Model 3 - dash cam / sentry mode question

[DianeL]

Hi, I just set up the dash cam / sentry mode SD card for recording. I was told not to use an SD card larger than 32 GB. Since it doesn't overwrite for the sentry mode those recordings take up a lot of space. I'm thinking that you need 2 SD cards so you can swap them out when the gray "x" appears over the camera indicating it is full. The card filled up while I was driving downtown so I couldn't use sentry while it was parked in a public lot - hence the idea that a backup SD would be helpful.
For those that have been using it for awhile, what size SD card are you using?
Anyone using a 256 GB? Does it work OK?
Also, do you have to pause the recording when you stop driving? I forgot when I pulled into the garage and it filmed most of the night.
Appreciate any useful tips!

 

[TiggerTime]

I'm assuming when you say SD card you really mean USB drive.

I have a 64G USB flash drive that I have been running for 2 months now and it has not filled up and I've logged 5000 miles and sentry mode 5 days a week for 8 hours at a time. Last time I pulled the drive to look at what triggered an active alarm, the drive wasn't even 1/2 full.

 

[destructure00]

Anyone using a 256 GB? Does it work OK?

Yes and yes

 

[DianeL]

I'm assuming when you say SD card you really mean USB drive.

I have a 64G USB flash drive that I have been running for 2 months now and it has not filled up and I've logged 5000 miles and sentry mode 5 days a week for 8 hours at a time. Last time I pulled the drive to look at what triggered an active alarm, the drive wasn't even 1/2 full.

Yes - sorry - I meant the USB flash drive. Thanks for clarifying
Do you pause the recording each time you stop the car? I only had an 8 GB flash drive at home so started using it. It filled up really fast. But part of the trouble might be that when I'm trying to hold it to pause it often saves a 10 minute clip instead.
And do you set the sentry mode from the Tesla app each time you exit?
I need to purchase a larger one but wanted to be sure the larger ones worked since I was told by the Tesla service tech that only a 32 GB works.

 

[DianeL]

Yes and yes

Thanks - I appreciate the input.

 

[jkoya]

I'm also using a 256 GB high speed microSD card and it works fine.

 

[whatthe2]

Here you go

[V9] How to Format USB into 2 Partitions for DashCam and Music [Windows]

Don’t have to do 2 partitions but tells you how to format for more than 32GB.

 

[TiggerTime]

Yes - sorry - I meant the USB flash drive. Thanks for clarifying
Do you pause the recording each time you stop the car? I only had an 8 GB flash drive at home so started using it. It filled up really fast. But part of the trouble might be that when I'm trying to hold it to pause it often saves a 10 minute clip instead.
And do you set the sentry mode from the Tesla app each time you exit?
I need to purchase a larger one but wanted to be sure the larger ones worked since I was told by the Tesla service tech that only a 32 GB works.

No I do not pause the recording except when I want to remove the drive from the car.

Yes, I set sentry from the app each time.

Yes, as someone else stated larger than 32G drives work just fine as long as you format them correctly. They included a link in their post for that as well I believe.

 

[whatthe2]

No I do not pause the recording except when I want to remove the drive from the car.

Yes, I set sentry from the app each time.

Yes, as someone else stated larger than 32G drives work just fine as long as you format them correctly. They included a link in their post for that as well I believe.

I have a 128GB drive. Left my car at the airport for 6.5 days and it recorded 68GB so it will record for quite a while before you need to erase.

 

[Venomized]

Is this a good one? If not, can you link one that is good for this setup. Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruz...b+flash+drive&qid=1554512684&s=gateway&sr=8-3

 

[SMAlset]

Gosh who told you not to use anything larger than 32GB. Not true as others have said and plenty on TMC have indicated by what they are using. Do you have a Windows computer? From everything I've seen it's the only platform that requires you to use software to get around the 32GB issue. I'm on a Mac and using Disk Utility it formats FAT32 with no problems. I'm using 128GB storage and find it quite sufficient.

BTW tapping the camera icon once will cause it to save and you'll see the download arrow, which as you indicated means it it saving the last 10 min. (so if something just happened you want to save, give it a few minutes so TeslaCam doesn't cut off recording mid-minute.) To Pause the recording, try holding your finger down on the camera until you see kind of a "wave" emanate from the camera icon. At first when I tried it my index finger was covering the area so I couldn't tell if anything had happened. I now press and hold with my finger more to the right of the camera icon and I'll see the wave come out from the left side of the camera icon towards me in the drivers seat. When you see the wave, your done. The camera icon should be just the icon, no red recording light.

 

[VQTRVA]

Hi, I just set up the dash cam / sentry mode SD card for recording. I was told not to use an SD card larger than 32 GB. Since it doesn't overwrite for the sentry mode those recordings take up a lot of space. I'm thinking that you need 2 SD cards so you can swap them out when the gray "x" appears over the camera indicating it is full. The card filled up while I was driving downtown so I couldn't use sentry while it was parked in a public lot - hence the idea that a backup SD would be helpful.
For those that have been using it for awhile, what size SD card are you using?
Anyone using a 256 GB? Does it work OK?
Also, do you have to pause the recording when you stop driving? I forgot when I pulled into the garage and it filmed most of the night.
Appreciate any useful tips!

@DianeL - use this to format your >32GB flash drive for FAT32:

How to Format USB Drives Larger Than 32GB With FAT32 on Windows

Video of how to above:

FAT32 is a linux based format that microsoft tries to get you out of. grrrr.

Very hard to fill up 32GB+ sincee the dashcam is a rolling 60 mins overwrite.
& Sentry mode records only upon heighten senstivity (lots of people or cars near the M.3).

even then each 10 mins only keeps 300MB.

File discussion for Dashcam & Sentry mode:

Setting up folders for Music & Dashcam:

 

[SMAlset]

Very hard to fill up 32GB+ sincee the dashcam is a rolling 60 mins overwrite.
& Sentry mode records only upon heighten senstivity (lots of people or cars near the M.3).

even then each 10 mins only keeps 300MB.

Owners of 32GB drives have said they have filled up their drives in a relatively short time. One-hr. buffer is 5.4GB. Note that any "saved" video is actually 900MB (0.9GB) not 300MB since there are 3 cameras.