Tesla Model 3 - Why I don’t use an SSD to record Dashcam and Sentry Mode!

[@BecauseTesla]

Many people are having a problem with the Sandisk USB adapter ever since Tesla updated its software to version 10. Not everyone is having the problem, but enough were reporting intermittent connections or no connection at all in the Tesla so I am no longer recommending that product. It still works fine on a computer though. I have replaced my recommendation with the Rocketek USB adapter. It also has good reviews online, and it seems to be working just fine in my Tesla. I have replaced the link in the description to now display the Rocketek adapter. If you are not having any problems with your Sandisk adapter, then please continue to use it. If you are having issues with your adapter not showing up in the Tesla, just know that the problem is not with the microSD card...it's the adapter. See if Amazon will allow you to return it for a different brand. You are free to pick whichever product you want, but I'm just showing you what I personally am using.

[@Bardicvoice]

Alas, I just sprang for the Rocketek with the Samsung Pro Endurance card. Had no problem formatting and creating the TeslaCam file, but my Model S simply didn't recognize it, and when I brought it back to my MacBook, my laptop couldn't see it either. Sigh. This adapter is not inspiring me.

[@tomkwan9218]

Because Tesla I should’ve read this comment before I bought the Sandisk USB adapter... I live in Canada and the rocketek, for some reason, cost 5x as much in Canada than in the States ($54CAD vs $9.99 USD) :(

[@strech8]

VIKASI makes the best adapter for Tesla drivers with iphones.

[@michaelcibula9552]

I'm curious have you noticed if your Rocketek gets really hot to the touch? Mine does whenever it's plugged in.

[@jasonj7701]

Thanks for the info. I purchased this exact setup for my Model Y Performance that I got a few weeks ago. I'm assuming it's running the latest software (ver. 11). For some reason I kept getting an error stating that I needed a card bigger than 32 gig (I bought the 256 gig version of this Micro SD card). I've tried formatting from a computer, etc. Decided to just buy the Rocketek adapter you suggested from Amazon. I'll report back how it works. Sounds like it should fix my issue.

[@Boobooli]

I swithced from the Sandisk to the Rokettek and my Dashcam unavailable error was resolved, thanks to this channel i was able to fix my Dashcam problem.

[@BecauseTesla]

I'm glad it helped you out! I still use mine too.

[@ChrisandKnight]

ive used the same endurance microSD cards in my dash camera (60fps 1080P HDR), they've gone through many terabytes of writes over the last 2-3 years and keep going.

[@michaeljmobley]

I was using a small basic and cheap USB thumbdrive and constantly got into issues with recording. But now I'm getting a better understanding that I need to move to a drive that has high endurance overwriting. I'll definitely go down the high endurance micro SD route for my next purchase. Thanks for shedding some light to this subject.

[@eslialopez5892]

Great news, I already have the SD endurance card, I just need the Tesla.

[@BecauseTesla]

I'm happy that you got the hard part out of the way, the rest is easy. It takes only a few seconds to order a Tesla from their website. :)

[@yeahbuddy92193911]

🤣

[@Gallardo6669]

I have a memory stick since 3yrs in use and it still works.... No need to waste more money

[@brandonnixon7105]

The main issue I see with using a Micro sd, especially a high endurance one, is the low write speed. The card you linked can only write 30mbps (20ish real world) and I am not sure if this can sustain all the different cameras on the car. Anyways a good SSD (860 evo) can sustain 320+ TBW (terabytes written) so you are very very unlikely to run into life issues. I guess it is a cost decision at that point, but not sure if that microsd will hold out forever if we see more data being pushed through the sentry/dashcams in the future...

[@johnduke4242]

Prior to watching your initial video, I was burning through a flash drive every 6 to 8 weeks. Since switching to your recommended solution, I haven’t had a single issue. I’ll also add that the cost of the endurance card and the adapter was less expensive than the last flash drives that I had tried. Thanks again for the clarification in the differences!

[@SindarinMetaphor]

There is a lot of information missing from this video that would help people understand how flash memory works, and that there are ways to ensure you have a solution that works for you at the costs you are comfortable with. Fist off, we might want to mention Cell types and grades. NAND memory is availble in SLC, MLC, TLC, QLC variants. Each have different endurance ratings and data bit capacity per cell. Then there are grades of NAND memory - Ranging from Grade A / Tier 1 to Grade D / Tier 4. Most brand name and non-brand name flash drives these days are using TLC memory which as the author said, are not made for write intensive applications. Furthermore, non-brand name or value tiered flash drives without performance warranties are often going to use poor grade memory as well. Samsung T5 SSD drives use 64-Layer TLC NAND and A grade chips. The controller on these drives support advanced wear leveling, have over-provisioning to accommodate early cell failures of up to 8% of the drive before becoming defective (something a flash drive will not do), and offer trim support. Basically comparing a 12$ usb flash drive to a much more reliable commercial SSD is like comparing a electric skateboard to a tesla. Both are electric, but they are completely different beasts.

[@SindarinMetaphor]

Not that the samsung Endurance Pro models are bad - they are very good choices in this application. They only have a two downsides really. Once being capacity, and the other being speed. Capacity is only a concern for now as Tesla will does not support circular recording currently, and Speed - if you download or want to scrub through your video files the read speeds of these drives are several magnitudes slower than a SSD. Of course these might not matter to you or be an issue at all. Looking through some of the comments, there are concerns about SSDs being expensive - Esp the T3/5's - They are certainly more expensive, but they also offer much higher capacities, resilience and performance. Do you need that? Thats up to you to decide. I agree with the author that cheap flash drives are the worst way to store Sentry mode data. They are fine for music libraries (read only data), but you certainly will be happiest with a solution that has more endurance that a typical flash drive. MicroSD and SSD will be far better applications.

[@Dumdadum76]

Amen

[@floridagarye9288]

I re-watched your video from a year ago and glad to report still no problems with my Endurance micro SD card. Thanks again for a great recommendation.

[@assurancepolygraphllc]

Gets to the point at 6:48... :) Thank you

[@sjsphotog]

Good info. I was going to go the SSD route but this is a good idea and its a lot smaller and compact. and the connector wont get damaged as easily with the cord sticking out on the SSD vs the compact USB thumb drive

[@Anjabel69]

Thanks for this informative video. I just switched from a 1 TB SSD to a 128 GB Endurance microSD and saved about $75. From what I can see from the reviews, people are satisfied with the microSD so hope it works for me too.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

Solid state and flash drives charge or discharge capacities to store data. The “endurance “ drives simply have better insulation and better grade transistors for reading and writing to the capacitors. They will probably be smaller size due to the internal heavier duty circuitry, which will be bigger for the same memory size.

[@travails3829]

SSDs don't use the same kind of flash RAM as USB flash sticks/non-endurance SD cards, and so (similar to the endurance SD cards) can withstand many more writes.

[@FernandoR211]

He is going off old SSD information. the average SSD can read/write 50000 to 100000 write cycles. Thats about 6 years of use easily. Most people wont keep a car that long.

[@shredzaoe]

Thank you, exactly my thought lolol

[@patrickoconnor5494]

A 1TB NVME drive for about 70 quid. If I had to replace it every 3 years it's a bargain

[@ma6netho]

some of Samsung ssd drives has 10 year warranty (early ssd disk was bad and i had 2 OS disk failure , so i went back to old spinning disk for several year.). Then Samsung released their v-nand ssd disk With 10 year warranty, so i gave it a New shot. Works great after 3 year usage. Enhanced Endurance With twice the endurance of the previous model1 , the 850 PRO will keep working as long as you do. Samsung's V-NAND technology is built to handle a minimum of 150 Terabytes Written (TBW) over the lifetime of the drive, which equates to a 40 GB daily read/write workload over a 10-year period. Plus, it comes with the industry's top-level ten-year limited warranty.

[@wariqkobra]

That’s what I don’t understand, ssd technology isn’t the same as it was 6 - 7 years ago. The read write cycle technology has dramatically improved ssd performance, increasing lifespan and improving overall reliability. Are you going to write 40 gigs daily over a 10 year period? The ssd will probably outlive the ownership of your car. No need to spread “fear” on current ssd performance. If you plop and ssd in your Tesla, don’t worry about it failing. You’ll be fine.

[@utcman]

I did what you said on your first video about the endurance drive and I have never had a problem like I was having before, thank you for all your information and I love your special effects at the start of your videos, keep them coming!

[@thomasjacques5286]

I bought a Samsung T7 (500GB) for $90. Will partician mine for my Sentry Mode/Dash Cam and my entire iTunes library recorded in Apples Lossless code.

[@h-e-acc]

There has to be an option where all video footage can be automatically saved in cloud storage that you specify (icloud, google drive, etc.) so it’s accessible always despite any damage sustained on the physical external drive

[@NMEofdaST8]

Not yet im sure in the future

[@CyberMikes]

My Samsung SSD 500gb has a very long life. Great warranty. The endurance Micro sd is great for a10 to 15 year warranty.

[@Poxenium]

I always put mechanical hard drives on a piece of memory foam, even in my PC, to minimize noise (aka. vibration transmission to the case). PS: Shockproof HDD cases in general are for disconnected drives. Once it's spinning, the shockproof case won't protect it, you need something A LOT softer. Maybe wrap the case in soft memory foam or something ...

[@Naultarous]

This will very likely cause it to heat up faster and shorten the life.

[@Poxenium]

@@Naultarous I assume you'd use a 2.5" hard drive, which requires maybe 3Watts of power, so it doesn't really heat up. And you won't exactly "wrap it in foam", just enough so it won't hit anything.

[@fatboy19831]

Zoltan. better for shock resistance, Worse for sound and video quality. Try using 3 or 4 brass micro points. Not much shock resistance but it will drain all vibration away from the drive to the chassis.

[@TimMoran1973]

I do night security in my car 🚗. I use a SanDisk flash drive. I can send in video reports and show what happens on patrol. It’s a nice backup when using my phone 📱 to record.

[@abale17]

So my question is MicroSD for dashcam, Usb Flash Drive for music, and 2 usb plugs for wireless charger, microsd to car and other 3 to hub? Partition MicroSD to include music?

[@archhuang8729]

Finally got the great comments on the digital storage devices. Endurance cycling is the key for recording, totally agree with you. Thanks.

[@gosser66]

What are your thoughts on why Samsung doesn't make the endurance memory card larger than 128GB? That seems small compared to capacities of other USB cards out there.

[@strech8]

VIKASI makes the best flash card readers for Tesla drivers with iphones

[@badimpulses17]

I use a Scandisk 128gib in my dash camera 4 four years now no need to get a endurance card just get the regular card work just fine.

[@TheMorrowgamer]

Too late. I already bought a Samsung T5. When it dies, I'll take you up on that endurance micro SD though.

[@BecauseTesla]

I always tell family and friends to start off with what they have, but whenever they are in the market to buy something...the endurance card is the best option. Thanks for watching!

[@dennisseo355]

My regular M.2 enclosure SSD is very small but it works very hot even on laptop, and it was my concern before picking up new tesla. I guess using 256GB endurance micro SD with a proper adapter will be a good solution.

[@ac777]

Do you use a USB hub? If so, which one do you use?

[@zacgvids]

Wish I saw your video before I got a SSD drive for my Model 3. I will get the endurance card next time. Thanks .

[@BecauseTesla]

No worries. Just use what you have. Hopefully it will last you a long time. If it doesn't, you'll know what to get next time. Thanks for watching!

[@jbcola74]

Mecanical 2.5" laptop drives are manufactured for higher g forces, they shoult never fail with those low g forces of a car. They are designed to withstand a drop from a table while running....

[@NasaRacer]

I would say you can buy a 1tb Samsung T7 SSD and over provision by 50% end up with 500gb usable and I bet it would last a long time. I have some older Samsung MSata drives that have over 150TB of writes and they still work perfectly.

[@BecauseTesla]

I say use what you've got. How do your drives hold up in extreme temperatures? A car left outdoors in the summer or winter can reach extreme temperatures. I have a 2tb Samsung T7, but I leave it inside attached to a desktop. The endurance micro sd that I talk about in this video is way cheaper, and purpose-built for constant overwrites in extreme temps. If you already have the SSD, keep using it until you run into any issues. Hopefully, you won't have any. Thanks for watching and for commenting!

[@NasaRacer]

@@BecauseTesla The MSata format is an internal drive that used to be used in mostly laptops and is used inside the older Samsung T5. Inside my older system it runs at 65 to 70C.

[@NMEofdaST8]

The read/write speeds are a lot slower on these endurance micro SD cards. What is the max bandwidth that Tesla allows? SSD read writes are so much faster not even comparable

[@richards733]

As a very non-tech guy, how does the endurance micro SD card go into my model 3 & what adapter do I ask for? You Terrific!

[@BecauseTesla]

I put links in the description so you can see exactly which parts to ask for. I hope this video helps you.

[@thayne559]

An SSD will never wear out in your car. I have a 128GB Samsung SSD that has been reading/writing 12 HD+ security cameras nonstop since 2015 and is showing no signs of wearing out. I just checked it and it has 640TB written.

[@ariip]

Like you just updated, I have now had issues with this setup. The adapter is an issue and the 128 card corrupted and everything was missing. Now the car will not recognize it. I have only used them for a couple of months. I question whether or not I am also having usb port issues on our model 3, so I think I will get that replaced finally after changing our minds. Someone had commented that an update some time back in some cases damaged the usb hub in the car.

[@hasanalhasani]

What hate are you talking, dude this is the first video of yours I watched and it won't be the last. Thanks for the awesome information 💪💪😎😎

[@trojansky2348]

You recommend the rocketek card reader, but apparently the thing gets hotter than the sun…any other recommendation on card readers that won’t fail because of heat?

[@BecauseTesla]

The heat has not been an issue. To be clear, every drive I've tested has been hot. The Rocketek reader is the only one that I've had zero issues with. One positive thing to mention about the "endurance" microSD card is its ability to work under extreme temperatures. It's designed to work in extreme cold (which is good since the car is often outside in the winter when I drive it to work), and it works in extreme heat when the sun heats up the cabin in the Summer. Heat from the drive constantly recording has not been an issue with this setup yet and I've been using it consistently for over a year.

[@Rugged_again]

Just bought a brand new SSD card and every time we get in the Tesla it says we have to reformat it? Thoughts

[@RyanStarcraftProtoss]

The main issue I see with the HDD is the write speed, much slower than your average SSD. I NEVER even thought about using a micro SD card! great idea.

[@davidchen92127]

Interesting and good points! As a retired software engineer who used to work on a flash memory drive project(a while ago thou), here are my few comments: flash memory has about 100k-1m P/E(write/erase) cycles, a 32, 16 or 8kb sector/block must be erased before new writes can be performed. So, Yes! Wear Leveling is important. I don't know how much endurance the Micro SD card has compared to SSD. Regarding recording, if Elon Musk is smart and we know he is very smart. A 10m of video log should be stored in RAM. When an accident, horn is tabbed, people approaching the EV and other events happened then the 10m video log in RAM is written to the SSD. So, there is no need for continuance of erase and write in flash memory. A new write should only take in msec if not usec.

[@BecauseTesla]

Thank you for your insight! Always appreciated!

[@davidtest1231]

Appreciate it. Ordered the two products recommended and liked video.

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks! I also have an updated video on my channel about this topic. The products that you ordered are still the same that I recommend today. But now you no longer need to format the drive on a computer; the Tesla does it for you!

[@anthony310h]

Even if the mechanical hard drive is able to be put in a space where it’s not gonna move it’s still moving parts that could go bad and lose all your data those fell all the time that’s why people are getting SSDs for computer builds and everything

[@alltechthings9506]

hdd is slow so you can get glitchy video from sentry mode and they need power which cable you find in your computers

[@peshtigomark]

I bought a PNY 512. Took a crap twice. This second one stopped working just now. I took it out of the car because it wouldn't reformat. Took it in the house to my desktop. It pops-up right away asking if I want to format. It won't do anything else, so I said YES. It then said it's right protected....WHAT ? Any idea why this is happening ?

[@PurpleSideBlack]

I love your shirt and thank you for explaining the difference for those who aren't super techy. I am techy but still enjoyed the explaination

[@duketlam9206]

Yup. Love the shirt

[@hgodtx]

2:42 Do not shake a hard drive. You can shake it just right and it will completely fail. Yes, even when it's powered off.

[@steveleon2627]

Thanks for sharing the options

[@bolero5000]

No hate here. you nailed it.

[@keithjohnson6510]

A lot of what your saying is correct, but I think your SSD endurance is maybe something not to worry about. Let me explain. Let's pretend we use a 1 TB SSD, now endurance on SSD is kind of weird but they use something called DWPD rating for warranty, and the warranty is usually 4 years. This can range from say 0.3 to 20 (20 been expensive enterprise SSD). So what does that mean you may ask, it's Drive Write Per Day, in other words if you have a DWPD of 0.3 on a 1TB drive that would mean you could fill 30% of the drive every day for 4 years and still be within warranty. So lets pretend on the Tesla we constantly record 24hrs on a 1TB drive with a 0.3 DWPD, would this take us outside our warranty 4 year period. Let's see. First we need to know how much space does a Tesla take per minute -> about 30 meg. So in a day constantly recording 24hrs a day = 30 * 24 * 60 = 43200 meg, or 43.2 gig, or about 5% of the drive, this is well below the 30% of the drive per day that would keep you inside the warranty period. Another way of putting this would be 438 writes per cell. Also as you can see I've even taken into account a worst case scenario here, the Tesla of course doesn't record 24/7, so the wear on the SSD is even less. I think the reason SSD have this wear level miss conceptions, is that when they first came out Microsoft didn't implement TRIM support for a while, and this could prematurely cause failures. TRIM is not an issue anyway with modern SSD as the built in controllers handle this much better now. Now lets say we compare this to a Sandisk Max Endurance 128 GB. They use something called 3D NAND, these can range from 700 - 1500 writes per cell, people often think it's 10,000 but that's for the much more expensive SLC, eg. for a 128Meg Industrial SD card is about $33 , (please note yes, that's Meg not Gig) so the size really not much use for recording video, So now lets assume we used the Max endurance with the best 1500 write per cell,.. That would mean it's endurance per cell is about 3.5x more, but with a 1 TB drive been nearly 8 times larger, it would be more likely the SD card would fail before the SSD.. Yes, the SSD is going to cost more, but I would say endurance on either SSD / or micro SD is really not a big issue as you might think.. Hope all that made sense, the manufactures of both SSD & Mirco SD's don't often make the information that easy to digest.

[@emmigrullon2141]

Thank you so much for posting this video as it was very informative and very helpful. I went ahead and purchased the Samsung pro endurance card 128GB along with the sandisc adapter. Its been 2 weeks since I got my model Y and I’ve been researching on what’s the best option to setup sentry mode. Again this video was very helpful to educate me on the best option to set up the sentry mode plus you also saved me tons of money by not buying a Samsung SSD card. Thank you

[@kpv123]

You are exactly right on the endurance SSD in the scan disk adapter

[@jasonpower6769]

an SD card is MUCH slower than an SSD. How much the tesla takes advantage of that is another question, but the other factor is the the SD card is more expensive, at least twice the price so it would be better to buy 2 SSD over an SD card if you were worried about lifespan? Feel free to correct me if I am wrong!

[@ds2000]

Nice video, I was going to go with an SSD as they've been my weapon of choice for my PS4 Pro and iMac, however you've made solid points with your argument. Ordered both the card and the adapter. Model 3 arrives next Tues :D

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for watching, and congrats on the new car!

[@amccann99]

Was about to order a SSD, now I'm definitely reconsidering.

[@bobbykeeland4559]

I was looking online to find a good SSD for my M3 dash cam / sentry mode when I stumbled across your video. Thanks for the info, I received the endurance SD card and the Rocketek adapter today. I needed it all last week because a guy in a big pickup and pulling an over wide trailer ripped the cover off of our passenger side mirror. The cop would loved to have been able to watch at least part of the action on the flat screen in the car. Lucky for me I could just pop the cover back on the mirror.

[@JoalHarding]

My Model Y 2021 came with the Tesla drive already in it. I had purchased the Endurance just in case it did not come with it. Which one should I use? Thank you! Also, in Florida, so high temps. I don't know if the Tesla is equipped for the high temps as it states on the Endurance as well.

[@BecauseTesla]

The Tesla drive is just a rebranded Samsung BAR plus USB drive. You can find those at Best Buy. The endurance card will last longer, but ultimately you can use either one. I bet you could sell the Tesla drive on eBay for a profit just because it has the word Tesla on it. 😎

[@JoalHarding]

Thank you BT!

[@ianbladuell2694]

Erik, I have a 256gb Samsung ssd and it constantly gives me the (X) icon on the camera and thus it stops recording. When I play the clips on the pc, there are not many there. I go back to my 2017 X and delete all the clips and reformat the ssd drive. Sometimes it will reformat it and other times it will not. Wonder if the ssd drive has gone bad, any ideas?? Meantime I am using a 64gb usb memory drive at seems to get full quickly and stop recording and give me the dreaded (X) icon on the camera. I think I am gonna go your route because lately it has records some sentry events but, when I go to the player, they are not there to play back. Thx, Ian B

[@badimpulses17]

Tesla need to push an update so that you have to input a pin or password to view or reformat your SSD.

[@DSRTSLA]

Great informative video bro. Makes all the sense in the world. Thanks for educating us, the Tesla Community😉🤙🏽

[@evwonder1889]

Best tutorial I’ve seen regarding storage devices. Thanks.

[@jhchooo]

Great video. I burned through 2 USB sticks using Sentry Model and was looking to get a SSD. Ordered a Endurance MicroSD.

[@maloney7461]

Very informative video. Any updates for a 2021 Tesla model 3 long range?

[@BecauseTesla]

The 2021 Tesla Model 3 now comes with its own USB drive in the glovebox. It's just a regular USB thumb drive that says "Tesla" on it, but it's really a rebranded Samsung BAR Plus USB drive. Look that up online for more details about that drive. It comes with the car, so feel free to use that. However, if you live in an area with extreme temperatures during Summer or Winter, I would still recommend the high endurance micro sd card.

[@maloney7461]

@@BecauseTesla Thanks, I ordered the high endurance micro sd card you recommended. We live in California, so the temperature here is pretty moderate.

[@peterwheatley6256]

I bought the exact same endurance micro SD card and SanDisk reader. Formatted fat 32 and saved a folder named TeslaCam. It worked for one day and filled up with sentry mode recordings. Never worked again since. I have reformatted multiple times and still no joy. What am 8 doing wrong?

[@BecauseTesla]

Hi Peter. You aren't doing anything wrong. Tesla updated its software that affected the USB ports for Dashcam, so now the SanDisk reader no longer works. I updated the video description with this info, and changed the links to the product to a new, better, cheaper MicroSD Reader. Sorry about that...we're all pretty upset about it.

[@ejaguar211]

This is what i was looking for but I wanna know that it still works as it was using the nand flash memory since tesla dashcam had been upgraded into 4 channel cam so far. I think SSD is still over-spec if the usb interface is only USB2.0. How does it works now?

[@BecauseTesla]

It still works great! I’m using the Samsung high endurance microSD card with the Rocketek adapter. The original Sandisk adapter ended up failing, but there have been no issues with the Rocketek.

[@hiteshpatel3910]

What size endurance micro SD card do you use? What is the max size partition you need for webcam?

[@BecauseTesla]

I use 128GB, but you can use whatever size you like, or what fits your budget. With these cards, the larger the size the better.

[@agolftweetler3995]

I'm confused why anyone goes to lengths, be it microSD or ssd for Sentry. I just use a cheap USB 3 flash dongle. You don't even need a lot of storage, why would you want anything but the last event (or 10) that triggered sentry?

[@c.dufresne3468]

Hi Erik! I see that you're using a Samsung USB Flask Drive 256GB for your music. Get me out of my ignorance. Do you plug in that drive and the car recognizes the files so you can listen to your personal music? And how many songs can such a drive hold? Thanks a great work!

[@BecauseTesla]

Thank you for the question. Yes, the car is smart enough to recognize music files (like MP3), so it can play your personal music. I created a bunch of folders on that drive for different genres like Rock, Pop, Alternative, Classical...etc. to make it easier to find the album I'm looking for. I'm a music nerd, so I have several thousands of songs on it. 256GB is overkill for most people, but I love having the extra space to keep adding to it as new albums are released throughout the year.

[@c.dufresne3468]

Thanks Erik! That's great. I will do the same thing but at a smaller scale. I checked the size of my music folder and in Properties it seems to say 22 GB so 64GB should be enough, right? However, my files seem more like wma instead of mp3. Is this a problem or will I have to transform this format?

[@BecauseTesla]

64GB should be plenty for you. I’ve heard wma files work, but I’ve never tested that. Try it out first, and if it doesn’t work you may need to convert to mp3.

[@caroledufresne4121]

I will try that and keep you posted. Thanks again Erik and continue the great work.

[@tracykarinp]

What is the operating temperature range of the long endurance microsd card and usb adapter? It can get pretty hot in the Model Y

[@BecauseTesla]

From Samsung's website: "It is rigorously tested with proven resistance to magnets, X-rays, and water (up to 72 hours in seawater, IEC 60529 & IPX7), and withstands operating temperatures ranging from -25°C to 85°C (-13°F to 185°F)." To compare against it's own T5 SSD, the operating temperature range on the SSD is 0 - 60 °C (32 - 140 °F).

[@Jeroenneman]

Still wondering if you have actual facts to back this line of thinking up. The endurance rated SD cards by SanDisk specify 10.000h of video. The warranty period is 2 years. Most SSD's with larger capacities have TBW values in the order of 100+ TBW. That means writing over 100 Terabytes of data before the drive should fail. Samsung also provides 3 years warranty on their T5 SSD. By what logic is 10.000h of video "better endurance" than 100+ TBW?

[@mgoh405]

Would "High Endurance" (SSD microSD) be better than "Endurance"?

[@BecauseTesla]

I think some are just marketing phrases, but I think they’re the same. My Samsung card says Pro Endurance, and I think Sandisk has one called High Endurance. As long as it says endurance, you should be fine.

[@richards733]

HELP! Im technically dumb! What do you suggest I buy for my 2019 model 3? Which micro ssd drive & adapter do you recommend for dash cam & sentry?

[@BecauseTesla]

I put links in my description to make it as easy as possible for you. Mine is a 2019 too! 😎

[@kennethmackellar2032]

No hate from me Brother! Great video and super informative- really well explained. Thank you.👍🏻

[@drpatrickkeogh]

I have a tesla model 3 does this micro endurance sd in a scan disk adapter plug into the usb in the glove box

[@BecauseTesla]

Yes it will. My endurance microSD card had problems when I used the SanDisk adapter, so I switched to Rocketech and have had no problems with it. My Tesla is older, so I don't have the USB port in my glovebox, but for the newer cars with that port, this is the preferred place to insert the endurance card with an adapter.

[@phatfel]

agreed. i would also highly recommend people to always have a spare one just in case. sd cards are so cheap these days, and with all the hate towards teslas you really cant afford to ever have sentry mode/tesla cam down. EVER!

[@YaruSasaki]

So why the heck do you not recommend using SSD's, when there is surveillance grade SSD's?

[@BecauseTesla]

Hi, thanks for the question. SSDs, even surveillance grade, are going to be physically larger and more expensive than the solution that I propose. My solution covers 3 of the top requirements for an in-car storage device: small physical size, affordable, handles extreme temperatures (like inside a car in Summer/Winter). Not a lot of SSDs meet all 3. Everyone is free to choose what they want. Many people just use a regular USB thumb drive. This video is about what I feel is the best option overall. It's just my opinion, but I think it's a pretty good argument.

[@riccardodestefanis6143]

I use a micro sd Scandisk "Extreme" 64GB together with a USB 3.0 Scandisk sd card reader for Sentry mode on my M3. I think the USB card reader has some issues. The Dashcam icon sometimes appears sometimes disappears from the display in the car. When I plug the sd on my pc I need to repair the drive. When I plug it again in the car the icon appears but the following day it disappears. I tested it on another M3, same story, the dashcam icon did not appear. Therefore my 2 usb ports in the car work just fine, something wrong with the USB Scandisk reader. Before I had a micro sd Scandisk Endurance 64GB, same story. I thought the problem was the micro sd card and I changed it. I believe the problem is the usb reader. Any thoughts? Thanks

[@BecauseTesla]

I've heard others report similar issues, so your theory about the reader may be worth looking into. I'll see what I can find and report back at a later time.

[@Givy55]

You seem very hung up on enduirance but these drives aren't that expensive and the data on them not all that important unless you get into an accident. And the chances of it failing right when you might have an accident are pretty slim. And if the drive fails after a couple years or so just get a new one! Am I wrong?

[@saris42]

Sad, I actually agree with you that you shouldn't use a SSD or USB, and that you SHOULD use a special product, the endurance SD from SanDisk is a great option. However I disagree with the reason for your conclusion. While I will not get into the specifics or different NAND gate options, a drive like Samsung Pro SSD has a much longer life span (in writes) than an SD card (thanks in part to the wear leveling you spoke of). The endurance option that you spoke of is simply in reference to the operating perimeters of the unit itself. ie being water proof, shock resistant, EM protected, and operating temperature. While most of those don't matter in a car (no water and shock really isn't that big a deal for something so light) The big gain here is NOT life span, it is operating temperature. Most SSD's have an operating temperature between 0C -70C. Which is not great for most cars, which can get quite cold if you live in a place like I do (-40C in the winter). Again the gain is not Life span, but the temperature range. Which you could get the best of both worlds by getting an SSD that is designed to work in a wider range of temperatures, giving you the higher write cycles and the "endurance" options. Great video, gives you something to think about, hopefully you correct yourself on the specifics of your conclusion.

[@BecauseTesla]

leggolos Denrif This video is older, so you may like my conclusion better in the newest video about this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIXJiJRnib-WrKc

[@model3life]

Just want to add another "thank you" for a great explanation of SSD/hard drives. We will use the same set up you are using!

[@cesarbarron4070]

I bought a 128 gb sd card and it doesnt work. I did everything that you said. I thought I had bought a defective one so I called amazon and they send a new and it still doesnt work. Then I called Tesla and they send someone to my house to check my car, because I thought something was wrong with my dashcam. They Tesla technician that came to my home to check my M3 said that they are having alot of problems with someone who has usb larger than 64gb. you just made me buy this products and they dont work. If it doesnt work in my M3 why would it work in yours?

[@BecauseTesla]

Hi Cesar. Sorry to hear about the problems you're running into. Let me first say that I'm not "making" anyone buy anything. My video is demonstrating the equipment that I picked for myself, and if you want to use the same equipment, I put links to that equipment. The first thing to double check...when you insert it into a computer, look at the "properties" to make sure it says FAT32, and not exFAT. It will ONLY read it if it is formatted to FAT32. I put a link in the description to the free software that I use to format in Windows. If your computer is reading it, there is no problem with that card. Before you return anything else, try formatting it again with the software I mentioned. Some viewers have mentioned that they are having problems with the Sandisk USB adapter. The Flash card is fine, but the adapter is not working. I'm not sure if this is a problem with Sandisk, or a Tesla software issue since these issues started showing up after the v10 software updates. Do you have a different microSD>USB adapter that you can try? I have ordered a few different ones to test out and will report back after I test them later this week. Not everyone is having the problem, so it's hard to say what is causing it.

[@danyo6938]

Also, it likely could be an issue with Tesla's recent software updates. People have been complaining about their dash cam not working properly (including me).

[@Bee_Lu]

Just got a new SR+, bought your recommended SD Card and Rocketek USB - But after the second dirve of each day the Camera Icon always dissappears. I have to take it out and re-insert it for the camera to reappear. Any thoughts?

[@BecauseTesla]

Hi Bee, thanks for the question. My LR AWD has not had any issues with this equipment yet, and I use it a lot...every day. So let's go through a couple of things. I'm assuming you used the links to the products that I recommended, and not a cheaper "knock off" version. You may need to reformat it once more. Are you using Windows, Mac, or Linux? Has your Tesla been updated to the latest software release? I just received a new over the air update today (2020.12). Try upgrading and test it again. Did you put anything else on that drive other than dashcam (partition it)? You can also try reseating the micro SD card from the adaptor to make sure the connection is good. Let me know if any of that helps.

[@tomkwan9218]

Thanks for the video! I'm planning to get the Samsung Endurance Pro 128GB MicroSD card. How do you connect the MicroSD card to the USB port? Do i need a special SD card reader? Thanks!

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for watching Tom. I put links in the description below the video for the parts you need. The Endurance card needs to be inserted into a USB adapter, and I have that link listed for a Rocketek adapter. That's all you need.

[@tomkwan9218]

Because Tesla I found the link! Thanks for the helpful info and the blazing fast reply! Can’t wait to see more of your videos!

[@kimpremuda8092]

Erik, Samsung SD Pro Endurance Card 128GB write speed is 30MB/s, Samsung T5 SSD 1TB write speed is 540MB/s. SD Pro okay for a single camera, but T5 can accommodate 4 cameras easily with no drop outs or partial/distorted imagery. T5 holds approx. 8 times the data that SD Pro holds: 1000GB (1TB) / 128GB = x8, so more time between cell overwrites with T5. T5 write cycle max. lifetime is 3000, so 8 x 3000 = 24,000 write cycles. Probably not quite as good as SD Pro for long life, but close...I think your conclusions are accurate. Good job!

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for watching! All good points that you made. That Samsung T5 SSD 1TB is a great drive...in fact, that's the same model I put a link to in the description for people that really want to use an SSD.

[@mario450a]

Cool video! I'm curious if you've any problems with the 30MB/s write speed of the Samsung 128GB Endurance? Also, how long does it take to fill the 128gb?

[@BecauseTesla]

No problems at all with this equipment. No error messages. As far as how long it takes to fill, that depends on how much you drive or how long you leave your car parked and recording. This is from Tesla's user manual: "Tesla recommends using a flash drive with as much available storage as possible; saving the most recent ten-minutes of video requires approximately 1 GB, and the hourlong video footage loop requires approximately 8 GB of free space. If your flash drive does not have sufficient storage, an "X" displays on the dashcam icon and dashcam may be unable to save video files."

[@chasfischer2844]

Since you are on the subject of sentry mode. What kind of car alarm, security system does Tesla have and how do they work? Great video, very informative.

[@BecauseTesla]

So "Sentry Mode" is the alarm system. It uses the cameras and sensors around the car to detect people/objects approaching the car. It will flash the headlights first as a warning, and if some sets off the alarm, the center screen turns on a bright white screen to light up inside the car and the stereo turn on at full volume to scare them away. And of course, the cameras record the video to your drive for you to review. Sentry Mode (alarm system) is on while the car is parked, and Dashcam is on while the car is moving. 2 different things, but uses the same hardware.

[@slacayo]

Thx for the great explanation! I'll purchased what you have suggested. Cheers🍻

[@michaelvladimirsky3402]

Would it be OK to use EVO Plus microSDXC Memory Card 512GB or it must be Pro Endurance? Also regular Endurance vs Pro?

[@lxe1986]

Thank you for updating your videos. Espcialy the intro animations!

[@MichaelEricMenk]

If you want long life , get a single layer cell with wear leveling. Single cells have the most write cycles..

[@seijirou302]

Thanks for the info I nearly made the mistake of installing an SSD after my walmart thumb drive died.

[@hardensoul7248]

Thanks for this, I didn’t know about endurance drives! You sir earned a subscriber!!

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for joining the family! Yeah, microSD endurance cards are widely used in the dashcam world. I’m glad I discovered them too!

[@hardensoul7248]

@@BecauseTesla I ordered a Model 3 LR in June and was looking up as much info as I could to prep for delivery hopefully soon in August. Edit, the Micro SD are pretty small even with adaptor. It'll be ideal for the glove compartment usb slot.

[@BecauseTesla]

Congrats on your new Model 3! It feels like the longest wait ever, right? It will be well worth the wait.

[@motap001]

Thxs for the information.

[@darknight2628]

Hi tom great video! I was actually gonna get the SSD till I saw your video. So will be ordering the samsung endurance. I just saw you updated the adapter from sandisk to rocketek. Does the endurance micro SD card need to be formatted as well?

[@BecauseTesla]

I just put out a new video regarding this. The micro sd card can now be formatted IN THE CAR. I show you how in my video. Thanks for watching...and that was a wise choice going with the Samsung endurance card!

[@mlim8]

Thanks for the great informative video. Very clear and simple explanation.

[@nicktong1776]

why dont u use a External HDD for it? what am I missing?

[@BecauseTesla]

My question would be why an External HDD? The application that it is being used is not a stationary temperature-controlled computer. We're talking about a moving vehicle. HDD would be the worst in this environment. SSD would be better as they handle shock and vibration better (no moving parts). HDD has moving parts, and also not very good for extreme temperatures that tend to build up in a car (hot in Summer and cold in Winter). What I'm proposing is an endurance microSD card. It's cheaper, smaller, better resistant to extreme temperatures...so...what am I missing?

[@jabbawok944]

Manufacturers usually publish endurance estimates for their drives. I’ve read 3000 cycles is normal for an TLC SSD. That would mean you’d need to fill the whole ssd 3000 times before suffering failures. I suspect something like the Samsung T5 actually has better ware characteristics than an endurance micro-SD. Regular SD cards have pretty poor lifespans so endurance by an SD card standard isn’t saying much. Also if you want endurance USB drives, ATP make some which I use in industrial logging applications and they are specifically designed for constantly being written to. This guy ripitapart.com/2020/07/16/reverse-engineering-and-analysis-of-sandisk-high-endurance-microsdxc-card/ seems to have worked out the endurance SD cards are basically using the same flash as something like the T5 or a sata SSD would be using so should exhibit similar longevity. I think a 1TB usb SSD is probably optimal for Sentry mode. From what I hear it uses a lot of space.

[@BecauseTesla]

Hi There! Thanks for the input. I've recently updated my info on this subject with a newer video seen here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIXJiJRnib-WrKc Long story short, yes, you are probably correct about the NAND. What a lot of people may not pay attention to is the application in which we are using this. It's in a car where internal temperatures can get extremely hot or cold. Manufacturers also publish the operating temperature range of their drives, and the endurance microSD did a lot better there than the T5 SSD. So the endurance card is cheaper, has a smaller footprint in the car, purpose built for endurance cycles (overwrites), and has a wider operating temperature range. I'm not saying SSDs are bad...I personally use a Samsung T7 SSD with my home computer. But given the reasons above, I'm not sure why anyone would want to put a more expensive, bulkier drive in place.

[@jabbawok944]

Because Tesla how big is the card you use. I was under the impression you needed a lot of space for dashcam and sentry mode, like 500Gb at least.

[@BecauseTesla]

@@jabbawok944 From my discussion with others, many people use 64GB drives. Mine is 128GB. At one point Tesla was telling people 32GB and up. The latest from Tesla is from the owners manual: "Tesla recommends using a flash drive with as much available storage as possible; saving the most recent ten-minutes of video requires approximately 1 GB, and the hour-long video footage loop requires approximately 8 GB of free space." Of course this all varies between users. For instance, I don't have sentry mode enabled when my car is parked at home, so it is really only running when I'm parked at work. Other people will use it a lot more if they park their car away from home more often. You are correct that 500GB or more would be better for the life of the drive since it has more unused space to fill before it starts to overwrite the NAND cells. For me, the extra space will not help me in the Wintertime when the operating temperature is in negative numbers (I live in the North where it gets really cold). My car will be fine in my garage, but at work when I need the drive to be working, I would rather have a drive that is optimized for extreme temperatures.

[@TheCilou6]

Thanks for the video, my French second language English speaker self understood it all (I think) Little question about what is relevant I've seen v30 or v90 markings on the cards along with 100mbs etc Is a 128g v30 100mbs endurance micro card enough or do I need to go to a v90 one? xxx Cilou

[@BecauseTesla]

Bonjour Cilou. Je parle francais un peu. The card that I recommend is the Samsung Pro Endurance micro SD card. It's 128GB with 100mbs write speed, and has an "XC1" speed class. The newer speed classes are v30 (fast) and v90 (faster). I have not had any problems with my Samsung card. I put a link to it in the description. Au revoir.

[@TheCilou6]

Because Tesla merci beaucoup !