The case of the missing POI's

[msmarykate]

Howdy,

If this is the wrong place to post this, my apologies. My drama started at Christmas when my old cord for my former TomTom died. I could no longer get traffic updates. Thinking it was time to update to a spankin' new TomTom my boyfriend got me a TomTom Start for Christmas. It was bigger and easier to use and I was happy. Fast forward to February.

I'm so frustrated!!! This TomTom has TERRIBLE traffic data. It is seldom accurate. The biggest issue I find, however, is the lack of POI's on this map!!!! My old TomTom has all the POI's I could ever need already on it. I have spent hours this morning trying to thinkup any POI I might need and then searching for it using my TomTom Home interface, but I'm really really frustrated.

Did TomTom just stop putting on useful POI's to their maps or something? This map had no Home Depot on it, no QFC, no Safeway, it was missing most of the POI's I need. It seems every time to go to find a POI for a local restaurant, etc. it isn't there. I have to get out my iPhone, look it up and put in the address. If I wanted to do that I would USE MY STUPID IPHONE.

sorry for yelling.

Am I doing something wrong? I am happy to admit it could be user-error, but I am relatively techie savvy.

Any ideas? Bueller? Bueller?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Sincerely a frustrated TomTom user,
MaryKate

 

[canderson]

First, POI: Depends upon which model you owned before and which you have now. The available 'stock' memory will dictate which map set is possible, and hence, which POI set you get. We were often frustrated (in the old days) that the GO720 could have an SD card installed, but that didn't cause Home to send us a larger POI set that came for the larger memory 920. Anyway, please advise what you used to own and what you own now. No Home Depot or Safeway sounds very odd, though.

As for traffic data, again, much depends upon what you owned and what you bought. If you are using the RDS-TMC traffic cable, you do not receive coverage of as many roads or in as much detail as you would if you were previously using a Live unit. However, two units using RDS cables will obtain the exact same information from the local FM stations.

 

[msmarykate]

Canderson,

Thank you! I had the TomTom Via and switched to the TomTom Start. I have a few POI's on the Start, but I am lacking most of the actual POI's I use. I downloaded the 'available' POI's from the Home page, but have found them inaccurate and as frustrating as simply not having POI's in the first place that I can use... I just thought maybe I was using the unit incorrectly...

 

[canderson]

Sorry - should have been more specific. Can you identify which Start and Via models? There are tons out there with that basic name. If nothing else, the first two characters of the serial numbers of each will tell me which one you own and what sort of internal memory we're dealing with. At least for a while, in the grand scheme of things, TomTom went from Start to Via to GO in ascending order of features, but each had the potential for differing amounts of memory.

 

[dhn]

You can download custom poi files from various sources on the net. Here are some:
http://www.gps-data-team.com/poi/united_states/index.php
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtompoi.php
http://www.poi-factory.com/ (you need to register but it is free)

 

[canderson]

@dhn
I'm a little bothered by what the OP has said is missing. Even on my old 'skinny' 2GB memory units (e.g., GO740), places like Home Depot and Safeway always show up.
Still, if it's a 2GB unit, that might explain the narrower range of POI available on it.

@msmarykate
Again, talking about the 'old days', it used to be possible to grab the larger POI file from another unit (the 940) to improve things, but that's not an option on the more recent models. The only exception might be if you had a Start 40/45/50/55. I believe those units have uSD card slots, and are the older Nav2 variety where we might be able to fix you up with a larger POI file.