Hi all,

Was doing some research into how to extend the P2Store (and P2 card's) capacity in the field. The facts I know are listed below -

P2 card capacity today is 8GB. P2Store is 60GB. Recorded at HD (720p) resolution, P2 card will hold about 16 minutes of data. P2Store will take that up to 2 hours. Way too small for my application.

I don't want to lug a notebook into the field to move data off the P2Store. Too heavy, too fragile. Into the field means "Nepal Himalayas !!!", got it?

What I have found so far is this -

One P2Store costs about SIN$2,000. One 160GB USB2 external drive with casing is about SIN$500. Buy a couple of 160GB USB2 drives.

To copy data from P2Store to the USB2 external drive without using a notebook, get one of this -

http://www.okion.com/en-us/scripts/product_info.asp?pid=442

Plug in the P2Store as the source of data and the USB2 external drive as the target - and you can copy the P2Store's contents to the "cheaper" USB2 external drive in the field, minus the notebook.

Hence, the flow will be like this -

a) Record on HVX200 onto P2 card
b) Move the data from P2 card to P2Store when P2 card is full
c) When P2Store is full or at end of the day, move P2Store's data to USB2 external drive, using USB2 data copier device.

Has anybody tried this approach? Is this a workable solution? Instead of buying 2 or more P2Store ... expensive.

Thanks,
TS

FireStore FS-100 does almost 4 hours of 720/24pNative.

Have you considered it?

Im using the FS-100, and while its great I still find myself running out of space. I think for $40 this little gadget could prove really useful.

My only concern is that the p2 cards are a series of folders, will the device overwrite the folders of the same name on each dump? or will it create a new folder for each transfer of files.

And can it handle any file format(NTFS)

I dont know enough about this USB device to know.

Anyone try it?

Firestore - I tried the DV version on my XL2. The reliability of the Hard-disk is extremely suspect. It won't work at cold temperatures (5 deg C). And it looses my clips as well - luckily got tape as backup. I think the difference lies in the fact Firestore units are on the move, subject to bumps and others ... hence, it won't be that reliable.

Rather record on P2 Card - solid state, then transfer to normal HD disk when the unit is stationary. Hence, if I can extend the P2Store internal HD capacity with external USB2 drives, this will be great.

I'll be a little scared to go on location with a P2 camera and not having a way to check my footage and having to dump all my P2 into 1 drive.
You can get some pretty sturdy laptops that can sustain cold weather. especially if you already going to lug a hard drive and other gears the laptop is not that much more to carry and it gives you a second backup internal drive.
just a thought!
e.

I see your point. Namely to be able to verify the P2 clips ... hmmm, let me see. The toughest notebook I know of is the Panasonic (again) Toughbook. I have to check whether I can get external power without electricity grid into that fellow then. Most likely solar panels.

how were you going to power the drive ?
e.

There are self powered USB2 enclosures that runs on 4 AA batteries. Uses standard 2.5" IDE disks. PDXStore (for cameras) is one of them. But, it also comes with a standard USB2 port - which I can use to transfer the clips across.

If I do buy a Toughbook (still evaluating), I will have to see whether I can get the specifications for the input power - most likely 12V to 24V DC, at 1.5 to 2.5 Amps. I have the electronics and electrical knowledge to rig a DC to DC high amps convertor to up the voltage from 12V DC input (from solar panels and normal 12V sealed lead acid batteries) to whatever the voltage Toughbook is expecting.

I did that voltage conversion for Apple Powerbook G3 - which expects 21V DC, 2 amps input. No problems making it to work with 12V DC sources.