Sentry mode record door dings?

[Johnstac]

I finally got century mode working correctly but I’m just wondering now about parking the car in a parking lot. My understanding is that it will not record anything unless a window is broken? I would actually prefer if it would send me a message if someone was entering their car next to mine just so I could watch to see if the door hits my car. I don’t know about the rest of you but in SoCal some of the parking lots are so small that door dings are inevitable. Even if I can’t technically do anything about it I would still like to see the SOB who did it. Thoughts?

 

[TiggerTime]

I finally got century mode working correctly but I’m just wondering now about parking the car in a parking lot. My understanding is that it will not record anything unless a window is broken? I would actually prefer if it would send me a message if someone was entering their car next to mine just so I could watch to see if the door hits my car. I don’t know about the rest of you but in SoCal some of the parking lots are so small that door dings are inevitable. Even if I can’t technically do anything about it I would still like to see the SOB who did it. Thoughts?

So once you put it in sentry mode it will start recording anytime someone or something gets too close to your car. Sentry does not wait for your car to be hit or broken into to activate and start recording.

I had mine on when I parked at work the other day and the guy parked next to me left and some how not only activated sentry mode but also managed to set off the alarm even thought he never touched the car. He was driving an old beat up truck with a rough running engine so best I can come up with is it back fired or some other vibration when he started up the truck to leave set off the alarm.

 

[Johnstac]

Sorry. Just noticed Siri used century instead of Sentry. When I was reading the information on Sentry Mide from Tesla, I thought it stated that it would begin recording if someone leaned up against the car and then display a message on the screen inside the car. So is it recording around the outside of the car continually with out anyone actually coming in contact with the car?

 

[Need]

It will record anyone move within 2 feet of your front or side of the car, so door ding won't cause the alarm to sound but it will be recorded. See this thread:

Sentry Mode to the rescue!

 

[Johnstac]

So once you put it in sentry mode it will start recording anytime someone or something gets too close to your car. Sentry does not wait for your car to be hit or broken into to activate and start recording.

I had mine on when I parked at work the other day and the guy parked next to me left and some how not only activated sentry mode but also managed to set off the alarm even thought he never touched the car. He was driving an old beat up truck with a rough running engine so best I can come up with is it back fired or some other vibration when he started up the truck to leave set off the alarm.

I hadn’t got this far yet but how do you review the video recorded onto the disk? Can I watch it in the car, on my phone, or do I have to take the desk into my house and watch it on a computer?

 

[SMAlset]

The Model 3 Manual under "TeslaCam" should help you get the basics down. You'll want a USB flashdrive that has some decent file space as TeslaCam and Sentry Mode use 3 cameras now. TeslaCam will record and store 1-hour of video (1 min. each for each of the 3 cameras). 1-minute videos are about 30MB. The TeslaCam's 1-hr buffer of live video will write over itself. You will need to manually create a folder on the flashdrive's root level called TeslaCam. The temporary videos from this buffer are stored inside the TeslaCam folder inside a folder called "RecentClips". This folder will be created automatically. The buffer is apx. 5.4GB (3 cameras x 60 min x 30MB each = 5400MB).

Saved video -- "SavedClips" folder
While are using TeslaCam, live footage can be saved off into it's own file folder called "SavedClips". This folder is created automatically. Anytime something is "saved", it will consist of a file folder date/time stamped with 10-minutes worth of 1-minute clips from all 3 camera--front and left and right repeaters. Again each minute is apx. 30MB, so each folder will contain about 900MB or .9GB of video.

Sentry Mode is used during parking and currently needs to be turned on each time you want to use it. It will automatically save a date/time stamped file to the SavedClips folder when it detects movement (people/lights or loud sound/vibration around your car--best we've determined here on TMC). Car must be in Park. Sentry Mode can be sensitive, and will save off files which can fill up your drive quickly while parked in a busy parking lot or parking garage for example. The important thing to remember is that video in SavedClips DO NOT write over themselves. You will need to manually do housekeeping on your flashdrive and purge the files you don't need.

Another note mentioned in the Manual on TeslaCam -- make sure you Pause the USB drive (see directions) before you remove the drive. It needs to properly shut down or you can corrupt the flashdrive.

If you fill up your flashdrive, recording will stop and you will see a gray X over the camera icon on your center screen. A number of owners have encountered this with smaller flashdrives in a very short amount of time using both TeslaCam and Sentry Mode.

You can view the USB drive video files on your computer using the USB connector. You will need a computer to reformat your USB drive and do file maintenance. There is a USB drive out there that has a lightning connector you can plug into your iPhone. Some USB drives have a USB-C connector end as well. There isn't a way to watch the video files on your center screen.

More to learn but hope this gets you started.

 

[TiggerTime]

I hadn’t got this far yet but how do you review the video recorded onto the disk? Can I watch it in the car, on my phone, or do I have to take the desk into my house and watch it on a computer?

Have to pull the USB and view on computer laptop/desktop. hopefully they will add ability to view it other ways without removing it from the car.

 

[SMAlset]

A few TMC Model 3 iPhone users have mentioned the Sandisk iXpand Flashdrive with a Lightning USB 3.0 for their TeslaCam use. Unplug from the TeslaCam USB and insert into your iPhone.

Here's a link to a 64GB version:
NEW SANDISK iXPAND FLASH DRIVE 64GB LIGHTNING USB 3.0 for iPhone iPad Computers | eBay

128GB version:
128GB Sandisk iXPAND Lightning Connector USB 3.0 Flash Drive For iPhone 6,7,8,10 619659144395 | eBay

 

[flightlevel270]

A few TMC Model 3 iPhone users have mentioned the Sandisk iXpand Flashdrive with a Lightning USB 3.0 for their TeslaCam use. Unplug from the TeslaCam USB and insert into your iPhone.

Have you had issues with the app? I have it installed on an iphone X and when I plug the USB into the phone, it loads then takes me to a splash screen asking me to plug in the flashdrive even though it's plugged in. When I plug the drive into my computer, everything seems fine...

 

[SMAlset]

Have you had issues with the app? I have it installed on an iphone X and when I plug the USB into the phone, it loads then takes me to a splash screen asking me to plug in the flashdrive even though it's plugged in. When I plug the drive into my computer, everything seems fine...

I use a microSD card and reader and my laptop. But I know owners here do have it and use it so hopefully someone will chime in to answer your question.