Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

What's the largest size of a USB flash-drive (aka thumb-drive) that someone
has used successfully in a car deck with a USB port? And what was the make
& model of deck & flash-drive?

I keep reading about device errors above 2GB to 4GB but I was hoping to use
2X or 4X that capacity for MP3, WMA, etc.. An example would be the A-DATA
PD2 16GB model for $200. Specs on various head units say a "USB mass
storage device" w/USB 2.0 should be fully readable but I don't know what to
believe. Thanks for any info.

Tom
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Mariachi Mariachi is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 174
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

On Apr 21, 7:35 pm, Tom wrote:
What's the largest size of a USB flash-drive (aka thumb-drive) that someone
has used successfully in a car deck with a USB port? And what was the make
& model of deck & flash-drive?

I keep reading about device errors above 2GB to 4GB but I was hoping to use
2X or 4X that capacity for MP3, WMA, etc.. An example would be the A-DATA
PD2 16GB model for $200. Specs on various head units say a "USB mass
storage device" w/USB 2.0 should be fully readable but I don't know what to
believe. Thanks for any info.

Tom


I used a 2 gigabyte SD card before... worked most of the time, but
some songs the head unit completely skipped over. When I plugged the
SD card in the computer, it worked perfectly. So it must have been
the head unit itself. But anyways, if you are going to buy a 16 GB
flash card for around 200 dollars, you might want to consider buying a
30 gig iPod for 225 dollars instead with a good aux in with the head
unit.

  #3   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

Mariachi wrote in
ups.com:

On Apr 21, 7:35 pm, Tom wrote:
What's the largest size of a USB flash-drive (aka thumb-drive) that
someone has used successfully in a car deck with a USB port? And what
was the make & model of deck & flash-drive?

I keep reading about device errors above 2GB to 4GB but I was hoping
to use 2X or 4X that capacity for MP3, WMA, etc.. An example would be
the A-DATA PD2 16GB model for $200. Specs on various head units say
a "USB mass storage device" w/USB 2.0 should be fully readable but I
don't know what to believe. Thanks for any info.

Tom


I used a 2 gigabyte SD card before... worked most of the time, but
some songs the head unit completely skipped over. When I plugged the
SD card in the computer, it worked perfectly. So it must have been
the head unit itself. But anyways, if you are going to buy a 16 GB
flash card for around 200 dollars, you might want to consider buying a
30 gig iPod for 225 dollars instead with a good aux in with the head
unit.


Something tells me an SD card is not as electronically-adept for this
purpose as a "thumb" drive but I have no evidence.

The iPod angle may seem practical but I don't want to worry about keeping
anything charged or deal with moving parts and finding a docking place.
Solid state is the main angle. I also want something tiny that I can hide
in the car. I like USB decks with rear cables so you don't have the flash-
drive sticking out of the face. They could recess a front USB port so the
stick barely protrudes.

I'm not understanding why larger flash drives are harder to read, or why
manufacturers remain vague about max. storage size (e.g.
www.kenwood.com/usb/). FAT 16 & FAT 32 issues have been mentioned, but that
Kenwood link doesn't list them as size limitations. With 2GB flash-drive
prices under $35 it could be economical to get a handful vs. one larger
stick. Surely someone has tested at least an 8GB flash-drive?

Tom
  #4   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
John[_28_] John[_28_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


I also want something tiny that I can hide
in the car. I like USB decks with rear cables so you don't have the

flash-
drive sticking out of the face. They could recess a front USB port so

the
stick barely protrudes.


I agree with you, I've always been a big fan of Alpine, but their usb
adaption requires some extra hardware.


--
John
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
CT CT is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

On Apr 21, 11:19 pm, Tom wrote:
Mariachi wrote roups.com:



On Apr 21, 7:35 pm, Tom wrote:
What's the largest size of a USB flash-drive (aka thumb-drive) that
someone has used successfully in a car deck with a USB port? And what
was the make & model of deck & flash-drive?


I keep reading about device errors above 2GB to 4GB but I was hoping
to use 2X or 4X that capacity for MP3, WMA, etc.. An example would be
the A-DATA PD2 16GB model for $200. Specs on various head units say
a "USB mass storage device" w/USB 2.0 should be fully readable but I
don't know what to believe. Thanks for any info.


Tom


I used a 2 gigabyte SD card before... worked most of the time, but
some songs the head unit completely skipped over. When I plugged the
SD card in the computer, it worked perfectly. So it must have been
the head unit itself. But anyways, if you are going to buy a 16 GB
flash card for around 200 dollars, you might want to consider buying a
30 gig iPod for 225 dollars instead with a good aux in with the head
unit.


Something tells me an SD card is not as electronically-adept for this
purpose as a "thumb" drive but I have no evidence.

The iPod angle may seem practical but I don't want to worry about keeping
anything charged or deal with moving parts and finding a docking place.
Solid state is the main angle. I also want something tiny that I can hide
in the car. I like USB decks with rear cables so you don't have the flash-
drive sticking out of the face. They could recess a front USB port so the
stick barely protrudes.

I'm not understanding why larger flash drives are harder to read, or why
manufacturers remain vague about max. storage size (e.g.www.kenwood.com/usb/). FAT 16 & FAT 32 issues have been mentioned, but that
Kenwood link doesn't list them as size limitations. With 2GB flash-drive
prices under $35 it could be economical to get a handful vs. one larger
stick. Surely someone has tested at least an 8GB flash-drive?

Tom


This past weekend I bought an in-dash system with USB port. I wanted
to buy a 2GB flash drive and basically stick my whole cd collection on
it and carry it with me wherever I go. The system also reads CD-R, CD
+R so you can put MP3's on a disc, but you are limited to ~750 MB of
space on a disc. Anyway, the owner's manual for mine states that for
USB, the file limit is ~48,000 files. I don't think the mebabyte size
is the issue, but the fact that there are too many files on a stick to
process? But then, who has 48,000 music songs on a disc anyway?



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
flak_monkey[_17_] flak_monkey[_17_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


You could get a 2.5 or 1.8 inch portable hard drive, mount it under the
seat, and do the USB that way. That's what I'd do.


--
flak_monkey
  #7   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Member02[_18_] Member02[_18_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


or install a laptop with full internet and video capability.

oh yeah.


--
Member02
  #8   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As long as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work. This
is Kenwood's spec. from http://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:

Maximum number of folder layers: 8
Maximum number of folders (per device): 500
Maximum number of files (per folder): 4096
Maximum number of files (per device): 15000

15,000 songs would fill 60-80gb in typical use! I'm sure flash will reach
that capacity soon enough.

I now have a 16gb 2.0 flash drive over 2/3rds full and it reads with no
errors (except DRM files synced with Windows Media Player 11 get ignored).
The flash drive takes about 15 secs to load on power-up. As long as you
don't unplug it, the last song position is remembered after you turn off
the deck. Very convenient to not walk through folders again.

To be conservative, I'd group music into as few folders as possible. You
can sort tracks in any order by naming them: 01 Song5, 02 Song3, 03 Song8,
etc.. Folders help with category sorting and navigation speed if the deck
lacks ID tag genre sorting.

When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the first file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For me
there's no turning back to discs now.

Tom
  #9   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
flak_monkey[_19_] flak_monkey[_19_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


Tom;679585 Wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As long
as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work.
This
is Kenwood's spec. from http://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:

Maximum number of folder layers: 8
Maximum number of folders (per device): 500
Maximum number of files (per folder): 4096
Maximum number of files (per device): 15000

15,000 songs would fill 60-80gb in typical use! I'm sure flash will
reach
that capacity soon enough.

I now have a 16gb 2.0 flash drive over 2/3rds full and it reads with no
errors (except DRM files synced with Windows Media Player 11 get
ignored).
The flash drive takes about 15 secs to load on power-up. As long as you
don't unplug it, the last song position is remembered after you turn
off
the deck. Very convenient to not walk through folders again.

To be conservative, I'd group music into as few folders as possible.
You
can sort tracks in any order by naming them: 01 Song5, 02 Song3, 03
Song8,
etc.. Folders help with category sorting and navigation speed if the
deck
lacks ID tag genre sorting.

When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the first
file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's
main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For me
there's no turning back to discs now.

Tom

this is great to know. Were you to use a really fast flash drive, i bet
that the media would access even faster.


--
flak_monkey
  #10   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Shug Shug is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

On 28 May, 18:07, Tom wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As long as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work. This
is Kenwood's spec. fromhttp://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:

Maximum number of folder layers: 8
Maximum number of folders (per device): 500
Maximum number of files (per folder): 4096
Maximum number of files (per device): 15000

15,000 songs would fill 60-80gb in typical use! I'm sure flash will reach
that capacity soon enough.

I now have a 16gb 2.0 flash drive over 2/3rds full and it reads with no
errors (except DRM files synced with Windows Media Player 11 get ignored).
The flash drive takes about 15 secs to load on power-up. As long as you
don't unplug it, the last song position is remembered after you turn off
the deck. Very convenient to not walk through folders again.

To be conservative, I'd group music into as few folders as possible. You
can sort tracks in any order by naming them: 01 Song5, 02 Song3, 03 Song8,
etc.. Folders help with category sorting and navigation speed if the deck
lacks ID tag genre sorting.

When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the first file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For me
there's no turning back to discs now.

Tom


Hi Tom,

I'm new to this group, and found your research very interesting.

I'm currently looking for a head unit that has both inbuilt DAB and a
USB port, and I didn't even think that USB Drive size would be an
issue.

I've got an old 40G 2.5" drive in a USB enclosure that I was thinking
of putting in the glove compartment, then taking the lead out the back
of the GC and then round into the back of the head unit.

Note, I'm NOT talking about what I'd call a USB thumb drive - this is
an old laptop drive.

From your research, do you foresee any problems with this setup?


Cheers

shug



  #11   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
flak_monkey[_20_] flak_monkey[_20_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


Shug;679609 Wrote:
On 28 May, 18:07, Tom wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As

long as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work.

This
is Kenwood's spec. fromhttp://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:

Maximum number of folder layers: 8
Maximum number of folders (per device): 500
Maximum number of files (per folder): 4096
Maximum number of files (per device): 15000

15,000 songs would fill 60-80gb in typical use! I'm sure flash will

reach
that capacity soon enough.

I now have a 16gb 2.0 flash drive over 2/3rds full and it reads with

no
errors (except DRM files synced with Windows Media Player 11 get

ignored).
The flash drive takes about 15 secs to load on power-up. As long as

you
don't unplug it, the last song position is remembered after you turn

off
the deck. Very convenient to not walk through folders again.

To be conservative, I'd group music into as few folders as possible.

You
can sort tracks in any order by naming them: 01 Song5, 02 Song3, 03

Song8,
etc.. Folders help with category sorting and navigation speed if the

deck
lacks ID tag genre sorting.

When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the

first file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's

main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For

me
there's no turning back to discs now.

Tom


Hi Tom,

I'm new to this group, and found your research very interesting.

I'm currently looking for a head unit that has both inbuilt DAB and a
USB port, and I didn't even think that USB Drive size would be an
issue.

I've got an old 40G 2.5" drive in a USB enclosure that I was thinking
of putting in the glove compartment, then taking the lead out the back
of the GC and then round into the back of the head unit.

Note, I'm NOT talking about what I'd call a USB thumb drive - this is
an old laptop drive.

From your research, do you foresee any problems with this setup?


Cheers

shug


That would be best suited for decks like the JVC KD AVX33 that have
rear usb. Make sure your dash isn't in the sunlight, that heat will
cook a hard drive. Or at least shorten it's life. This is what I'll be
doing, like you, with the portable drive. I am going to cushion it and
put it under the seat, run the cable under the carpet, and see how long
it lasts. That is, when I get the aforementioned JVC.


--
flak_monkey
  #12   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Shug Shug is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

On 28 May, 22:42, flak_monkey flak_monkey.2rb...@no-
mx.forum.carstereos.org wrote:
Shug;679609 Wrote:





On 28 May, 18:07, Tom wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As

long as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work.

This
is Kenwood's spec. fromhttp://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:


Maximum number of folder layers: 8
Maximum number of folders (per device): 500
Maximum number of files (per folder): 4096
Maximum number of files (per device): 15000


15,000 songs would fill 60-80gb in typical use! I'm sure flash will

reach
that capacity soon enough.


I now have a 16gb 2.0 flash drive over 2/3rds full and it reads with

no
errors (except DRM files synced with Windows Media Player 11 get

ignored).
The flash drive takes about 15 secs to load on power-up. As long as

you
don't unplug it, the last song position is remembered after you turn

off
the deck. Very convenient to not walk through folders again.


To be conservative, I'd group music into as few folders as possible.

You
can sort tracks in any order by naming them: 01 Song5, 02 Song3, 03

Song8,
etc.. Folders help with category sorting and navigation speed if the

deck
lacks ID tag genre sorting.


When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the

first file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's

main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For

me
there's no turning back to discs now.


Tom


Hi Tom,


I'm new to this group, and found your research very interesting.


I'm currently looking for a head unit that has both inbuilt DAB and a
USB port, and I didn't even think that USB Drive size would be an
issue.


I've got an old 40G 2.5" drive in a USB enclosure that I was thinking
of putting in the glove compartment, then taking the lead out the back
of the GC and then round into the back of the head unit.


Note, I'm NOT talking about what I'd call a USB thumb drive - this is
an old laptop drive.


From your research, do you foresee any problems with this setup?


Cheers


shug


That would be best suited for decks like the JVC KD AVX33 that have
rear usb. Make sure your dash isn't in the sunlight, that heat will
cook a hard drive. Or at least shorten it's life. This is what I'll be
doing, like you, with the portable drive. I am going to cushion it and
put it under the seat, run the cable under the carpet, and see how long
it lasts. That is, when I get the aforementioned JVC.

--
flak_monkey- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Thanks for your response flak_monkey.

That unit looks fantastic, but it's probably a bit out of my price
range - I can spend only about £250 on this unit.

Also, I don't need it to play DVDs etc, which that one does, and I'd
rather have the DAB functionality built in, rather than needing an
additional unit.

(Re the USB drive - I was planning to store that in my glove
compartment - I've already tested leaving it there for longish
periods, and the case never seems to get too hot.)

Are there any other sub-£250 head units with integrated DAB and a rear
USB port?

Cheers

Shug

  #13   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

Shug wrote in
ups.com:

I'm new to this group, and found your research very interesting.

I'm currently looking for a head unit that has both inbuilt DAB and a
USB port, and I didn't even think that USB Drive size would be an
issue.

I've got an old 40G 2.5" drive in a USB enclosure that I was thinking
of putting in the glove compartment, then taking the lead out the back
of the GC and then round into the back of the head unit.

Note, I'm NOT talking about what I'd call a USB thumb drive - this is
an old laptop drive.

From your research, do you foresee any problems with this setup?


As long as the folder and file structure obeys your Mfr's spec, it should
work. I'd definitely check the heat rating of any hard-drive. I've seen
some that can only handle 95 degrees F when powered on. You may feel cool
with A/C, but if that drive is tucked away or has roasted all day, watch
out.

I picked flash memory because of its toughness and claimed 10-20 year data
retention (Fowler-Nordheim!) Hard drives made specifically for cars should
be OK in theory (e.g. PhatNoise cartridges). I personally don't like the
idea of any moving parts in a tough environment. 16gb flash has been more
than enough to hold decades worth of favorite songs at an (averaged)
bitrate of about 160kbps.

Tom
  #14   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

flak_monkey wrote in
:

this is great to know. Were you to use a really fast flash drive, i bet
that the media would access even faster.


It's USB 2.0 and so is the deck. The only lag is when it initially loads
for about 15 seconds; same as on my PC. After that it responds quickly
enough. RW & FF on my deck is silent, and for some reason the remote only
lets you skip whole tracks. Small price to pay for this new convenience.

The toughest part is deciding how to group 3,000+ tracks logically. I
downloaded an app called "Directory Lister" that helps you make custom
printouts of file and folder names. Save as HTML for best (vertical) text
density, then paste into a word processor and use columns and a small font.
Folder names alone are a good reference if you forget what song you're
after.

Tom
  #15   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

flak_monkey wrote in
:

That would be best suited for decks like the JVC KD AVX33 that have
rear usb. Make sure your dash isn't in the sunlight, that heat will
cook a hard drive. Or at least shorten it's life. This is what I'll be
doing, like you, with the portable drive. I am going to cushion it and
put it under the seat, run the cable under the carpet, and see how long
it lasts. That is, when I get the aforementioned JVC.


I picked rear USB on purpose also. I like to cover up my stereo and a thumb
drive sticking out wouldn't work. Unplugging it each time is more of a
hassle than people might think, plus you lose the last-played position
(maybe not on all decks). A good hiding spot is under the dash near a fuse-
box that already has a removable panel in front of it. Avoid getting road
dust on the connection and you're good.

Tom


  #16   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Tom[_4_] Tom[_4_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

Shug wrote in
oups.com:

Are there any other sub-£250 head units with integrated DAB and a rear
USB port?


A rear-cable model by Kenwood can be had online for under $150 USD, and
same goes for a 16gb flash stick. I'm not sure why some 16gb flash memory
is more costly. Speed hasn't been a problem but I can't personally vouch
for more than 2 weeks' reliability (not that I'm worried). They say always
back up your music collection on something else.

Tom
  #17   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
Lee[_2_] Lee[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


Tom Wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As long
as you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should
work. This is Kenwood's spec. from http://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:


Nice find.


--
Lee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lee's Profile: http://www.caraudioforum.com/vbb3/member.php?userid=1
View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/vbb3/sh...d.php?t=265448
CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over TWO million posts online!


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

  #18   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
jz1276 jz1276 is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?


I just picked up the Blaupunkt St Louis model with the rear USB port and
front SD card reader and connected a 20GB USB drive to it and mounted
it in the glove. Evereything works perfectly. My only complaint is a
slight humming noise coming from the speakers when listening to songs
on the USB drive. This noise gets drowned out if I turn the volume up
slightly.


--
jz1276
------------------------------------------------------------------------
jz1276's Profile: 46237
View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/vbb3/sh...d.php?t=265448
CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over TWO million posts online!


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

  #19   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.car
CT CT is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Max. size of USB flash-drive for car decks?

On May 28, 12:07 pm, Tom wrote:
More research and actually trying it has answered my questions. As long as
you obey the allowable folder/file structure, the device should work. This
is Kenwood's spec. fromhttp://www.kenwood.com/audiofile:


snip

When the last file in a folder is reached, playback moves to the first file
in the next folder, based on nesting levels and folder names. USB's main
weakness is getting gapless playback to work outside a computer. For me
there's no turning back to discs now.

Tom


Yeah, the reason why I went with a usb port in-dash stereo was to get
rid of the dependence on burn CDs. Mine plays mp3's from CDs as well,
but you will have to make a new cd everytime you want to add or
subtract songs. With the flash drive, I just hook it up to the
computer and add or subtract songs quite easily. And forward and
reverse traversing of songs is a lot quicker than a CD. My USB port
is in the front, which I don't mind. I plan on getting a 2GB flash
drive that is small so it won't seem noticeable.

Chris

Reply
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
16GB NAND FLASH SSD hard drive available for CAR PCs! [email protected] Car Audio 0 May 23rd 06 03:31 AM
Idler drive turntables are superior to belt & direct drive Robert Morein Audio Opinions 10 December 6th 05 12:30 AM
Hard Drive type or Flash Card Portable MP3 Player? bucko Audio Opinions 4 January 8th 04 12:51 AM
Decca tree size - related to room size? hollywood_steve Pro Audio 5 August 30th 03 02:03 PM
What size hard drive would you get? Healthy Stealthy ; Pro Audio 5 August 29th 03 08:53 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:52 PM.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AudioBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Audio and hi-fi"