Dash Cams

[FJ Steve]

Why format the memory card??

it is a media that is consistently being written to. As such, it does have a limited life.

How can an SD card get worn out?
An SD card gets worn out when it goes through many read-write cycles which may cause errors. Those errors unaddressed may seriously damage an SD card. So, we recommend to format your SD card using our (Blackvue) SD Formatter every week or at least every 2-3 weeks. Also after formatting it is strongly recommended to update the firmware. And always switch off the power prior to taking the SD card out of your BlackVue.

[Guest001]

In actual fact when you buy a new Blackvue camera it is supplied with a blank memory card The firmware is already in the camera and when you put the card in it is initialised and the necessary files are installed on it . When you upgrade the firmware it is installed off the card and into the camera.
I have just gone and put a blank card into my camera and it says "Initialising the SD card" and does so and starts recording.
I havent formatted mine for about 2 months and its going Ok Is a 128Gb Sandisk Ultra in the DR500HD-GW

As said it doesnt hurt to format it occasionally but you dont have to do anything else.
Just format it and put the blank card back in the camera. Also best to format it in a PC using "SD formatter" rather than in the camera
Mine is a Korean version which I hacked the firmware to enable it to speak English

[The_Hawk]

Thinking out loud here...

Doing a full format can mark damaged bits (ie the ones that have worn over time) so yeah it sounds like there is some merit in that... but..

The reality is that memory cards these days have a life expectancy of around 100,000 cycles... So even if that's only an hour of footage it looks like this if it was recording 24/7:

100,000/24/365=11.4 YEARS of footage.

Given most cards will hold multiple hours and it's not recording 24/7 you're highly likely to replace the camera long before the card dies.


To add to that, I've been running a camera in the Van for 2.5 years on the same micro SD card (which has never been reformatted) and it's probably only 8GB/16GB so would have had more cycles than a larger card... and that's never missed a beat. Everytime I've wanted footage off it it's been fine.

You have to wonder why Blackvue recommend it so highly? Or if it's just encouraging you to update the firmware more often

[Guest001]

Yeah I dont worry about mine Havent done the one in the wifes 400 for months and my rear one far ages and they still record Usual problem is the camera get a bit hot and upsets the cards.

In saying that on first trip to USA the 400 cut out for no reason for a day and a bit until I worked out that the power plug squeezed out of the socket a bit in the rental and cut the power. I taped it in after that

[The_Hawk]

Fast forward a few years and I have a few updates.

The old G1W in the Van died at the end of 2017 (just after I got a replacement mounting base of course), the A119 in the Cab worked so well in such a nice formfactor I grabbed the slightly newer A119V2 and dropped that into the Van. Same mini USB power plug too which made it nice and simple and meant I didnt have to rewire the whole thing.

Not long after that the Micro USB card packed it in... just dead, Im guessing the heat got to it, in either case its worth check on your camera from time to time to ensure its still doing what it should be.


Everything was going very well until very recently the A119V2 started playing up, originally I thought it was an issue with the GPS module since powering the camera directly (and not using the GPS) saw it working, but over time it has starter flickering, rebooting itself and forgetting its settings. I was all set to just order a new one and be done, but hacing some holiday time on my hands I pulled out the multimeter and had a poke around to discover it was only passing 4V or so to the device... seems the old hacked up power source has given out.

A quick test with a new USB adaptor and cable had it working like it used to so a couple of hours later Ive stripped it all down, desoldered the old adaptor cut up that new USB power adator and hard wired it into place cleaning up some of my previous work as I went. I love electrical arts and crafts time. I could have just moved to the USB setup instead which would make future replacements that much easier, but this ensures it doesnt fall out, it much neater and isnt too hard to replace when the time comes.

Another top tip, check the power supply before deciding something doesnt work

[Guest001]

Fast forward a few years and I have a few updates.

SNIP

. I was all set to just order a new one and be done, but hacing some holiday time on my hands I pulled out the multimeter and had a poke around to discover it was only passing 4V or so to the device... seems the old hacked up power source has given out.

A quick test with a new USB adaptor and cable had it working like it used to so a couple of hours later Ive stripped it all down, desoldered the old adaptor cut up that new USB power adator and hard wired it into place cleaning up some of my previous work as I went. I love electrical arts and crafts time. I could have just moved to the USB setup instead which would make future replacements that much easier, but this ensures it doesnt fall out, it much neater and isnt too hard to replace when the time comes.

Another top tip, check the power supply before deciding something doesnt work

Very true but as my cameras are 12v ones they dont need a stepdown. Also TURN the ENGINE ON when testing as I found out after I couldnt get 4 different Power Magics to fire up and neither could Autobarn using a bench battery..

Came home reinstalled it and had a light bulb moment Turned engine on and away it went.. Autobarn were also pleased to know about that. LOL

History of cards

Have about 5 Sandisk Ultra 128 and 200GB ones and 1 Samsung Evo. The oldest of each is 4 years old and still works fine but have replaced them in my cameras with the 200G Sandisks.

I rarely even look at them let alone format them and they seem to just chug along. It certainly doesnt hurt to do so though as I anxiously await result of both mine confirming I was doing 2 over going past a speed camera yesterday NROLFL.