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SD Card for Dash Cam
- Thread starter Rootbeard7
- Start date
Nebuchadn3zzar
Member
billh13850
Member
verystandard
Member
anyone knows what is the maximum size (if there is any) for the USB/SD Card? I'm currently using Sandisk 64GB USB and would like to get into something like 128GB or even 256GB
As far as SD card, from what I read you’re capped out at 32GB to keep it as a Tesla-friendly FAT32 drive. Otherwise, it won’t work - you’ll need third party software that formats bigger drives to FAT32. This seems to apply for PCs and possibly Macs (can someone confirm?)
The trade-off is SD cards are supposed to be more stable than USB in the long term, especially if you get one of the endurance SD cards.
billh13850
Member
Yes, a 3rd party formatter is required, but it's not that hard. Worked fine for me anyway.
The car will never remove saved videos (either from dashcam, by tapping the dashcam icon to save the last 10 minutes, or from sentry mode events). However, if you never save any video, then it will only keep a rolling 1 hour buffer which takes around 8GB (but an 8GB partition is not necessarily enough I've found, occasionally it will run out of space). So if you can figure out how many hours of video you want to be able to save before you have to clean up the device ... 8GB for the dashcam loop, and (8GB * number of hours) for everything else should give you an idea how much space you need. I wouldn't go smaller than 16GB (since 8GB may not be enough and if you're simply using an entire flash drive, sizes go 8 then 16).
It's too bad there is not yet any built in review/delete/etc functionality or even really space display available in the car's UI.
It's too bad there is not yet any built in review/delete/etc functionality or even really space display available in the car's UI.
Presumably with something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Mobi...07G5JV2B5/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
billh13850
Member
You insert the SD card into a USB reader / adapter. I chose one with both normal type A and type C connectors so I can pull it out of the console and watch the videos on my phone - works fine.
Not the one I got, but something like: https://www.amazon.com/VOGEK-Card-Reader-USB-Micro/dp/B071CJM71V/ref=sr_1_5
there are a bunch of different ones, find one that matches your phone connector.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
muleferg
Active Member
"I’m using a 256GB microSSD. Works just fine. But need to erase when it gets full."
I use the 256 SanDisk 256 in our X and 3. they haven't let me down yet.
I use the 256 SanDisk 256 in our X and 3. they haven't let me down yet.
Also someone who uses a 256GB microSD card in a reader (have two of them--reader and card to quickly swap out when pulling reader to check on the files on the card).
I'm an Mac/iOS user and my Mac's Disk Utility app formats my cards in FAT32 with no problems or need to partition it so have full access to the storage space on the cards. I think only Windows machines have an issue formatting cards and require the use of third-party software to do so. This has been born out on the forum by other windows users and some have indicated the programs they have used.
I believe that reformatting, as opposed to just deleting files from the card/usb, will cleanup up issues the card could encounter in use so would be the preferred maintenance for it. Don't forget to add the TeslaCam-named folder back to the card/drive afterwards.
I'm an Mac/iOS user and my Mac's Disk Utility app formats my cards in FAT32 with no problems or need to partition it so have full access to the storage space on the cards. I think only Windows machines have an issue formatting cards and require the use of third-party software to do so. This has been born out on the forum by other windows users and some have indicated the programs they have used.
I believe that reformatting, as opposed to just deleting files from the card/usb, will cleanup up issues the card could encounter in use so would be the preferred maintenance for it. Don't forget to add the TeslaCam-named folder back to the card/drive afterwards.
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
for the tl;dr folks- his reason to not use a USB key was concerns about wearing out the device.
This isn't really a serious concern though with a large drive and the small files Tesla records.
The math has been posted before, a 128GB regular, cheap, USB key is still gonna be good for 5-10 years before it goes through enough write cycles to hit the 1000 write cycles even cheap flash is rated for. A 256GB one will be good for a decade or two.
He's correct the type of flash on endurance cards is rated even higher (3-5k writes)... so I guess if you want a recording device that'll be good for your grand kids knock yourself out. Otherwise it's not gonna make a difference.
Where he's not correct is he points out the SDcard advertises being temperture proof, shockproof, etc... and then claims that makes it "more durable" than a key..but those are literally the same things the USB card he waved around earlier advertises as well. No difference at all.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
You should post this as a comment on the video. He seems to respond to a lot of the comments and it would be good to educate him on this. Maybe he'll do a follow-up video.
Can’t say for sure but no reason it shouldn’t.
I use this Kingston Digital FCR-ML3C... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07416LQVM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
and it works both plugging directly into Mac on via the adapter.
I use this Kingston Digital FCR-ML3C... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07416LQVM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
and it works both plugging directly into Mac on via the adapter.
Eno Deb
Active Member
It does if you have iOS 13 (older iOS versions can only read from the DCIM directory). Also, if you use a Micro SD card you'll need an adapter since the Apple reader only takes fullsize SD cards. There are clones available that can handle both SD and Micro SD (and are half the price).
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