GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Brenbo on 28 April 2014, 13:51
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I have looked in to which is the best way to have traffic camera sites highlighted whilst driving the GTI out and about in my local area. This is not because I want to break the law or speed recklessly between sites. It is more that it is becoming easier to get caught without even trying. As I live in the South West I have found it hard to get a dedicated detection device or App which locates all known areas in and around Cornwall and Devon. I originally tried loading Traffic Cameras as POI's on the Sat Nav as suggested on a thread on this Forum. This allowed me to have Traffic Cameras as POI's on the Nav Pro but does not alert you when you are coming close to one. So I then tried to find a dedictated device (legal), but after reading extensive reviews and researching which one would be best for my area, the overall census was none of them were updated enough for my area of the country to warrant forking out hundreds of pounds.
I then tried several apps, some of which I paid for. I found RoadPilot to be poorly updated and did not alert me to the more well known sites in my area. Using apps also highlighted another problem for me. I am super fussy about marks and rings left on my dashboard. I tried a couple Dashboard and windscreen mounts and they all left a ring of some description which were hard to remove. But I did eventually.
So I then go back to trying the POI method which although, does not alert me of oncoming cameras, It does provide a more comprehensive updated database of locations compared to the apps I have tried, which is good enough for me.
So as described on another thread on this forum, I subscribed to PocketGPSworld (£20 per year). I then downloaded the single file update. The reason for this is Nav Pro has a limited amount of Personal POI's which can be installed by yourself. The file format I downloaded form PocketGPSWorld was a .csv file.
The benefits of a .csv file is you can open it in Excel and even place your own Longitude and Latitude data in for other camera sites you think may not be in the file already. The Traffic Camera symbol file downloaded from the PocketGPSWorld website with the data is about 20pixels square. The Nav Pro icons for POI's are about 39 pixels square. So I recreated the symbols for the Traffic Camera and Mobile Camera in Illustrator to make them larger and crisper when displayed on my Nav Pro.
Once Symbols and Data are ready I went on to the following site
http://www.volkswagen.de/de/navigation/discover-pro/poi-listen-sammlung.html
This is where you upload the data and Symbol files and generate the software patch for your Nav Pro to update. To read how to do this read the relevant post on the following Thread.
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=254044.0
Once all is installed on the Nav Pro I have to say it much more comprehensive than any of the other options I have tried. I can also do without the audible alarms and alerts after trying some apps with it built in. I have to say some them were driving me crazy. It is much better to have all sites on the map instead.
I must reiterate, i do not intend to speed or break the law with reckless driving over the speed limit. IT is just to help ensure I don't manage to do it while not trying to.
I hope my ramblings on this post help some others with deciding which method is best for them.
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Ive got the POI cameras on my Nav Pro and must say you dont miss an audible beep. The screen is big enough to see an unusual icon on. Have you lumped all the camera spots together so you dont get a traffic light or a 30mph sign??
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That reminds me, must update my database again (mine is from September last year) :laugh:
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Ignite powdered iron oxide/aluminium (thermite) on the casing, burns at around 2500C, melting through the Truvelo casing and everything else in its path. :evil:
Oh, right, this thread is about detection, not destruction of the feckers. :whistle:
My bad.
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Someone locally got so hacked off with a fixed camera he cut it down with an angle grinder. I must say he has become a local hero.
I have installed all fixed camera locations as one POI with the same fixed camera logo on the Nav Screen. I have also created a Mobile Camera version of the POI as well. I used to have a separate speed Camera POI for each speed i.e 30, 40 etc,. but there is not much call for it when the Nav Pro shows the speed limit for the road in the top left of the screen anyway.
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On a slightly related issue for people in the South West I was driving back to Exeter on the M5 in Bristol and where they have the gantry speed signs with cameras - Jct 15-17 - I noticed a flash as I passed by one. Now the speed limits were unlit and my understanding was that the cameras only worked if they were lit. I think I was doing about 80 on a relatively empty motorway at about 7.30pm. So empty that it couldn't have been another car getting flashed as I was the only one in sight of the camera.
I've looked into this and some people talk about random flashes but I also read a report that the M62 cameras operate even with the speed limit signs switched off and loads of people have been caught out.
As I understand it if I have been flashed I should receive notification within 3 weeks but hopefully not.
Sneaky or what?
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14 days to notify the keeper/owner, not necessarily the driver. If you're the owner or keeper then 14 days and you're safe.
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Went to holland a few years ago and for miles the cameras were scorched,so I asked one of the locals in the shops and he said the people didn't want them there so they wrapped them in tyres and burnt the f---ers down :laugh:
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I tried to install the PocketGPSworld POI list as well, but it didn't work for me, I'll try again.
Appreciate you do say there can be only one POI list, does that mean if I install the PocketGPSworld one I'll lose positions I've saved? Or does it replace the petrol pumps, hotels and everything else stored as a POI as standard and replace them with the PocketGPSworld database?
Many Thanks
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I "think" every time you upload a new personal POI set, it erases or overwrites what was there before. So if you already have filling stations etc on your system that you have added yourself, you would need to add them again into the new Speed camera database you are compiling.
Like I said I think that's how it works, but stand to be corrected as I've only so far uploaded one set of POI's back in September, and that was for all categories - Speed Camera, Fast Food, Petrol Stations.
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Thanks the reply Sootchucker - kind of what I was thinking. I'll try and load the PocketGPSworld database again when I get a chance. Last time I tried the file didn't seem to be the correct format to load on to Discover Pro, no doubt I've missed something.
Regards,
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If you are having trouble installing the update, check the folder and file hierachy is correct on the SD Card. When opening the SD on your computer you should only see the Personal POI folder and metainfo2.txt file. If you do not then the Nav Pro will not find the files and update. The format of the SD card has to be correct for the Nav Pro to update. I ran in to this trouble as well. As when the zip file is extracted it places these folders and files in another folder.
On another note you have more than one slot for personal POI's. So you can have for example Fixed Cameras, Mobile Cameras etc,. as separate icons. The thing is there just isn't enough slots for all the separate POI's on PocketGPSWorld at the same time. This is why I downloaded the single link so they were all combined.
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Hello,
Thanks for the information, I think I may have gone wrong with the file format for a start - as I use PocketGPSWorld Garmin file format for my motorbikes. So I tried to download the database in a Garmin format .GPX I think.
Does it matter how the SD Card is actually formatted? I used the 'ex-fat' format I think.
The advice about folder and file hierachy is helpful as well.
Would the single file .CSV format database be the one to download then?
So many questions I know :-).
Thanks,
Regards,
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Scotchucker is right when he says your personal POI's are replaced when you upload a new set.
The standard ones are not replaced, if that is what you meant.
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When I say format, I mean't the layout of your folders and files within the SD Card, not the actual format (for example Fat 32, NTFS etc,.)
The .CSV file is what I used to create my File on the VW website for the Nav Pro. As mentioned earlier you can open the CSV file as well and edit or add more longitude and Latitude data for new personal locations of your own.
The other guys are also right, your personal POI data is replaced with new data installed. But the preset POI's like Banks, Petrol Stations etc,. remain as they are not stored in the same place as your personal POI's on the Nav Pro.
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Well, at last I'm getting the gist of it. Thanks all for taking the time to explain things; it all makes a lot more sense now. I was worried that the pre-set POIs would be wiped, so I'll try again when I get back to the UK.
Thanks,
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Today I managed to get audio warnings of traffic cameras, without loading the POIs into the navigation system (which I can't do anyway, as I have the Discover Nav and not Nav Pro)
This method could probably be used in conjunction with the visual display of the POIs as detailed above - perhaps someone with Nav Pro could confirm?
The method I used is as follows:-
I have an iPhone 4S which is paired via bluetooth to the car.
On the phone is the Pocketgpsworld Cameralert app which uses their database.
In the settings for the Cameralert app, the audio route is set to bluetooth.
With the app running, when you approach a traffic camera the app routes the audio warning message via BT to the stereo, interrupting any music playing/radio etc. After the warning, the music resumes.
I confirmed that this method worked tonight while playing music off the SD card, and whilst there is no display on the nav screen, there could be with POIs loaded into the Nav Pro. I think it should also work on the CMS stereo, as it is just bluetooth audio that is being used for the warnings.
There are a couple of possible disadvantages to this method of warnings.
1. The app does tend to drain the phone battery more than normal, as the GPS is running all the time - therefore it might be better if the phone was plugged in to charge. I've yet to test whether enough of a GPS signal can be received if the phone is hidden away and plugged into the iPod lead.
2. I'm not sure what would happen if a phone call was received, and which audio would take precedence.
I presume the Android version of the Cameralert app would work in a similar way, although I can't check this either.
Hopefully this will be useful to some of you.
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RE: pocketgps App
On previous cars I have had, the camera warning does also interrupt the phone call in progress :(
I haven't tried this on the Golf yet, but presume it will do the same. This makes it a no go for me unfortunately.
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On a slightly related issue for people in the South West I was driving back to Exeter on the M5 in Bristol and where they have the gantry speed signs with cameras - Jct 15-17 - I noticed a flash as I passed by one. Now the speed limits were unlit and my understanding was that the cameras only worked if they were lit. I think I was doing about 80 on a relatively empty motorway at about 7.30pm. So empty that it couldn't have been another car getting flashed as I was the only one in sight of the camera.
I've looked into this and some people talk about random flashes but I also read a report that the M62 cameras operate even with the speed limit signs switched off and loads of people have been caught out.
As I understand it if I have been flashed I should receive notification within 3 weeks but hopefully not.
Sneaky or what?
I noticed this northbound on Tuesday around 4PM on way back from south via M5 variable section past Bristol. Saw 2 flashes from middle camera, the motorway was busy and I looked over my shoulder as a passed the gantry and saw the signs were not lit!
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Went to holland a few years ago and for miles the cameras were scorched,so I asked one of the locals in the shops and he said the people didn't want them there so they wrapped them in tyres and burnt the f---ers down :laugh:
Seen some in the Northeast that had been felled with gas torches... (wasn't anyone on here was it? :grin:)
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On a slightly related issue for people in the South West I was driving back to Exeter on the M5 in Bristol and where they have the gantry speed signs with cameras - Jct 15-17 - I noticed a flash as I passed by one. Now the speed limits were unlit and my understanding was that the cameras only worked if they were lit. I think I was doing about 80 on a relatively empty motorway at about 7.30pm. So empty that it couldn't have been another car getting flashed as I was the only one in sight of the camera.
I've looked into this and some people talk about random flashes but I also read a report that the M62 cameras operate even with the speed limit signs switched off and loads of people have been caught out.
As I understand it if I have been flashed I should receive notification within 3 weeks but hopefully not.
Sneaky or what?
I noticed this northbound on Tuesday around 4PM on way back from south via M5 variable section past Bristol. Saw 2 flashes from middle camera, the motorway was busy and I looked over my shoulder as a passed the gantry and saw the signs were not lit!
Well I've heard nothing and it was 4 weeks ago now so must be random flashing.
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I also have not heard anything about the speeding fine I was so sure I was going get. It's been about six weeks now so I must have been really lucky that day. I was driving up the A30 dual carriageway towards Exeter and saw police speed check van in layby, but I saw him too late. If I had got a fine from that day it would be so wrong, I was taking it calm (legal) as I had the wife in the car and eco driving mode. I never use Eco but seeing as the wife was in the car I thought well may as well as she does not like speed. Then as I had just overtaken someone I saw the Van