MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

[stopcrazypp]

It was working for a while. The Samsung Fit Plus is 128 GB. Sentry mode is turned on and disabled for home. The Fit drive is usually empty since we do not drive the car much (<2,000 miles in 18 months).

Also, having the car format the drive does not fix the error.

You can use CrystalDiskMark to check if the write speeds really have degraded on the drive. I use this portable version (so I don't have to install)
Downloading File /75252/CrystalDiskMark8_0_2.zip - CrystalDiskMark - OSDN
On Mac, there is a similar utility here:
‎AmorphousDiskMark

It would be helpful to compare if you did a test when you bought the device, but it's hard to go back. But from reviews the 128GB version typically range from 40-80 MB/s for sequential writes. There is a review that mentions Sentry mode and says it can't get 4MB/s for write (but it might just be from them seeing the same Tesla error you see). There might also be counterfeits out there (or Tesla's software update affected things).
Amazon.com

You can try reformatting on a computer. I use guiformat to format my card to FAT32 (make sure to select correct drive). You can uncheck the "Quick Format" to do a more thorough format.
Ridgecrop Consultants Ltd
With Mac the default utility can do the same thing and you can select "zero out the data" to do a more thorough format. Usually this isn't necessary on a drive with solid state memory (plus it adds a full cycle of wear), but in this case you have nothing to lose.
Erase or Format Your Mac Drives With These Security Options

Usually with a 128GB drive with the drive mostly empty, the wear on it shouldn't be high enough to affect the speeds (as it can do wear leveling). But anyways, as discussed up thread, I personally chose to use a high endurance SD card instead, given that is rated for *minimum* sequential write speeds and it's warrantied for wear.

 

[jboy210]

You can use CrystalDiskMark to check if the write speeds really have degraded on the drive. I use this portable version (so I don't have to install)
Downloading File /75252/CrystalDiskMark8_0_2.zip - CrystalDiskMark - OSDN
On Mac, there is a similar utility here:
‎AmorphousDiskMark

It would be helpful to compare if you did a test when you bought the device, but it's hard to go back. But from reviews the 128GB version typically range from 40-80 MB/s for sequential writes. There is a review that mentions Sentry mode and says it can't get 4MB/s for write (but it might just be from them seeing the same Tesla error you see). There might also be counterfeits out there (or Tesla's software update affected things).
Amazon.com

You can try reformatting on a computer. I use guiformat to format my card to FAT32 (make sure to select correct drive). You can uncheck the "Quick Format" to do a more thorough format.
Ridgecrop Consultants Ltd
With Mac the default utility can do the same thing and you can select "zero out the data" to do a more thorough format. Usually this isn't necessary on a drive with solid state memory (plus it adds a full cycle of wear), but in this case you have nothing to lose.
Erase or Format Your Mac Drives With These Security Options

Usually with a 128GB drive with the drive mostly empty, the wear on it shouldn't be high enough to affect the speeds (as it can do wear leveling). But anyways, as discussed up thread, I personally chose to use a high endurance SD card instead, given that is rated for *minimum* sequential write speeds and it's warrantied for wear.

Thanks. I just got a high endurance SD card and USB adapter. I will format it today and see how it does.

 

[jboy210]

I had Interesting results with high endurance SD and USB adapter. The SD/adapter formatted fine but throws an error in the car. During further testing, it looks like is caused by having the USB shared with the wireless charging pad. If I disconnect the wireless charging pad from the car's USB port it does not throw the error. Also, I tried a brand new Fit 128 GB with the wireless charging pad and no error is thrown.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Thanks. I just got a high endurance SD card and USB adapter. I will format it today and see how it does.

If you get the card, remember to do a speed test on it. There are lots of counterfeits out there.

Most high endurance cards of 128GB capacity are rated at V30 or U3, which means minimum sequential write speeds are 30MB/s or faster.

Speed Class | SD Association

 

[stopcrazypp]

I had Interesting results with high endurance SD and USB adapter. The SD/adapter formatted fine but throws an error in the car. During further testing, it looks like is caused by having the USB shared with the wireless charging pad. If I disconnect the wireless charging pad from the car's USB port it does not throw the error. Also, I tried a brand new Fit 128 GB with the wireless charging pad and no error is thrown.

That seems to suggest there may be other issues unrelated to the storage media.

Which adapter did you end up getting?

 

[jboy210]

That seems to suggest there may be other issues unrelated to the storage media.

Which adapter did you end up getting?

The adapter came with the sd card. Here is the link to the card and adapter. Let me know if you have suggestions for another adapter.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The adapter came with the sd card. Here is the link to the card and adapter. Let me know if you have suggestions for another adapter.

That looks like some no-name generic adapter, which might have issues. Most people buy the SanDisk branded reader or bundle:

Amazon.com: SanDisk - SDDR-B531-GN6NN MobileMate USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader - SDDR-B531-GN6NN Black: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: SanDisk - SDDR-B531-GN6NN MobileMate USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader - SDDR-B531-GN6NN Black: Computers & Accessories

www.amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Endurance-microSDXC-Adapter-Monitoring/dp/B07NY23WBG

Also for these kinds of purchases, typically I would try to buy "ships and sold from Amazon". Or at least buy a product and from a seller with lots of ratings.

I personally bought this two slot one back in February, which works fine in the glovebox of my 2021 Model 3:

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Reader-Memory-Windows-Simultaneously/dp/B01EFPX9XA

I bought it since this one has an extra cable that isolates the reader from the port, which may prevent overheating issues some report for the smaller readers. Plus there is a extra slot you can use for music/media (car is able to recognize both slots simultaneously). The negative of a two slot reader is you can't format in the car, you must format the card elsewhere and make the "TeslaCam" folder yourself.

 

[BBrownUT]

So is the consensus the Samsung FIT Plus 128GB? Looking to get one for my M3 SR+ coming in next month?

Amazon.com: SAMSUNG FIT Plus USB 3.1 Flash Drive 128GB - (MUF-128AB/AM): Computers & Accessories

Buy SAMSUNG FIT Plus USB 3.1 Flash Drive 128GB - (MUF-128AB/AM): Everything Else - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I completely missed that the new 2021 M3 SR+ came with a USB.

 

[devilbones]

I completely missed that the new 2021 M3 SR+ came with a USB.

Its a USB C type connector which means you need to go buy all new cables if you have been using the B to C or B to Micro B.

 

[digitaldart]

Given the discussion in the various topic and sub-topic areas, I regret to say that I am not exactly clear about the best choice for adding an external memory stick/device to my Tesla.

My interest covers being able to capture sentry and dashcam video, but also to add my own music or playlists.

Several of the "problem" posts seem to indicate that if you use a cheap device with slow response times, it will affect/degrade performance to where performance presents a significant issue.

Since I have not done any of this (yet), my wife has suggested that I just try it out with a surplus stick we have in a drawer and see how well it works.

On the other hand, because of my drone work, I have learned to pay attention to devise access specs to get intended performance/capability. That, and I noticed at the local big-box stores, that they have inexpensive external SSD drives that would fit inside the space nicely (and they have significantly better performance than a general-purpose memory stick).

So, my question is...

Should I even bother trying to make a general-purpose memory stick work for what I want to do, or should I just head over to the local big-box stores and get a new SSD drive?

Understand, we used to live next door to a big-box store, and it made it easy to drop paychecks there, but nowadays, we live so far away from one it is a bit of a drive just to get there (and assuming they are not out of stock). Basically, I am just trying to figure out if I should avoid pulling my hair out with a general-purpose stick for now, or go for the new SSD drive?

Thank you for any and all insights!

 

[GeekyDoc]

Given the discussion in the various topic and sub-topic areas, I regret to say that I am not exactly clear about the best choice for adding an external memory stick/device to my Tesla.

My interest covers being able to capture sentry and dashcam video, but also to add my own music or playlists.

Several of the "problem" posts seem to indicate that if you use a cheap device with slow response times, it will affect/degrade performance to where performance presents a significant issue.

Since I have not done any of this (yet), my wife has suggested that I just try it out with a surplus stick we have in a drawer and see how well it works.

On the other hand, because of my drone work, I have learned to pay attention to devise access specs to get intended performance/capability. That, and I noticed at the local big-box stores, that they have inexpensive external SSD drives that would fit inside the space nicely (and they have significantly better performance than a general-purpose memory stick).

So, my question is...

Should I even bother trying to make a general-purpose memory stick work for what I want to do, or should I just head over to the local big-box stores and get a new SSD drive?

Understand, we used to live next door to a big-box store, and it made it easy to drop paychecks there, but nowadays, we live so far away from one it is a bit of a drive just to get there (and assuming they are not out of stock). Basically, I am just trying to figure out if I should avoid pulling my hair out with a general-purpose stick for now, or go for the new SSD drive?

Thank you for any and all insights!

I too would love to hear what the knowledgeable folks have to say since I just went through this; the original Tesla USB stick worked fine for the first month (MYLR got in May) but then I started noticing it slowing down or not displaying the video when trying to play in the car. Got the Samsung T7 500GB; worked well but I could not get it to play video in the car. Played video on laptop just fine. Now switched to a Samsung Pro card 128GB with the sandisk reader and it seems to be working like OEM/as before. Before I return the SSD, I too am wondering if that is the best long term solution.

 

[holeydonut]

Given the discussion in the various topic and sub-topic areas, I regret to say that I am not exactly clear about the best choice for adding an external memory stick/device to my Tesla.

Lol I agree, this thread is a "master thread" but it seems super out-dated and I'm struggling to make heads or tails out of what is the latest recommendation.

The take-aways I think I understand for a 2021 MY Model 3 are:

1) The Tesla-branded USB stick they sell is garbage
2) Get a USB-C (edit usb 3.0) to MicroSD adaptor in the smallest form factor possible
3) Get a 128 GB high-endurance / pro-endurance / max-endurance microSD from Samsung or Sandisk... but order from them directly since Amazon is full of fakes

 

[stopcrazypp]

Lol I agree, this thread is a "master thread" but it seems super out-dated and I'm struggling to make heads or tails out of what is the latest recommendation.

The take-aways I think I understand for a 2021 MY Model 3 are:

1) The Tesla-branded USB stick they sell is garbage
2) Get a USB-C (edit usb 3.0) to MicroSD adaptor in the smallest form factor possible
3) Get a 128 GB high-endurance / pro-endurance / max-endurance microSD from Samsung or Sandisk... but order from them directly since Amazon is full of fakes

To be fair, the USB stick is not necessarily "garbage", but its just it has no rating for write endurance, so you can't really make any sort of prediction when it will fail, and their warranties explicitly exclude dashcam usage. There are some that have still got years of usage out of them.

With the adapter approach, you still have the risk of the adapter failing, but the failure of the card itself is fairly predictable given they are rated for writes, plus the warranty covers dashcam usage (although practically no one will bother trying to make a warranty claim given the cost of getting a replacement is likely low vs the shipping costs).

 

[Young_0z]

I kept getting an error with usb for sentry mode. After reformatting in the settings, it would work but error would come back. This is what I now use in my 2018 model 3 and no longer have any issue with reformatting and error messages:

Amazon.com: SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD 500GB - Up to 1050MB/s - USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive, Red (MU-PC500R/AM): Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD 500GB - Up to 1050MB/s - USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive, Red (MU-PC500R/AM): Computers & Accessories

www.amazon.com

with:

Amazon.com: TAPTES USB Hub 5 in 1 Ports for Tesla Model 3 Before June 2020(Not Fit Model Y),Dashcam & Sentry Mode Viewer USB Hub dongle USB (Not Fit Tesla Model 3 Produced After June 2020 and Not Model Y): Automotive

Buy TAPTES USB Hub 5 in 1 Ports for Tesla Model 3 Before June 2020(Not Fit Model Y), Dashcam & Sentry Mode Viewer USB Hub dongle USB (Not Fit Tesla Model 3 Produced After June 2020 and Not Model Y): Computers & Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I wasn't sure if the drive would move around while driving so I went and also purchased a bumper to hold it in place while inside the hub:

Amazon.com: getgear Silicone Bumper for Samsung T7, T7 Touch Portable SSD - 1TB, 2TB, 500GB, USB 3.2, Strong-Shock Absorbing, Slip-Resistant-Red: Computers & Accessories

Buy getgear Silicone Bumper for Samsung T7, T7 Touch Portable SSD - 1TB, 2TB, 500GB, USB 3.2, Strong-Shock Absorbing, Slip-Resistant-Red: External Solid State Drives - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[VivekDr]

A few days ago this message showed up: “Dashcam: USB drive is too slow to save-please use a drive with higher write speed”

Then I tried to format the usb stick but it still didn’t work. The worked flawlessly for months until now. Any suggestions? Thanks.

The drive could have some hardware fault. Could also be software issue

 

[techlogik]

I originally partitioned the stock 128GB USB stock with a TeslaCam and Music label, but the stick fills up too fast due to sentry I use at work. It gets alot of activity throughout the day due to parking location and high traffic past the location in the garage.

So, I already had one of these laying around for work Amazon.com: SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE61-1T00-G25: Computers & Accessories

I took that, wiped the partitions, using the Free Windows Partition Wizard from Minitool. I then made sure to delete the partitions and start with 2 new ones.

Then, I created a 990GB exFAT partition labeled TeslaCam, then created the TeslaCam folder under that.

Then, created a 10GB FAT32 partition labeled Music, then copied all my music folders I have arranged by Artist into the root of that partition.

All works fine again. The Sandisk is nice because it works AND they provide a USB C to USB A adapter that works in the 2021 Glovebox USB A, and it sits nicely on top of the few items I have in the glovebox. Yes, it is pricey....but hey, it is a high speed and capacity SSD drive that should last, will see!

Good luck.

 

[ellisina4]

My setup:
Sandisk Mobilemate 3.0 SDDR-B531 and Sandisk high endurance 256Gb card... tried formatting FAT32 and exFAT (with Teslacam root directory) and laptop recognizes the reader and the card but 2019 MX does not (software version 2021.4.18.2)... even the option to format USB is greyed out. Tried another jump-drive (even without Tesdlacam directory) and MX recognizes it and able to format.
Any suggestions as multiple people reported success with the same setup as I have?

 

[stopcrazypp]

My setup:
Sandisk Mobilemate 3.0 SDDR-B531 and Sandisk high endurance 256Gb card... tried formatting FAT32 and exFAT (with Teslacam root directory) and laptop recognizes the reader and the card but 2019 MX does not (software version 2021.4.18.2)... even the option to format USB is greyed out. Tried another jump-drive (even without Tesdlacam directory) and MX recognizes it and able to format.
Any suggestions as multiple people reported success with the same setup as I have?

Try copying over the files (including directory) from a working drive. That might help. However, if you have a single drive plugged into the car, it should be able to recognize it and do a a format. Maybe you need to reboot (in case there is some misconfiguration).

 

[RickNY2DC]

I am new to Tesla and took delivery of a 2021 Long Range Model 3 yesterday, July 23, 2021. I understand a memory stick is located in the Glove Box for storing Sentry events. A friend last night said that the stick provides a small amount of storage. I'd appreciate if the community would suggest additional options for greater storage. Thanks!

 

[GeekyDoc]

After trying all of these options, I have gone back to using a SanDisk USB reader with a Samsung pro endurance card and that seems to work the best. Sentry mode seems to work every single time now without any issues.