Sentry mode instructions?

[Scott7]

The temp range specs on the drive you cite are much worse than say either the Samsung Fit Plus USB key or Samsung Pro SDcards also mentioned in sentry/dashcam threads

Yes, that's a good point. I've also noticed the manufacturer ratings. It's interesting how different the "operating temp" ratings are from "storage temps" on the same drive. I do have some concerns there but at this excellent price/capacity I'm willing to try it and see.

I've noticed quite a few people here and elsewhere reported that their flash drive has already completely failed (unreadable in any device) after mere weeks of use plugged into their Tesla, despite being within the temp specs. I haven't heard of any SSDs failures yet, but I'm sure the number of people using SSDs is far less.

So it works in a much narrower range of temps, and costs more, and has 2 years less warranty..

That particular SSD actually costs significantly less than the equivalent capacity Samsung Fit Plus you mentioned. The latter is nearly double the price ($55 on Amazon currently).

 

[Knightshade]

Yes, that's a good point. I've also noticed the manufacturer ratings. It's interesting how different the "operating temp" ratings are from "storage temps" on the same drive. I do have some concerns there but at this excellent price/capacity I'm willing to try it and see.

I've noticed quite a few people here and elsewhere reported that their flash drive has already completely failed (unreadable in any device) after mere weeks of use plugged into their Tesla, despite being within the temp specs. I haven't heard of any SSDs failures yet, but I'm sure the number of people using SSDs is far less.

There's a number of threads on this- but there's been folks with failures on SSDs, SDcards, and USB keys alike.

in virtually all cases just removing/reformatting the device and it works again.

The problem is software (tesla corrupting the drive), not hardware.

 

[Scott7]

There's a number of threads on this- but there's been folks with failures on SSDs, SDcards, and USB keys alike.

in virtually all cases just removing/reformatting the device and it works again.

The problem is software (tesla corrupting the drive), not hardware.

Please read what I said again. In the first sentence of post #19 I already agreed that the formatting issue is software and unrelated to the chosen storage device. As I also already said above, some have had flash drives fail to the point there were unreadable in any device. As in unable to even get the drive to appear visible to the computer at all.

I've not heard anyone have an SSD fail yet.

 

[Knightshade]

Please read what I said again. In the first sentence of post #19 I already agreed that the formatting issue is software and unrelated to the chosen storage device. As I also already said above, some have had flash drives fail to the point there were unreadable in any device. As in unable to even get the drive to appear visible to the computer at all.

I've not heard anyone have an SSD fail yet.

I've not heard of such total failures in any device... but I'd expect they're more likely in devices (of any type) not rated to handle a wide range of temps ahead of any other criteria... so a cheap SSD is probably still not a great option over a USB key rated for harsher conditions.

After all, they're both using flash memory (as are SDcards)- so I'm not sure what else would be "killing" the device here besides environmental conditions. Even the crappiest flash memory in any decent sized device is rated for a TON more read/write cycles than any Tesla can possibly put it through in less than many years so it can't be that.

 

[Need]

Could it be heat I wonder? I have 2 Kingston DataTraveller 16GB drives (I think they were like $3 on sales). One in the Model X and one in the Model 3. So far since December last year (original dashcam), they have not been corrupted yet. I have not seen new file system corruption since 3 dashcam came out, but I do see random green artifacts on video (which was new). The drive (mine is metal) gets really really warm. I run the cam 24 hours a day. If I am driving, it is on DashCam mode. If I park, I put it on Sentry Mode, even overnight at home or 10 hours at work. So about 21 hours of Sentry Mode and 3 hours of Dashcam every work day. Weekend the cameras get a rest LOL.

 

[Scott7]

I've not heard of such total failures in any device... but I'd expect they're more likely in devices (of any type) not rated to handle a wide range of temps ahead of any other criteria... so a cheap SSD is probably still not a great option over a USB key rated for harsher conditions.

Agree to disagree here. Flash drives can fail simply because the memory they use is (typically) lower quality and not up to the task of 5 hours of constant writing of 3 simultaneous video streams. I don't think it's read/write cycles either as yeah that would take more time. But sustained writes is a different metric. In my experience and @Need above, this usage really seems to stress these flash drives out. A flash drive that gets blazing hot is probably not going to last very long.

Bad car analogy time! Read/write cycles vs sustained writes is sort of like comparing a drive for a typical commute with putting the car on a lift and flooring it for 5 hours straight. The latter is obviously going to cause higher wear and potential failures and is most likely outside the design considerations.

SSDs were designed to run full-blown operating systems with very intensive and sustained reads and writes. I hope temperature doesn't turn out to be an issue long-term, but I personally suspect it won't.

 

[Knightshade]

Agree to disagree here. Flash drives can fail simply because the memory they use is (typically) lower quality and not up to the task of 5 hours of constant writing of 3 simultaneous video streams. I don't think it's read/write cycles either as yeah that would take more time. But sustained writes is a different metric. In my experience and @Need above, this usage really seems to stress these flash drives out. A flash drive that gets blazing hot is probably not going to last very long.

Odd, none of mine ever get blazing hot. Never anything past slightly warm.

Again- the max write speed the car is asking for is 1.5 MB/sec.

Roughly 3-5 times slower than the crappiest USB2.0 key you can find... and nearer 10x slower than a decent one.

That's hardly demanding.

Bad car analogy time! Read/write cycles vs sustained writes is sort of like comparing a drive for a typical commute with putting the car on a lift and flooring it for 5 hours straight. The latter is obviously going to cause higher wear and potential failures and is most likely outside the design considerations.

SSDs were designed to run full-blown operating systems with very intensive and sustained reads and writes. I hope temperature doesn't turn out to be an issue long-term, but I personally suspect it won't.

You're right... that is a bad analogy

Also kind of weird you call out temperature as an issue for USB drives in the first part of your post...but then suggest it won't an issue be for SSDs- even really cheap ones with worse temp specs than USB drives.

 

[Scott7]

You do you.

USB drives dying early deaths when used for Tesla dash cam videos

 

[Scott7]

The temp range specs on the drive you cite are much worse than say either the Samsung Fit Plus USB key or Samsung Pro SDcards also mentioned in sentry/dashcam threads

Since we're concerned about manufacturer specs, might consider that Samsung itself voids the warranty on their EVO and Pro line of SD cards when used in a dashcam application. Caveat emptor! I didn't bother to look up the flash drive, but guessing it's the same for those.

Relevant section below for the Samsung EVO, EVO Plus, EVO Select, PRO, PRO Plus, PRO Select.

C. Warranty Limitations

Warranties provided herein do not extend to any use of the product for or with continuous recording instruments or any other write-intensive devices, including without limitation security cameras, surveillance systems, dashboard cameras, black box cameras, internet protocol/network cameras, continuous recording set top box devices, continuous data logging devices like servers, dedicated devices for benchmarking tests, or the primary drive for certain devices, and any other excessive use(s).

 

[swazi1]

Features I would like to get added;

• A shortcut in the left pane when the car is in park to activate sentry mode.
• A percentage indicator to see how full the flash drive is so that I don't have to pull it out of the car to check so often if I need to clear it.
• A setting in the car to clear out files older than X days. I don't care as much about what number of days, I just want the option to clear old files from the car instead of having to pull the flash drive out of the car.

 

[daniel]

@terrywhite

With regard to the above discussion on drive quality & type and drive failures, do you have any idea where the Sandisk iXpand drive you recommended in your video above fits into all this? Have you used it long enough to get a feel for its reliability?

Thanks.

 

[daniel]

Based on all the failures, I repeat that Tesla should have used internal memory in the car designed for the purpose, or at the very least should publish info on a few drives tested by them and known to work in the long term.

 

[Knightshade]

Since we're concerned about manufacturer specs, might consider that Samsung itself voids the warranty on their EVO and Pro line of SD cards when used in a dashcam application. Caveat emptor! I didn't bother to look up the flash drive, but guessing it's the same for those.

Relevant section below for the Samsung EVO, EVO Plus, EVO Select, PRO, PRO Plus, PRO Select.

Now that is a valid objection

I'd still be looking for an SSD with better temp specs than the one you listed though unless you live someplace it never, ever, gets below freezing.

 

[SMAlset]

Now that is a valid objection

I'd still be looking for an SSD with better temp specs than the one you listed though unless you live someplace it never, ever, gets below freezing.

I had noticed that voiding of warranty for dashcam use when I was checking out the Samsung Endurance Pro U1 device I recently purchased off Amazon. Since the footage isn't being recorded in 4K, the U1 classification I thought was fine for this use. Only media we've used in the past has been Blackvue's own cards in our Blackvue dashcam. Here in the SF bay area where I'm at we have typically gotten below freezing and need to cover frost/freeze sensitive plants outside each winter. Lowest I've seen living here has been 25F. So people living here who don't pay attention to weather reports during the winter should keep this in mind.

People should also know that if you're running even a dashcam rated card that it's likely only to last you a year or more for sure. Has anyone using Samsung's Endurance Pro cards had them in use in their dashcams for several years? I plan to switch off between two cards in my TeslaCam to prolong the recording life if I can remember to swap on a regular basis.

Since I don't really know how any of this dashcam/card writing/reading works, I am curious if Tesla's approach is as equally good as the way say Blackvue's works. Tesla uses two files for storage, one for buffered 1-hr. footage and the other for saved files. For anyone in the know, does this mean that RecentClips folder's videos get written in basically the same area all the time? Our Blackvue doesn't have folders that I'm aware of but tags videos with either Normal, Parking or Event and they fill up the drive. Anything that is Event will be saved unless you delete, the rest gets overwritten.

 

[Mod3forMe]

Anyone trying using a wireless USB? Seems like it could be slick way to transfer video

 

[daniel]

Anyone trying using a wireless USB? Seems like it could be slick way to transfer video

I googled it and found this review:

But it does not say whether you can access the drive wirelessly while it's plugged into a computer (or, presumably, the Tesla). If you can, this would be very nice. But if you have to unplug it from the car to access it wirelessly, then the one that Terry reviewed upthread, which plugs into your device, seems like a simpler solution.

Of course, it has a complete wi-fi hotspot built in, plus a 4-hour battery, and 32 GB of storage. But that seems like overkill unless you can access it while it's still plugged into the car. It's strong point seems to be that when the wi-fi is on you can connect several computers to it at once.

 

[oldpueblo]

Just an FYI on the Sandisk wireless flash drives. The Sandisk app won't access what's on the drive if it's formatted in anything but exFat. I even tried formatting a 32GB FAT32 partition and then leaving a second partition exFAT, but the app still just closes after giving the message about needing to be exFAT.

 

[Mod3forMe]

Just an FYI on the Sandisk wireless flash drives. The Sandisk app won't access what's on the drive if it's formatted in anything but exFat. I even tried formatting a 32GB FAT32 partition and then leaving a second partition exFAT, but the app still just closes after giving the message about needing to be exFAT.

Thanks, that is too bad is it would be a good work around.

Is not to commit too deeply as I think things will keep changing and down the road we may need different options in our Tesla's to handle ???? . For now I am going for a flash drive - cheap and useful later if needed.

 

[hydro 481]

The temp range specs on the drive you cite are much worse than say either the Samsung Fit Plus USB key or Samsung Pro SDcards also mentioned in sentry/dashcam threads


https://www.kingston.com/datasheets/SA400S37_us.pdf



Extra funny since you brought up temp as a concern.

so it works in a much narrower range of temps, and costs more, and has 2 years less warranty.

Those would all be good reasons to buy a USB flash drive for this purpose instead of that SSD.

Hi fellow Slickdealer

 

[Trevor B]

Please ignore my ignorance but I'm looking for some actual INSTRUCTIONS as to how set up the Sentry mode. Where does Tesla post instructions for new updates besides just a quick 1-page note on screen after update? Do I need to format thumb drive... where do I plug it in... how do I know that video was recorded? If anyone has a good resource I'd love to have it. Thanks!

LMGTFY