Backup drive for saving sd cards in the field

[kinetix]

Does anyone know of a stand-alone backup drive for saving sd cards in the field, preferably rechargeable?

 

[GFields]

Google can be our best friend. Read this article and see it offers any help

 

[msinger]

Google can be our best friend

And be sure to read the Amazon reviews before buying too. I haven't used the product from that article, but the reviews aren't very favorable.

 

[GFields]

And be sure to read the Amazon reviews before buying too. I haven't used the product from that article, but the reviews aren't very favorable.

Do you have a better solution?

 

[msinger]

Do you have a better solution?

The WD My Passport Wireless used to be a good solution. It's now discontinued and WD doesn't seem to have plans to offer a newer comparable model.

 

[GFields]

What I do is the following:

When I am going to be out for a few days, I take my Microsoft Surface Pro. It's pretty small but gets the job done. I have a card reader and external drive I hook up to it to transfer the files from the SD Card. This is may not the most convenient way, but it works. They all fit in a small backpack. If it's just a day's job I wait to get back and transfer the SD files to an external drive attached to my PC

 

[msinger]

And then I guess another option would be to buy more micro SD cards. Depending on how many are needed, it could be less expensive / less hassle than offloading that data to another device.

 

[mavic3usa]

This is what I use, it's a device called:

It is an $80 device called NewQ and you can find it here: Amazon.com

Features no memory, internal rechargeable battery.

How it works: On the left side, you have one SD card slot where you insert either your full-size SD card or use an adapter for the microSD card. This is your input, or the microSD card from your drone.

Along the top from left to right are 3 slots (ethernet, USB-C for charging only, USB-A for output only)

How to backup: Use the USB-A slot to connect the drive you want to copy files to. It can be (l to r): 1) full size SD card in an adapter, 2) microSD card in an adapter, 3) SSD with cable, 4) simple memory stick, or 5) flash drive. Anything that inserts with USB-A, any size.

Press and hold the button the left side and everything copies from input slot to output slot. No file moving, no deleting, just creates a timestamp folder and copies everything. If you push the button again, makes a second copy. No checking, no syncing, no overwriting....just plain copy every time.

If you want to get fancy, use the built-in wifi and using the NewQ app on your phone, you can copy/paste, sort, delete, move, play, etc....pretty much anything that you will do on the computer. But I don't use it. In the field, when I am done flying, I have my drive already inserted in the top USB-A slot, and I insert the microsd card into the side (slot), press and hold the copy button. Flashing lights, then one hour later, I've copied 64gb. These files I'll probably never access unless something goes wrong with the originals since I'll always work with the drone's microsd card. With a 2TB SSD connected, I can store months worth of video in case I need them later. Perfect for vacation where you want to copy and save all your files without having to delete anything.

 

[EssenYVR]

I just picked up a portable USB hub. It plugs into my phone and provides three USB ports (two "A" and one "C") that I can plug drives into. So I can plug the drone into it as well as a backup drive, and then use the phone to copy between them. The hub and what you attach to it are normally powered from the phone, but it can also be powered from a power bank or conventional USB power supply via a USB PD input port.

I chose this because I can also use it to back up files from my still and video cameras, which don't have the "smarts" to do file copies to external devices.

 

[Dale D]

Does anyone know of a stand-alone backup drive for saving sd cards in the field, preferably rechargeable?

I always travel with my MacBook Pro and card reader and a power bank

 

[kinetix]

There are lots of options, thanks for the feedback. I like the NewQ Filehub idea because it's compact, self powered and simple operation. That said, are there less than favorable reviews out there?

 

[mavic3usa]

There are lots of options, thanks for the feedback. I like the NewQ Filehub idea because it's compact, self powered and simple operation. That said, are there less than favorable reviews out there?

Obviously you'll want to use the fastest available media so you don't run into issues with speed otherwise the files could take forever to copy over. So far, I have not run out of battery (you can attach a portable charger) and I insert this drive into the top which fits almost flush and I leave it there; the entire setup is really compact and lightweight and there are no moving parts.

SanDisk 512GB Ultra Fit USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive - Up to 400MB/s, Plug-and-Stay Design - SDCZ430-512G-GAM46, Black​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BY2X88LD/

 

[kinetix]

I really only need the ability to transfer to another USB thumb drive and have no use for the wifi part, so this is looking good. It's so easy to lose, drop, overwrite a micro USB that I just want to back up along the way and this is looking like a good solution, It's kind of amazing that there aren't more choices. I could pack a laptop or use my iPad but that is more cumbersome and adds another step to the transfer at home. Thanks again.

 

[WanderLost]

This is what I use, it's a device called:

It is an $80 device called NewQ and you can find it here: Amazon.com

Features no memory, internal rechargeable battery.

How it works: On the left side, you have one SD card slot where you insert either your full-size SD card or use an adapter for the microSD card. This is your input, or the microSD card from your drone.

Along the top from left to right are 3 slots (ethernet, USB-C for charging only, USB-A for output only)

How to backup: Use the USB-A slot to connect the drive you want to copy files to. It can be (l to r): 1) full size SD card in an adapter, 2) microSD card in an adapter, 3) SSD with cable, 4) simple memory stick, or 5) flash drive. Anything that inserts with USB-A, any size.

Press and hold the button the left side and everything copies from input slot to output slot. No file moving, no deleting, just creates a timestamp folder and copies everything. If you push the button again, makes a second copy. No checking, no syncing, no overwriting....just plain copy every time.

If you want to get fancy, use the built-in wifi and using the NewQ app on your phone, you can copy/paste, sort, delete, move, play, etc....pretty much anything that you will do on the computer. But I don't use it. In the field, when I am done flying, I have my drive already inserted in the top USB-A slot, and I insert the microsd card into the side (slot), press and hold the copy button. Flashing lights, then one hour later, I've copied 64gb. These files I'll probably never access unless something goes wrong with the originals since I'll always work with the drone's microsd card. With a 2TB SSD connected, I can store months worth of video in case I need them later. Perfect for vacation where you want to copy and save all your files without having to delete anything.

View attachment 172246

Did I understand that it takes an hour to transfer 64GB of files?

 

[mavic3usa]

Did I understand that it takes an hour to transfer 64GB of files?

This is how I made the rough calculation when copying files to the destination Sandisk 500:

 

[skycam509]

This is what I use, it's a device called:

It is an $80 device called NewQ and you can find it here: Amazon.com

Features no memory, internal rechargeable battery.

How it works: On the left side, you have one SD card slot where you insert either your full-size SD card or use an adapter for the microSD card. This is your input, or the microSD card from your drone.

Along the top from left to right are 3 slots (ethernet, USB-C for charging only, USB-A for output only)

How to backup: Use the USB-A slot to connect the drive you want to copy files to. It can be (l to r): 1) full size SD card in an adapter, 2) microSD card in an adapter, 3) SSD with cable, 4) simple memory stick, or 5) flash drive. Anything that inserts with USB-A, any size.

Press and hold the button the left side and everything copies from input slot to output slot. No file moving, no deleting, just creates a timestamp folder and copies everything. If you push the button again, makes a second copy. No checking, no syncing, no overwriting....just plain copy every time.

If you want to get fancy, use the built-in wifi and using the NewQ app on your phone, you can copy/paste, sort, delete, move, play, etc....pretty much anything that you will do on the computer. But I don't use it. In the field, when I am done flying, I have my drive already inserted in the top USB-A slot, and I insert the microsd card into the side (slot), press and hold the copy button. Flashing lights, then one hour later, I've copied 64gb. These files I'll probably never access unless something goes wrong with the originals since I'll always work with the drone's microsd card. With a 2TB SSD connected, I can store months worth of video in case I need them later. Perfect for vacation where you want to copy and save all your files without having to delete anything.

View attachment 172246

Thanks for sharing this. Will it power an SSD storage drive?

 

[mavic3usa]

Thanks for sharing this. Will it power an SSD storage drive?

Yes it does. Using USB-A to USB-C cable, SSD drives like the Crucial X-series, Sandisk Extreme, or Samsung T-series as soon as you plug them into the unit when it is powered on, the SSD status light will turn on and it takes a few minutes for it to become usable.

 

[Parkerjh]

Holy Grail item. I just aren't a lot of great solutions. There was the Gnarbox which was super expensive, and they ended up going out of production. WD had a decent drive that was discontinued too.

I would love something that is self contained, self powered and you just insert SD card and it sucks in everything previously not copied. If it was 1TB with decent speed, I'd honestly pay $1000 for that.

 

[mavic3usa]

Holy Grail item. I just aren't a lot of great solutions. There was the Gnarbox which was super expensive, and they ended up going out of production. WD had a decent drive that was discontinued too.

I would love something that is self contained, self powered and you just insert SD card and it sucks in everything previously not copied. If it was 1TB with decent speed, I'd honestly pay $1000 for that.

Agreed but I couldn't find that; only something close to it.

I think the idea here is if you insert that 1TB drive to receive the backup files, you have plenty of space to receive full copies (not just selected copies). They make it super simple: whatever is on the card, copy it to the drive; never mind about file organization, duplicates, file naming, etc. If you want 2 copies, press the button "twice." You have the space.

For me, I never go into that 1TB backup file....unless I have to. But I know those files are there should I need them one day.

Also, I have barely used the phone app. It is possible there are such settings which can allow this. Also, it is likely you can copy and paste file manually which means you can take a few extra steps and do it yourself. However, it won't be the automatic one button. If you make a backup and then you erase the original card (which I would never do) then you won't get duplicates.

The device never gets hot; only warm. I would imagine if you increase speeds too much more, for the cheap material this is made from and not a big internal battery, you won't be able to drop it in your bag while it is working. And it wouldn't be able to copy for 1+ hours. Unless you use good media, this product can be pretty slow if you have a ton of data. The good news is it's super reliable; no errors, no "disconnects", etc.

 

[mavicairjim]

This might work for your purposes:
G-Technology 5TB ArmorATD All-Terrain Rugged Portable External Hard Drive - USB-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1 - 0G10478-1 Amazon.com