FAQ: P.O.I.s

General questions:

• What do GPS Pilot databases provide?
• How can I download your Free POIs DB?
• How do I get current data points into the palm data base?
• What are the frequency of waypoints database updates?
• How much memory does a waypoint require on my device?

Trouble shooting:

• Create a new point needs some way to cancel before saving the point. I often press that 4th hard button by mistake and then have to OK the new point, find it, edit, and then delete. Too complicated.
• It's not picking up the POI database files I have imported on my sd card.
• In the map and the Point list view, I saw only part of my whole POIs database.
• Is it possible to know the format of the waypoint in GP Points.pdb so that I can access them and transfer to the Etrex?
• What I really need (in addition to the GPS Compass function) would be to enter waypoints and have the software generate a heading and distance such that I could navigate to the waypoint.

Topographer questions

• I anticipated being able to sync waypoints from GPS to Palm and back again - is this something GPS Pilot applications could do?
• Is it possible to open a database created outside of GPS Pilot scope? When I attempted to open a database created by the waypoint generater program I get an not proper format error.
• After the first steps with Fly I downloaded your demo-Topographer to create a pdb of all German cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants. It was very easy to create this file, but when showing the cities in the map, Fly displays them as "Landmarks". How can I change them to city-icons?
• Do you do an Apple Mac software version of Topographer?

General questions

What do GPS Pilot databases provide?

GPS Pilot offers free databases of waypoints (available at the Database Download section) These are defined way points of US cities/airports/landmarks/NavAid (VOR, NDB,...) and worldwide airports.

Now, get up-to-date (updated every 28 days) U.S aviation waypoint databases from FAA and the Digitial Aviation Flight Information File, and some other countries, with GPS Pilot waypoints database generator.

Moreover, using any GPS Pilot applications you can create/import/export your own waypoints. GPS Pilot Topographer allows to format external data to/from the Palm format.collapsable except when using the phone). It runs Palm OS 3.5.3 on a 33 MHz.
 

How can I download your Free POIs DB?

Free waypoints database are available at GPS Pilot locations database page.
Select the name of the databases you want to download into your Palm.
Save the ZIP files on your machine.
Unzip to get the database_name.pdb file. If you do not have a Zipper program, try WinZip at www.winzip.com.
Install the pdb files using the Palm install tool and Hotsync.
 

How do I get current data points into the palm data base?

GPS Pilot way points can be inherited from different sources:

1. On the PDA device, create, on the fly, your own private points through the GPS Pilot Points Module
    
2. Upload FREE predefined databases such as world airports, US airports & runways, US cities, US navaid & frequencies (vor, ndb, ...).
    
3. Now, get up-to-date (updated every 28 days) U.S aviation waypoint databases from FAA and the Digitial Aviation Flight Information File, and some other countries, with GPS Pilot waypoints database generator.
    
4. Reuse personal or external location database with Topographer. Our GPS Pilot PC way points exchanger allows import/export way points data between hand held devices and work station.

GPS Pilot applications automatically detect which databases are present on your Palm. You may selectively remove database from your Palm using the GPS Pilot options-preferences menu and add new database when you need them.
 

What are the frequency of waypoints database updates?

Now you can generate U.S aviation waypoint databases from FAA and the Digitial Aviation Flight Information File every 28 days, with Paul Tomblin GPS Pilot waypoints database generator.
For other databases we try to keep our data as much as possible to date.
 

How much memory does a waypoint require on my device?

A waypoint is about 50 bytes.
 

Trouble shooting:

Create a new point needs some way to cancel before saving the point. I often press that 4th hard button by mistake and then have to OK the new point, find it, edit, and then delete. Too complicated.

To delete a point, simply erase its name and label. An empty name and label point is automatically deleted. So if you made a mistake (button 4), the name is selected, Backslash to erase and OK.
 

It's not picking up the POI database files I have imported on my sd card.

The points and palm map databases should not be on external memory, only GIF and BMP files should be under /GPSpilot/. Try to move all .pdb files back to the handheld memory.

In the map and the Point list view, I saw only part of my whole POIs database.

To avoid overloading the display only the first 50 entries are displayed, but they are all there. To get more POIs display on maps, display a narrowed map; for the POIs list, use the "find" function to narrow your search to some criteria.

Is it possible to know the format of the waypoint in GP Points.pdb so that I can access them and transfer to the Etrex?

As you know, any GPS Pilot applications allow to personalize your maps by creating waypoints and displaying them on maps.
To import/export GPS Pilot POIs use Topographer.
However , if you wont have my PC with you: there is not current Palm based program to assist you in such enterprise.
 

What I really need (in addition to the GPS Compass function) would be to enter waypoints and have the software generate a heading and distance such that I could navigate to the waypoint.

This functionality is offered via the Navigational information panel available within Tracker or Fly.
The navigation panel -visible on demand on an extra layer at the top of the map view- assists your navigation in specifying total distance and estimated travel time from your current location to any specific destination. Time is estimated by current speed, average speed if a GPS is connected.
 

Topographer questions

I anticipated being able to sync waypoints from GPS to Palm and back again - is this something GPS Pilot applications could do?

You can modify, import and export positional data (waypoints) between Palm devices and PC machines. (PC application) using Topographer.
 

Is it possible to open a database created outside of GPS Pilot scope? When I attempted to open a database created by the waypoint generater program I get an not proper format error.

Install a generated base to your PDA, then export it to Topographer.
 

After the first steps with Fly I downloaded your demo Topographer to create a pdb of all German cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants. It was very easy to create this file, but when showing the cities in the map, Fly displays them as "Landmarks". How can I change them to city-icons?

Currently Topographer only creates landmarks POIs.
If you wish to create other types of POIs - i.e cities, airports, vor- you can do it by creating your POIs on the PDA device itself. In the POIs edition screen select the New... options from the POIs databases dropdown list in the POI Edit screen. Then enter its name and its type.
Or you might consider our waypoint generator available at http://navaid.com/GPSPilot/, they might carry German cities.
 

Do you do an Apple Mac software version of Topographer?

GPS Pilot Topographer are windows software. To run it on a Mac platform use any PC emulator such as Virtual PC.
 

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