Garda safety camera locations for GPS/Sat Nav/Smart phone etc

deckstunt

Can we use this place to post peoples efforts to convert the information we have (the Garda Google Earth KML file) about the safety camera zones into usable formats for GPS/Sat Nav/Smart Phones etc. (we had something like this going before, but it got merged into the mega thread - it started at post #387 and got merged at around post #474 I think)

i.e. don't use this to discuss the pros and cons etc., of the speed camera system. Just stick to the topic.


To the moderators: Please don't merge this into the 'speed camera Mega-Thread'. It provides useful information that will just get buried in the mega thread. Thanks.:)

deckstunt

Here's what I had done previously. A basic conversion of the KML into a GPX.

celticbest

I use an app called Trapster on my Blackberry, it also available on the iPhone. It's free & constantly update by all users.

deckstunt

And here is a duplicate of the Garda's KML file (in case there is any difficulty accessing it in the future)

deckstunt

celticbest wrote: »

I use an app called Trapster on my Blackberry, it also available on the iPhone. It's free & constantly update by all users.

Does it cost? Ideally I'd prefer a free solution if we could manage that ourselves. Sorry I'm asleep.:o

thirtythirty

celticbest wrote: »

I use an app called Trapster on my Blackberry, it also available on the iPhone. It's free & constantly update by all users.

Also on Android.

I would LOVE to see everyone in the country with a smartphone using this.

deckstunt

Despite, Trapster, I'd still like to see if we could do something with the Garda KML file. They've given us the locations on a map, surely we can somehow convert it and put it good use.

thirtythirty

deckstunt wrote: »

Despite, Trapster, I'd still like to see if we could do something with the Garda KML file. They've given us the locations on a map, surely we can somehow convert it and put it good use.

I wonder if it would be worth contacting the developers of the Trapster application and providing them with the KML file, for integration. Then the map could not only alert you to exact cameras as noted by other users, but also just generally when you are approaching, or travelling through, a "zoned" stretch of road.

Mc Love

Are these Speed camera threads getting worse than (gulps) fog light thread? I think its bit of an epidemic!

Any bets on how many threads on speed cameras there will be by the end of the week?

deckstunt

Mc Love wrote: »

Are these Speed camera threads getting worse than (gulps) fog light thread? I think its bit of an epidemic!

Any bets on how many threads on speed cameras there will be by the end of the week?

Well there is the mega-thread where all previous posts were merged. I started this one cause while a mega-thread is fine for havin' a whinge and a rant it is utterly useless if you have a goal to achieve.

This is quite a narrow topic, with a specific end result in mind, that could be very useful.

But I'd agree with you in relation to rants about the cameras.

Ush1

How would I use these maps with my Garmin? Bit of a novice.

Scotty #

There is to be an official Garda speed trap app released shortly...

(According to Conor Faulkner of AA on radio yesterday)

deckstunt

Ush1 wrote: »

How would I use these maps with my Garmin? Bit of a novice.

Well from my very limited knowledge I think there are 3 basic types of info you can add to a GPS (excluding maps). (1)Track (2) waypoints (or POIs) and (3) routes.

The Garda KML file is a type of (1) Track. The only complicating factor (for my Garmin GPS anyway) is that you can only upload a certain number of Tracks to a GPS, say 10 maybe. The Garda KML is made up of a couple of hundred Tracks.

I'm not really sure of how to surmount that problem.

One idea (its only an idea) if it was possible to merge all the Garda KML tracks into one GPS track with, say, red to correspond to the zones where the cameras are to be located and transparent (if that's even possible for a GPS track) where there are no camera zones. I'm not sure if its technically possible to have a transparent section on a GPS Track.

Another idea might be to somehow convert the Garda KML file into an actual map layer and that, would bypass Track number limits. I'm not really sure, but perhaps a program like mkgmap (and here) may be able to do something along those lines.

I don't really have the technical abilities to do any of this, hence this forum post.

kippy

Am using Android with the navigation piece of software. I think the back end is google maps based.
Is it possible to add this as a "layer" to the google maps view?

For the Gamin devices adding the locations as POI's could probably be the best option (or maybe a "double POI", one each end of the "zone").

EDIT Deckstunt seems to have gotten in before me.

I've looked at Trapster and the app has some very bad reviews/comments.

deckstunt

kippy wrote: »

For the Gamin devices adding the locations as POI's could probably be the best option (or maybe a "double POI", one each end of the "zone").

Yeah that is another idea. I think you could also add 'proximity alert' to the POIs so it would beep when you get within a certain range. The only down side with that is I think it requires manual input and/or editing of the POIs which is slow.

kippy wrote: »

I've looked at Trapster and the app has some very bad reviews/comments.

Interesting. Another reason for using the Garda KML file is that it isn't reliant on user updates and inputs like Trapster.

Damien360

I used the google maps kml file from the garda website, also has link on first post in the thread. I then converted this to a GPX Garmin readable version using a freely available converter (http://www.gps-data-team.com/convert.php) . I then used POI loader (google it), to load this to my garmin using a 500m proximity warning and I set this to continuous (not great in hindsight). This loaded 4593 locations to the garmin.

The kml data appears to have many points within a given start to end location of the speedtrap. That is, from the strat point A, there appears to be points every 500m until the endpoint B. This causes a continuous "bong" on the garmin until I exit the speedtrap location. I got to roadtest this today and it works although continous bong is annoying. Set it as one bong when loading data to get round this perhaps.

Darsad

When I use the poi loader it wont locate the GPX file i have saved within a folder on my pc any Ideas ?

deckstunt

Darsad wrote: »

When I use the poi loader it wont locate the GPX file i have saved within a folder on my pc any Ideas ?

could be the uploader? I think this may be a differnt one http://garmin.gps-data-team.com/poi_manager.php [That link doesn't seem to be working too well. Try googling garmin.gps-data-team.com/poi_manager]

Could also be the wrong File Type in the drop down part of the upload menu. The attached image isn't from a GPX upload dialogue window, but it shows a similar drop down menu.

TimMac

Does this work?
I see its available on andriod market as well.

celticbest wrote: »

I use an app called Trapster on my Blackberry, it also available on the iPhone. It's free & constantly update by all users.

harr

TimMac wrote: »

Does this work?
I see its available on andriod market as well.

i have trapster on my android and it works fine but it does need more people to use it.i have placed any speed trap area close to me into it including the locations of the new speed vans.so even if one person from each county could input there locations it work 100%.

I.S.T.

deckstunt wrote: »

Can we use this place to post peoples efforts to convert the information we have (the Garda Google Earth KML file) about the safety camera zones into usable formats for GPS/Sat Nav/Smart Phones etc. (we had something like this going before, but it got merged into the mega thread - it started at post #387 and got merged at around post #474 I think)

i.e. don't use this to discuss the pros and cons etc., of the speed camera system. Just stick to the topic.


To the moderators: Please don't merge this into the 'speed camera Mega-Thread'. It provides useful information that will just get buried in the mega thread. Thanks.:)

We have a download of speed cameras in Ireland for Garmin sat nav and also an iPhone app which will alert you as you approach a camera location

www.irishspeedtraps.com

If anyone wants the Garmin download, yes we do charge for it, but PM me and I will send you a promo code with a substantial discount.

C4Kid

We have a download of speed cameras in Ireland for Garmin sat nav and also an iPhone app which will alert you as you approach a camera location

I bought a subscription only last week Will there be an update with the new camera locations in the near future?

Gary ITR

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

We have a download of speed cameras in Ireland for Garmin sat nav and also an iPhone app which will alert you as you approach a camera location

www.irishspeedtraps.com

If anyone wants the Garmin download, yes we do charge for it, but PM me and I will send you a promo code with a substantial discount.

Is your iPhone app free?

It is indeed, just installing it now

I.S.T.

Onkle wrote: »

Is your iPhone app free?

It is free now but we will charge a subscription eventually.

Gary ITR

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

It is free now but we will charge a subscription eventually.

Looks good and seems a better product than Trapster tbh

TestTransmission

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

It is free now but we will charge a subscription eventually.

Any android version in the pipeline?

I.S.T.

TestTransmission wrote: »

Any android version in the pipeline?

No immediate plans, it depends very much on how the iPhone app does.

I.S.T.

C4Kid wrote: »

I bought a subscription only last week Will there be an update with the new camera locations in the near future?

No we will not be including the locations from the Garda website. We prefer to include locations where cameras have actually been spotted rather than rely on a list given to us by the people who operate the cameras. If they do set up cameras in the locations on the Garda website then no doubt they will make it into our database.

C4Kid

Thats a valid point I was just wondering and decided I'd ask, very impressed with the product so far

A Country Voice

Damien360 wrote: »

I used the google maps kml file from the garda website, also has link on first post in the thread. I then converted this to a GPX Garmin readable version using a freely available converter (http://www.gps-data-team.com/convert.php) . I then used POI loader (google it), to load this to my garmin using a 500m proximity warning and I set this to continuous (not great in hindsight). This loaded 4593 locations to the garmin.

The kml data appears to have many points within a given start to end location of the speedtrap. That is, from the strat point A, there appears to be points every 500m until the endpoint B. This causes a continuous "bong" on the garmin until I exit the speedtrap location. I got to roadtest this today and it works although continous bong is annoying. Set it as one bong when loading data to get round this perhaps.

Thanks so much Damien 360
I just uploaded the garda website locations to my garmin gps thingy, havent used it in ages, but I'm gonna plug it back into the car and see what it works like. It only loaded 515 locations onto mine, maybe the start and end of each of the zones, (hopefully). Anyway, I'll see how it goes. Thanks for going through the process step by step, and file type by file type.
A Country Voice

Damien360

Darsad wrote: »

When I use the poi loader it wont locate the GPX file i have saved within a folder on my pc any Ideas ?

There are 2 types of GPX file. The GPX format for garmins is specific for that device. On the convertor page you will see "convert to GPX" and "convert to GPX garmin". Seems to have a GPXX format. See if that works.