Zumo POI List?

[Pilot]

A few members have expressed a wish for a POI list of VR Assistance members so that they can download the list as a Point of Interest (POI) file onto their Zumo’s.

 

I don’t know how many members use the Zumo or if the interest is great enough to warrant the work so I will need some feedback from you first. If the interest is high then I will proceed, if not I won’t bother with it.

 

First let me say this will require a lot of hours to complete but I don’t mind doing it because I’m retired and it will give me something to do when the weather is bad.

 

Second there are no GPS coordinates in the list. Without them you will have to search the list on the Zumo by country then state or province and then city/town. To make it so that the Zumo can search for the nearest assistance automatically members would have to provide me with their GPS coordinates, this would make searching on the Zumo automatic, and automatic is always nice.

 

Third I don’t know how long it will take me so you may have to wait a bit for it. I expect that I should be able to get the first file ready for download in about a month. After that it won’t take much time to keep it updated. The file size should be small enough to download onto the site at first but I’m not sure of that as of this time. If the file should happen to reach the size limit I’m sure Freebird will help out with that.

 

So to begin with I’m asking for people to let me know as to weather or not they are interested. I will make the determination weather or not to proceed when I see if the interest will warrant the work and let you know.

 

 

To find your GPS coordinates download Google Earth.

 

In the Fly To field (top left hand corner of Google Earth) type in you address and click on the magnifying glass.

 

If it is a valid address it will go there.

 

After it does on the bottom of the google earth window you will see the GPS coordinates.

NOTE: move your mouse pointer off the google earth window to read your coordinates because if you mouse is on the window the coordintes will change to where your mouse is.

 

I.E.

 

19 cedar st malone ny

 

should give you the following coordinates:

 

44 51 17.59 N

74 16 42.20 W

 

This is what I need email them to jbissonette@stx.rr.com along with your first and last name.

 

Thanks.

[pick]

Would the POI list only work on Zumo's or any garmin GPS with a POI loader?

[Midrsv]

I'm interested. I have been looking at that idea as well but lack the skills to make it happen. Could a field be added to the user profiles here to allow people to add their coordinates?

 

This is a great idea.

 

Dennis

[RedRider]

Great idea!! I would definitely use it.

 

Adding the coordinates would also prevent publication of everyones address. Good thoughts.

 

RR

[ahoutzer]

I am willing to have my GPS coordinates on the POI list, but I do not have a GPS myself (would love to, but gotta send three kids to college, and ZUMOs are way out of my spending range, now). Having no GPS of my own, does anyone know of a way that I can find out what my coordinates are, so I could submit them to the POI list?

[Vance]

I would use it. Actually, hope I don't need to use it (assistance), but certainly nice to have available if things don't go as planned.

[payntor]

Having no GPS of my own, does anyone know of a way that I can find out what my coordinates are, so I could submit them to the POI list?

 

alan,

don't know if this is what you are looking for, but found a link that might help. http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocoding.html

 

 

jim

[lonestarmedic]

A POI list can be converted into many formats. Different GPS inits use different file types. However I have found a bunch of file convertors. We should be able to handle about any brand. The simplest is an excel spreadsheet. I think Mapquest and other websites offer Lat. and Long. options for thosewho don't have a GPs.

Another thought. What a way for those with a GPS to meet new people. Drive over, have a meal and a ride and map them out!!!

 

JB

[RedRider]

Go to this page: http://stevemorse.org/jcal/latlon.php

 

RR

[Pilot]

I'm interested. I have been looking at that idea as well but lack the skills to make it happen. Could a field be added to the user profiles here to allow people to add their coordinates?

 

This is a great idea.

 

Dennis

 

I supose it could but Freebird would have to do that.

[Pilot]

Would the POI list only work on Zumo's or any garmin GPS with a POI loader?

 

I'm not what you would call a GPS expert so I'm not sure, someone could try it. I suppose it would depend on what format your GPS calls for. I know you can covert files from one format to another and there are programs to do this.

[gibvel]

I'm interested. I have been looking at that idea as well but lack the skills to make it happen. Could a field be added to the user profiles here to allow people to add their coordinates?

 

This is a great idea.

 

Dennis

How about a spot in our user CP like when we added our cell carrier and number. Everyone could just access google earth or something like that, put their address in and get the coordinates that way.

 

Of course this idea would be as good as putting your address in public but would probably not trigger bots or some internet searchers that would trip on an address.

[Pilot]

I already have the file for the US and Canada in alphanumeric format, it’s just a matter of adding GPS coordinates (if that’s what you decide to do) which is what will take the time since I will have to enter those individually. It’s easy to get numbers wrong when your playing with so many so it will take time for me to review and correct errors.

I don’t want to make members of other countries like Down Under mad but I have not included you. I’m not ignoring you it’s just that there are not many members who have elected to provide assistance in these countries.

I have so far included only those members (in the VR Assistance file) who have a phone number (with ZIP code) along with what type of help they are offering, this information will appear on the Zumo screen.

So it looks like I’m going to do it anyway, but it would be nice to have GPS coordinates to make it automatic.

[Pilot]

How about a spot in our user CP like when we added our cell carrier and number. Everyone could just access google earth or something like that, put their address in and get the coordinates that way.

 

Of course this idea would be as good as putting your address in public but would probably not trigger bots or some internet searchers that would trip on an address.

 

I don't think having your GPS coordinates in your profile would be a bad thing since you already have your name and where you live there so anyone could get your address online using the phone book. But this is up to you people to decide what you want to do.

[halfwitt]

I'm not an expert but I have been trying to learn. Here is what I know at this point...

 

My Nuvi accepts .gpx files and I think that is what most Garmins accept. There is alos Garmin Mapsource files .gdb. Tom Tom accepts .itn files.

 

There is a great website: www.sundaymorningrides.com they have many rides that people have uploaded that you can download if you have one of the above file formats.

[Pilot]

If you decide to give me your GPS coordinates I need it in this type format.

 

Example:

 

N42 30.714 W70 30.812

[Pilot]

I'm not an expert but I have been trying to learn. Here is what I know at this point...

 

My Nuvi accepts .gpx files and I think that is what most Garmins accept. There is alos Garmin Mapsource files .gdb. Tom Tom accepts .itn files.

 

There is a great website: www.sundaymorningrides.com they have many rides that people have uploaded that you can download if you have one of the above file formats.

 

Your not such a halfwitt after all.

 

I can tell you that the file for the Zumo is a gpx file. So it should work on any GPS that uses this type of file extension.

[pick]

Well thats great then, because my Streetpilot, already has all Yammer dealers POI in a GPX file, so I could load this. Thanks!

Not to mention it would give door to door directions to fellow members!

As far as unmentionables, once they get past the mutt, then 2 Great Danes, they gotta deal with either the .40 Glock, .223 Ar15 or even possibly the wife..................................

[Freebird]

How do you want this? Email, posted here? Here is mine.

 

Latitude41.239945 Longitude-82.189758 Coordinates41.239945, -82.189758

N41°14.3967, W082°11.38548

 

You can all plug that in for Maintenance Day.

[Pilot]

How do you want this? Email, posted here? Here is mine.

 

Latitude41.239945 Longitude-82.189758 Coordinates41.239945, -82.189758

N41°14.3967, W082°11.38548

 

You can all plug that in for Maintenance Day.

 

Let me get back to you.

[Pilot]

Freebird in order to help me keep all this data coordinated it would be helpful if you could just add a column to the VR Assistance page with the heading GPS Code or some thing like that. Then the members can go there and add the code. I will then be able to copy that directly into the gxp file. If you would not mind doing that. For those members who don’t want or know how to get their GPS coordinates they just need to supply their address and I’ll find the coordinates. Also if any member wants to have their names added to this file even though there not offering assistance I will be happy to do it. At this point in time I will work on just those names that are providing assistance. When I have all of them done I will work on adding the others.

[Freebird]

Well....I don't really mind doing that but it's not as simple as all that. First, I would have to create a custom profile field. That is easy enough. The the info from the database has to be exported from here and then imported into a spreadsheet. That only gets done about 3 - 4 times per year. The other problem is that we have about all the info in the members list that can be printed on one line.

[ahoutzer]

It looks to me like Google Earth (free software) can get the coordinates for any address, one address at a time. Enter the address into the Fly to field, then after it flies to that address, right-click, choose Properties and the latitude and longitude are displayed.

[BuddyRich]

Can you just use the address's off the VR list ? That way Don doesn't have to do double work.

[Chuckles]

N37°59.70498, W086°47.95938

Here's mine.

 

ChucklesAddress505 Spring StCityTroyState/RegionINZIP/Postcode47588CountryUS [united States]Latitude37.995083Longitude-86.799323Coordinates37.995083, -86.799323

N37°59.70498, W086°47.95938