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Pocket GPS POI-Sync

Updated 25th October 2003

   

Pocket GPS POI-Sync is a new service from the Pocket GPS Team. 

 

This incorporates all of the POI's listed at Pocket GPS, categorised into country sets, which you can download and sync to your Pocket PC in the desktop cradle whilst you're online. 

 

Pocket GPS POI-Sync will work with GPSAssist, POI-Warner, CheckPOInt and many more add-on POI programs using a desktop application called POI-Edit.

 

*** Experiencing Connection Problems with POI-Edit ? ***

Click here and follow the configuration in our FAQ Page.

 

Download POI-Edit

To start you need to download POI-Edit which is a PC based application.  We've decided to provide a direct link to the author as it's easier for him to update and maintain.  To download, goto the following URL http://www.dnote.nl/pda/poi/PoiEdit/ and select the Download link just under the screenshot.

 

Installing POI-Edit

Install POI-Edit by running the downloaded program.  Install to the default location.  When you are prompted on install to select the extension types (as below in the first screenshot), just select Navigator Binaries (*.ov2), and then click NEXT.  When you get to the next screen that says AutoUpdate upon device connect uncheck the AutoUpdate box.  The reason for this is our POI's do not update on a very frequent (eg daily) basis, but usually on a monthly basis, so if you do check this box, all you'll keep receiving is a dialog at the end of syncing your Pocket PC saying no updates which can get a little frustrating and it also puts a load on our server.

 

 

Once finished, you should now have a program group on your PC called POI Edit.  In there will be a TomTom Poi Editor.  If you click the icon to run POI-Edit this will then run in your task tray like this.

 

Now what we need to do is to run POI Edit by right clicking on the icon in your task tray, then select Poi Edit.

 

When running POI Edit it will run a check back to the POI Edit web server to see if there is a new version there.  If there is, it will attempt to download it.  If not, you will see a screenshot like this.

 

 

Now that POI Edit is running, click Online from the menu and then AutoUpdate Settings.  What we first need to do is setup POI Edit.  This will open another screen.  This screen will eventually show all the POI's that you are syncing to your Pocket PC.

 

Firstly make sure you check the Download Images box but uncheck the AutoUpdate upon device connect.  The reason for this is the Sync process can take quite a length of time even on broadband or ADSL connections because it has to go off and download a complete database of POI's, and then manually check against each one to see if there is an update, so if you take your Pocket PC out of it's cradle and re-dock it 5 times a day, then this process will run 5 times daily which will eventually get a bit annoying due to the speed of the sync.

 

Now the settings are complete, you need to run the Wizard and this will connect you to the Pocket GPS POI-Sync Server.  When the wizard screen pops up select Next, and you'll see a website URL screen.  Enter http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/poisync/pocketgps.xml in the supplied URL (top box) like below.

 

 

Now click NEXT, and POI Edit will go away talking to the Pocket GPS POI-Sync web server.  Once complete, you should see a list of POI's in a screen like below.  The first pull down box is the country set.  You can change this to different countries as all of our POI's are country coded.  Once you have selected the correct country set, tick the boxes to the left of each POI.  If you want to see a description, just click on the name of the POI and it will show you in the status bar above the buttons (eg Select All).

 

 

Once you have selected all the POI's you want to download, make sure the Pocket PC is in your cradle, and you have a valid ActiveSync session open.  Now click NEXT and you'll see a screen like below.  POI Edit should have detected where your country set data for TomTom Navigator 1 or 2 is located.  If this is incorrect, you may need to change it, providing you only have one country set on your Pocket PC, it should choose the correct location.  When you are happy with the locations and that they are pointing to the correct country directory for the country you have selected for POI's, click NEXT.

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One final screen now before the initial sync continues. If you have your Pocket PC docked, then tick the Update after finishing the wizard check box.  This will then sync the POI's to your Pocket PC after download.

 

Now the POI's should start downloading and synching to your Pocket PC.  When completed click CLOSE to send POI Edit back to the task tray. 

 

How do I download updated POI's in the future ?

In future updates providing POI Edit is in the task tray, just right click and select AutoUpdate Now and it will run the update process.

 

 

If there are any updated POI's you'll see a screen like the one below.  If you answer YES, it will download and overwrite the POI with the newer version, if you select no, it will cancel.

 

 

Known Problems

If you believe there should be some updated POI's on the Pocket GPS POI-Sync server because we've announced them on our news page but you're not seeing them, it's because POI Edit caches the server list.  If this happens (and it's usually because you haven't logged out or switched your machine off for a while, but put it into hibernate), then just exit POI Edit in the task tray and re-run POI Edit and it will download a new index list from our server.

 

If you experience any problems, send them to dave@pocketgpsworld.com

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If I add entries to one of the POI's I've downloaded, will it upload it back to the server ?

A. No.  The reason for this is, you could overwrite the a recent POI that has been uploaded, so you do have to email us an updated POI file.  What we would suggest is you save the POI as a different name, so if you have Castles.ov2, then call it Castles2.ov2 and email us the updated file.

 

Q. If I sync the Speed Camera Database, or any POI's I want to be notified of, do I have to do anything else ?

A. Possibly.  It depends on the add-on utility you use on the Pocket PC.  GPSAssist has it's own seperate database so it can detect changes to the database.  If applications have this, then you may also have to sync within the application like GPSAssist to keep both the OV2 and the POI Alert notification program up to date.

 

Q. Can I ask POI Edit to sync every time I dock my Pocket PC ?

A. You can, but there really is no point to it.  If you dock your Pocket PC 5 times a day, you will need to download and sync 5 times a day and also answer quite a few dialog boxes that pop up.  What we recommend is you watch our news page, we'll update you when there are updates, and then just select the Update Now option in POI Edit and it saves you having to manually download the POI files.

 

Troubleshooting

If you are still experiencing problems connecting, check out our FAQ Database for assistance.

  

 

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