Best SSD for TeslaCam?

[Oldrocky]

OK, I have my Samsung T5, I partitioned it into two partitions. I
called the first one TESLACAM and the second MUSIC. I plugged it
into one of the USB ports in the console (I have a 2018 MX100D).
The T5 works very well and does not heat up - that I've noticed -
yet.

When I went to Security I saw that Sentry Mode was now selectable
so I turned that on. Tested that it was going off by putting key fob
far enough away that the car locked itself and came back to car
and the Alert screen was on the center panel.
I also noticed that, unexpectedly, the center panel displays the
backup camera when driving ... until you swipe it down.
Next, I put a few music files in the MUSIC and it found them
when I selected USB - and plays them. Great sound quality!

What I haven't figured out - yet - is how to play any of the
Sentry Mode files.
I also don't know how the sentry files are "closed". For example
let's say I've been driving with sentry on and I come home and
park the car and go into the house. The car beeps. Does this
close the camera file? What happens if, before I get out of the
car, I simply unplug the USB drive? (I'm asking is there something
I should do first to "close" any sentry file that is open?)

Took SSD out of the car and plugged it into this windows laptop
and found Sentry clips - each about 1 minute long - in the "Recent"
folder in the TESLACAM folder in the TESLACAM partition. They
played using whatever default player Windows selected. There
were a lot of them (around 150 or so) and they all seemed to be
the same length and quality is acceptable even using all the
defaults selected by Tesla and Windows.
I definitely will be setting my home location as an exception for
Sentry! However, I think that means that the car is not doing the
camera thing when it is parked in the driveway - not that that
happens very often or for very long without someone, usually me,
being with it. And I can turn off the exception if wanted.

Soooo - overall I think I have it working and now just
need to learn the nuances.
- Jim
- Jim

 

[Oldrocky]

My Sandisk T5 is working just fine. I have one 200mb partition for TESLACAM and
second MUSIC of the same size. The camera seems to be closing and starting new
clip every minute - haven't seen any place to adjust that ... but not sure I really want
to mess with it either since that actually means 4 clips every minute (one for each
camera). The resolution seems fine/acceptable but I haven't used it for anything
important yet.
What I've found works is to take the T5 to this laptop in order to view the clips.
- Jim in the PNW

 

[diamond.g]

My Sandisk T5 is working just fine. I have one 200mb partition for TESLACAM and
second MUSIC of the same size. The camera seems to be closing and starting new
clip every minute - haven't seen any place to adjust that ... but not sure I really want
to mess with it either since that actually means 4 clips every minute (one for each
camera). The resolution seems fine/acceptable but I haven't used it for anything
important yet.
What I've found works is to take the T5 to this laptop in order to view the clips.
- Jim in the PNW

There is no control over how long each clip is. You should be able to view the clips in the car.

 

[Oldrocky]

OK, how about this? Drove the car for about 20 minutes max (two way trip of 10 minutes
each way). Got back and parked in garage. Sentry is set for "no alerts home". Took T5 out of
car and to this laptop - plugged it in and it reported a "problem" (? - don't remember
exact words) with the T5 and asked "do you want to fix it?". I said yes - the Windows
system (Win 10 Home, 100% up to date) fixed the T5. I was able to bring it up and
everything "seemed normal" in the Teslacam partition and folder.
I'm guessing that whatever file was open at the time was not closed by Sentry and so
was "corrupted". And probably lost during the fix.

This has not happened before.

Is there something I should be doing - such as turning off Sentry - before unplugging
the T5?
- Jim

 

[Oldrocky]

BTW - still not able to view sentry files in the car. Looked in help and it said to
go to something or other - but that was never shown as "available" (never found
it/wasn't on any screen - looked mostly in "security" where other stuff about
Sentry is). Car is at latest SW update level. Model X 100D - 2018.
- Jim

 

[with_raiden]

BTW - still not able to view sentry files in the car. Looked in help and it said to
go to something or other - but that was never shown as "available" (never found
it/wasn't on any screen - looked mostly in "security" where other stuff about
Sentry is). Car is at latest SW update level. Model X 100D - 2018.
- Jim

There are a few “lastest Sw update” for the Mode X depends on which MCU version you have. MCU1 is running 2020.48.3x whereas MCU 2 should be 2021.32.2x. So, which software version do you have?

Lastly, there’s sentry mode which is for when the car is parked and dashcam for when the car is in motion. To view any sentry / dashcam video, you need to park and tap the camera icon located on the top menu then tap on launch viewer.

 

[Oldrocky]

withraiden ... thanks.

I park, tap camera (but not on "top menu") and do not see "launch viewer". Will try again and report.
OK, using the top menu works for viewing in car. Car is at 2021.32.22 - which I think is the latest.

I took T5 to car, plugged in, viewed stuff, saved something, unplugged - brought back to this
laptop (Win10) ... and the file system needed to be "fixed" again. Did that. Could view clips on
laptop. Formatted Teslacam drive (exFAT) using Win10. Will see what happens when I use it in
the car again. I do NOT like these File System fixing requirements. Did not happen the first
few times I used the T5 in the car and moving it back and forth between car and laptop. I am
now using a new cable in the car (not the one that came with the T5) ... could that be the
reason? l like it better because it is shorter (6") and so doesn't have as much 'wasted' cable in
the console.
- Jim

 

[with_raiden]

withraiden ... thanks.

I park, tap camera (but not on "top menu") and do not see "launch viewer". Will try again and report.
OK, using the top menu works for viewing in car. Car is at 2021.32.22 - which I think is the latest.

I took T5 to car, plugged in, viewed stuff, saved something, unplugged - brought back to this
laptop (Win10) ... and the file system needed to be "fixed" again. Did that. Could view clips on
laptop. Formatted Teslacam drive (exFAT) using Win10. Will see what happens when I use it in
the car again. I do NOT like these File System fixing requirements. Did not happen the first
few times I used the T5 in the car and moving it back and forth between car and laptop. I am
now using a new cable in the car (not the one that came with the T5) ... could that be the
reason? l like it better because it is shorter (6") and so doesn't have as much 'wasted' cable in
the console.
- Jim

I am pretty sure you want to format the drive to FAT32. I know ExFAT works, the manual says to use FAT32.

 

[Oldrocky]

Hi all (again),
My nephew was the one to "unplug the SSD" yesterday afternoon. He said he checked
the drive (still plugged in) after putting the car in Park - and it was still flickering. He
left it alone until the flickering stopped and then unplugged. I attached the T5 to this
laptop (Win10) and it came up fine with no errors. So I guess I must have "unplugged
too quickly" when I got the error (which, BTW, Windows was able to correct without a
problem).
Details. 2018 MX-100D purchased used in July, Samsung T5 500gb SSD drive, formatted
with two 200gb partitions (remained left unformatted). First partition is TESLACAM and
has a folder called TESLACAM, second partition is MUSIC. Both partitions formatted for
exFAT. Both working just fine for Sentry, Dashcam and music.
- Jim in PNW

 

[eladts]

I am pretty sure you want to format the drive to FAT32. I know ExFAT works, the manual says to use FAT32.

That was true long ago, when FAT32 was the only format supported. Once ExFAT was supported it became the recommended format and the one used if you format the drive from the car.

 

[IamGaryGnu]

Hi all,
I'm still waiting for a VIN, delivery date, etc.
I'm in the northeast.
can anyone point me in the right direction for the sentry and music storage? USB? SSD? size? number of partitions?
The last posts on the hardware were from around September, not sure if anything better came out; usually storage prices drop, but with supply chain issues, i'm wondering if I should pick up before x-mas.
I also just read about using the drive in the console, though I though the glove box was the preferred way to go.
I appreciate any guidance.
Thank you very much!

 

[Oldrocky]

Iamgarygnu,
I -greatly- prefer using a USB drive (see prior posts to this thread) and store my music on it
and then play directly from that. That same drive has a separate partition for the car security
cameras which also works very well. I got a Samsung SSB drive - 500gb in size and it has
proven to be more than enough. I take it out of the MX and connect it to my Win 11 laptop
to view security footage and add/remove music items.
- Jim in the PNW

 

[IamGaryGnu]

Iamgarygnu,
I -greatly- prefer using a USB drive (see prior posts to this thread) and store my music on it
and then play directly from that. That same drive has a separate partition for the car security
cameras which also works very well. I got a Samsung SSB drive - 500gb in size and it has
proven to be more than enough. I take it out of the MX and connect it to my Win 11 laptop
to view security footage and add/remove music items.
- Jim in the PNW

many thanks! i'll check it out. i'll also look for your other posts to see how you partitioned, etc.
interestingly, with the new firmware out there (at least for the S) i thought you could review your sentry footage from the car or even the app.
thank you again!

 

[Oldrocky]

My car is a 2018 MX so what is possible with your car and app may be different. I can't tell
you what the differences are in the 3 year gap. I bought my car used, from dealer, in July so
still 'getting used to it'. The trip from the PNW to California was "no problema".
- Jim in the PNW

 

[Oldrocky]

My Samsung 500GB SSD is formatted as two equal partitions of 200GB each -
using the ex-FAT format. Works fine.
- Jim in PNW

 

[IamGaryGnu]

My Samsung 500GB SSD is formatted as two equal partitions of 200GB each -
using the ex-FAT format. Works fine.
- Jim in PNW

Thank you. Will have to re-read this whole thread and try to absorb as much as possible

 

[IamGaryGnu]

Hi all,
FWIW, I spent a couple of hours re-reading, watching videos, and generally fixating. We call that Saturday
Anyway, I put those amazon links on my watchlist for the max endurance card, and then re-read, went on some other sites, and finally decided the SSD would be the way for me to go (it is the way?)
the SD Cards seem to work better in more extreme ranges, etc. - but I kept reading of folks having failures with SD cards. Maybe re-write fatigue, I don't know. In the event I need to file "something" for a claim or a police report, I don't want to be left without the footage (nor of course, do I want to be without the music I love and my wife and kids hate!)
Then, in the SSD realm, it seemed like the T5 was really the way to go - it seemed the T7 may produce too much heat from what I read and the T5's were more desireable.
After making myself even more nuts than Tesla did to me, I ultimately ordered a 1TB SanDisk Extreme SSD - it was a toss up for 500mb or $40 more or so ($125) for the 1TB.
I figured a larger partition means less rewriting in the same spots.
I was thinking if I got the 500gb and it failed, when I replaced I'd be out $45 or so less, but I wanted the extra head room for rewriting in different locations.
I think a good move would be to calendar in outlook or my office time management system, say, 3 years, and then hopefully it will be working perfectly, and I'll replace it (possibly replace the car then as well, but that's another story)
it seems to me it would be a good choice to replace these at some intervals.
I'll try to report back with any successes or failures, and welcome anyone to suggest a better choice than what I just bought.
As I'm anxiously awaiting my S, i don't even know if this goes in the glove box (my preference) or under the arm rest (boo, hiss) - I don't know if it depends on models, like 3 vs. S.
thanks for any advice!

 

[Dimundz]

I have a Samsung Evo 860 500gb SSD i was using for external storage on PS4. It is in an enclosure with a cable so I hope to use it on our MYP when it comes. I have erased and formatted to exfat as I plan to stream music since we don't own any digitally.

 

[Gvardaman]

I think the glovebox port is a more recent addition (compared to some of the cars people have been discussing) and that is why it wasn’t mentioned. I would also prefer the glovebox as hidden and locked.
i don’t have a drive yet, and have a question. In a MUSIC folder or partition, can you then have folders with different music? How many sub folders can these have? I mean, can I have MUSIC/classical/Mozart/requiem in d….
Also, spaces allowed in titles, do folders need to be all caps, title caps, doesn’t matter, etc. ?
Thanks for any help. Looks like the standout is the Samsung T5ssd or equivalent.

 

[MrWalker]

I use this in my Model S/X.

TeslaCam SSD Extreme - Pure Tesla

Formatted and Configured TeslaCam Solid State Drive SSD for plug and play use with Tesla's DashCam and Sentry Mode - TeslaCam

puretesla.com

Any updated on it's performance