SDS100/SDS200: Fastest Way To Delete Voice Recordings
- Thread starter JASII
- Start date
Put it into mass storage mode and once it is mounted, erase via computer
Recording without a real purpose would put unneccessary write cycles on the SD card, maybe rethink recording everything?
Ubbe
Member
You can make it a habit to move all recorded file folders from the SD card to your computer once a week. Download the program Universal Scanner Audio Player and you can quickly sort and go thru them and keep the files that could be interesting and delete the rest.
/Ubbe
/Ubbe
NWI_Scanner_Guy
SCANNING THE AIRWAVES SINCE 1987
I'll second this. With my first SDS100, I recorded everything, which I eventually figured out contributed to the premature failure of several microSD cards.
I have been recording with my 436 for years and have yet to wear out a Micro SD card. I download them to my PC and review with the Universal
Scanner Player and then delete from the scanner. Why spend $500-700 on a radio and then worry about a $10-15 SD card?
Scanner Player and then delete from the scanner. Why spend $500-700 on a radio and then worry about a $10-15 SD card?
[ Borderline thread hijack ] I wish there was a top level menu item to 'disable writing to SD card', @JoeBearcat. What exactly gets written on shutdown that is so mission critical anyway?
[ /Borderline thread hijack ]
Same here. I have been using the same method for many years now, going back to the 436/536 early days, and still using the same SD cards. Amazon has USB/SD card readers, you can pick up another SD card, have Sentinel Write to Scanner on the empty SD card, remove full one, replace with "new" one, place in computer, empty recordings. Always record, you never know when something will happen and you'll have it recorded, my list goes back many years.
Among other things, if you are using a GPS, it would need to write your location so it doesn't have to wait for a GPS fix on startup. Plus, if you were recording, it would need to finish writing to the card along with insuring all open files are closed.
Doesn't the unit inhibit writing to the SD card when it's running without a battery? I'll have to check that when I get home.
IIRC it will only inhibit the recording function...
According to HowStuffWorks, memory cells in micro SD cards can undergo up to 10,000 write-and-erase cycles before wearing out. Since 10,000 write cycles are the equivalent of writing and erasing the card's content daily for nearly 30 years, memory cards are generally long-lasting.
I am 62 years old. So, in 30 years, if I am still alive, I will be 92 years old. If my SDS100 still works and the micro SD card fails, I can probably afford another one!
I am 62 years old. So, in 30 years, if I am still alive, I will be 92 years old. If my SDS100 still works and the micro SD card fails, I can probably afford another one!
First... HowStuffWorks is just plain ol' non-authoritative. Second, your assumption & math are presuming that you will do a single daily read/write of each cell - which is completely not how SD card architecture and file systems that habitate them operate. Some cells are more important than others, such as the old FAT (File allocation Table) cells that are used in FAT16/32 devices. Those cells are literally roadmaps to where the data is stored on the rest of the device. Sure there is some basic redundancy on the device (and in the underlying filesystem/tools) , but if one of those cells gets goofed up - or fails - the filesystem / OS have to do damage control to possibly recover that data. If that cell isn't the only bad cell in the area, or it takes other cells down with it - that's even more data that's gone/compromised. Cells that hold data that is highly dynamic get re-written tens to thousands of times a day - you might have heard the old term "flogging the drive" - and that much activity will wear things out sooner. You don't need the entire drive to fail - you just need important parts of it.
I replace my dynamic cards every year, the few cards I have that are read only (in static devices - like my antique original raspi B that is now a touchscreen thermostat) have been going for almost a decade - but I know I'm pushing the limit there.
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Write cycles are in the order of 100,000 (Not 10,000) today and SD cards include circuitry to manage wear-leveling, that is, it spreads out writes over the storage media evenly to avoid “hot spots”... Meaning spots being written too frequently and therefore failing early...
No
Thanks for confirming @donc13, once @RandyKuff mentioned it only inhibited the recording function earlier - it sounded more correct in my head.
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My sds100 sits on my desk without a battery powered via usb. when you power off it still gives you the "Writing to SD card Please wait..." message. I just made some display changes and i assume it has to write this to the sd card so that it can remember your settings, avoids etc on the next power-up. but yes, to keep on topic, connect to your pc and go into the folder and delete the audio files that way. Sometimes i'll hit REC when i hear something that sounds like it's going to get juicy and forget to stop recording. I just bought a 2-pack of 32GB sd cards for $9. 32GB is a LOT of audio files to delete manually 
Ubbe
Member
It will even have control over files that are never updated and its cells have only been written once, and move that file to cells that have been used the most, to make use of that "fresh" cells. The cells that keep the file allocation table, that will get the most wear, are of another type. I have constant recording enabled in my HP1 and have been so for over 10 years now of at least 5 hours of daily use and still have its original SD card.
/Ubbe
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