2 file for each POI otherwise you will get garbage on the display. So, yes, you were right :-)

[michele]

Thank you kindly.

[Randonneur]

Way2Go - 2008-01-17 10:46 PM

 

Randonneur - 2008-01-17 8:27 PMWhen I downloaded the info onto the computer it gives me 3 different files for each item and if I exclude copying the Setup file everything is correct.

Hi Sylvia,With the latest version of the software make sure you only have a .BMP and .OV2 file for each POI otherwise you will get garbage on the display. So, yes, you were right :-)

 

Many thanks Barry and Happy New Year.

[Tony Jones]

I've now used the "campingcar-infos" site to load Aires as POIs on my TT1Europe, but I seem to have got various types, and I don't know what they all are:

 

apnvc & apv both have "carpark" logos

asnv & asv both have "motorhome emptying" logos

aanv & aav have what looks like a "picnic bench" logo (picnic areas?)

acnv & acv have what MAY be a "tent" logo (campsites? But there's another one for that, with a much clearer tent in sharp black).

 

In each case, the ones with the "n" have logos in greyscale, the ones without in colour. Have I interpreted the logos rightly? And what's the difference between the "n's" and the others? Can anyone enlighten me?

 

Tony

[Way2Go]

Hi Tony,

Th text file with was included in the downloaded zip file reveals the following (once translated) :-

ASV.ov2 - Areas of Verified Services

APV.ov2 - Areas of Verified parking Lot (or stationnement)

AAV.ov2 - Areas on Verified Expressways

ACV.ov2 - Areas on Verified Camping

The ASNV, APNV, AANV and ACNV are the same as above but not verified.

Translating the following was 'interesting' :-

‘Aires.ov2 ' - do not use in method of navigation. This file serves to facilitate the research of an area nearby, whatever the area type.

Hope this helps

W2G

[Tony Jones]

Thanks W2G, that helps. What I'd thought might be a picnic table is actually a "motorway" symbol then!

 

So when it comes to ticking which POIs to show on the map, I DON'T tick the actual "Aires" one, just the specific types I'm interested in from among all the others.

 

The categories make sense to me because I understand some of the distinctions the French make between different places, but since this is a "sticky-thread," may I spell them out for the benefit of others (and to make sure I've got them right)?

 

ASV.ov2 - Areas of Verified Services - are places where water can be filled/emptied (including toilet).

 

APV.ov2 - Areas of Verified parking Lot (or stationnement) - are places where a car (and therefore a motorhome - ALWAYS) can park overnight.

 

AAV.ov2 - Areas on Verified Expressways - are motorway service areas which offer water facilties. I'd doubt the wisdom of staying there overnight but it's probably legal.

 

ACV.ov2 - Areas on Verified Camping - will be places where you can not only "park" overnight, as above, but actually "camp," even if it's not a formal campsite. The difference in French law, as has been said elsewhere on the forum, is that a motorhome is "parking" if the only thing touching the ground is its wheels. In that case, if a car can park legally, so can a motorhome - EVEN IF THERE'S A SIGN SAYING OTHERWISE (although I'm not sure I'd want to argue that case with a Gendarme in the middle of the night!). However, as soon as you put anything else on the ground, even corner steadies, you're "camping," which may be prohibited even where parking is allowed.

 

As for the "not verified" sections of each category, I don't think I'll tick them. The last thing I need for domestic harmony is to arrive at a place late in the evening to find we can't stop there after all!

 

Thanks again W2G, and if anyone wants to correct or clarify my contribution here, please do.

 

Tony

 

[Tony Jones]

Too late for an "edit" now, but my own rough translation of the text file shows I've made a couple of errors in my last post.

 

1. The "not verified" category doesn't indicate any doubt as to the existence of the "aire," simply that the co-ordinates may not be exact. On that basis, I'll probably tick them for showing on the maps.

 

2. The "acv/acnv" group is actual campsites, but specifically those where motorhomes may visit for "service" during the day for a fee, without necessarily booking in to stay the night. This is a category recognised in the commonly-used "Aires" books.

 

Tony

[Way2Go]

Thanks for the 'proper' translation and update Tony - makes a lotta sense.

W2G

[potjoe]

I have the loader for my Garmin sat nav.and can load all the POIs on to the sat nav or onto a card .Have loaded files to go with the camper stop book and works very well.

[duetto owner]

anyone know a link for poi hight restrictions please.

 

have a tomtom 700

[mom]

So, Tony, could you possibly clarify for me?... which category is the typical French Aire?... those parking spots in a village for example where there may or may not be any facilities, but overnighting is welcomed?

[mom]

Brian Kirby - 2007-05-25 11:15 PMI haven't been allowed a sat-nav yet, but I've copied your advice in case I am!  The resident navigator isn't yet convinced it'll do as well as she can, with reason!  However, many thanks - in anticipation.

 

G'day Brian!  I know this is a little off topic, but I just wanted to add my thoughts to your comment above...

 

I was in a similar situation, with Cindy believing that SatNavs were just another boy's toy, and we would (and should) never need one.  However, I managed to convince her to agree to a cheap one, and we went with the Garmin Nuvi 250.  That device, named "Matilda" (10 points if you can figure out the meaning!), has totally and completely changed our motorhoming experience!  For the better, I should add!

 

We do a lot of touring in Europe, as well as here in the UK.  We are also members of the Sealed Knot, an English Civil War re-enactment society, and take the van to the various castles and stately homes where we camp. 

 

Perhaps you could try some of these arguments on your wife, after first preparing her a lovely meal, of course!!!...

 

This is how a SatNav changed our lives...

 

1. We have added an extra 20% (minimum) onto our typical leisure time, simply by avoiding the dead time of examining maps, recovering from missed exits, having to re-route around road closures (increasingly common all over Europe), trying to get into and out of cities, searching for carparks and the specific address when we arrive in the dark etc etc etc.  It all adds up.  We simply step into the Van, punch the numbers and drive.  This extra hassle-free time added to our typical day is in itself, for us anyway, easy justification for spending £80.

 

2. With loaded POIs, e.g. German Stellplatz, aires etc, it is really easy to hold off finding a campsite till the last minute.  And if you prefer more formal campsites, and have perhaps booked into one, simply program this in and then choose your daily wanderings as "via points".  We spend so much more time now looking at the countryside and towns and villages, without looking for direction signs or street names, or worrying about whether to turn left or right.  Matilda will tell you where to go, so to speak!

 

So, with 1. and 2. alone, we have significantly increased, and improved, our leisure time.  Both of us.

 

3. "Look over there... that looks lovely... lets take a look".  Countless times we have spotted something in the distance, beit a Cathedral spire or a lovely landscape, and simply turned in that direction to explore.  When done, perhaps an hour and many miles off course, we need do nothing but follow Matilda's new instructions on how to get back on track.  Again, more time to do what we came to do.

 

4. This, for us, is the most important one.  Matilda is not perfect!  She sometimes believes that the best way from A to B is via C, D, E and F.  We have seen parts of Europe that I'm sure very few visitors (or locals!) have seen.  Countryside to die for, scores of miles away from the otherwise logical route.  If we're in no hurry, we indulge ourselves completely, and have an experience that we normally would never have.  If we are in a critical hurry though, we always examine the full map on Matilda, and the road atlas if we're unsure, to make sure she chose the best route.  We call this "being matilda'ed", taking us unexpectedly through the countryside.

 

5. Fixed speed camera locations, time to destination, real speed etc are all really useful, and help improve the trip.  SatNavs never quite get time to destination correct as they need to "guesstimate" speeds etc., but in our experience, they're pretty close.

 

6. The ability to be in a real rush (van or car) and just being able to hit some buttons and know you're in good hands.  Related to this, if your wife is perhaps not with you for a portion of your trip, you don't have to do the map thing yourself.  Matilda will do it instead!  Totally hands-free, no need to glance sideways at the open atlas on the seat beside you.

 

7. Going back!...  Many times we have driven past an idyllic little spot for lunch or camping or whatever.  If you don't want to stop now, but to come back later, punch the buttons to set current location and then Matilda can take you straight back there when you're ready.  No matter where you ended up in the meantime. 

 

There are negatives, as with everything in life! 

-- It's easy to be so focused on your surroundings that you have absolutely no idea where you are or how you got there!  Some people like to use real maps simply because they can get a better feel for what's going on.  We have a balance... we get the maps and road-atlases out, often, but more for information and confirmation, than for establishing a route.  Occasionally it ends up with an argument with Matilda!, but the journey is the better for it!

-- Those with large vans, where road restrictions matter more often than not, may want to examine a map before setting off.  Matilda doesn't understand the concepts of low railway bridges and the like!  So, for large vans, you would probably want to confirm a chosen route, when possible.  The beauty of Matilda is that if you encounter a probem unexpectedly, just hit the "find me another route" button, or turn around and head in another direction.  Matilda will sort it from there.

 

There are lots more subtle things we love about Matilda, but if you're personally wanting to get one, perhaps some of my thoughts above might help persuade She?!!!

 

What I find amusing is that we're now planning to buy a second one!  I've no idea what to call that one, but any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Forester]

I have the Tom Tom 920 & it is fantastic at getting you there BUT i cannot find anything on the routes towing a caravan anyone know if there is a way of finding or getting it put on please.

Many thanks.

I. M. :-D

[flicka]

Tom Tom POI's for height restrictions available free:-

 

http://www.tomtomfree.com/articles/TTLBMAN/home1.htm

 

currently it is supported by: GO 520 /720, GO 910/710/510, GO 700/500, ONE 3rd Edition, ONE 2nd Edition, ONE 1st Edition, ONE XL

[bigal]

Hello to all you technophobes, I have a Becker 7916 Pro SatNav and would love to add some POIs, Height Restrictions etc info but all the advice seems to centre on Tom-Tom and Garmin. My Becker uses Navtech technology and I just wondered if any of the suggestions on up-dating would be compatible with that system. Being an old fella I am not as au fair with all this new stuff as perhaps I should be although I must say I agree with Moms post above and my Becker has taken us to Poland and points in between very successfully over the last few years, it has also put off the divorce talks which were pending from time to time with the navigator :-D If I wish to know anything regarding the computer I can ask my grandsons, Sat-Navs are a different matter, it aint easy when your daft !!

;-) B-)

[Way2Go]

Wouldn't have a clue I'm afraid, never heard of a Becker.

Most of us go for TomTom or Garmin because they are 'mainstream' and you can customise them very easily.  You can also get a lot of help on here.

Your best bet is to do a search on the internet or email/phone them.

Sorry.

W2G