View Full Version : My New Portable Storage Device


Mark Twittey
October 16th, 2008, 05:23 AM
I have searched the Forum sponsers and I can find no mention of this product so I hope I'm not breaking any rules here!

I have started using a "Emtec photo cube", to back up my SD cards on location.
It's a portable 160GB hard drive self powered by a Lithy Battery, can take SD but no
SXS cards.
It has a USB interface.
I just slot in the card hit the copy button and away it goes.
To be honest I keep the SD cards as well till I get back to the edit suite, just in case!
But it's cheap at £135.00 ( $300.00).
It fits into my pocket and just gives me an extra backup in the field.

Justin Benn
October 16th, 2008, 05:51 AM
That looks neat. Does it takes CF cards too?

Mark Twittey
October 16th, 2008, 06:18 AM
It takes SD/MMC, Memory Stick(AND PRO), Compact Flash type I/II, Micro Drive.
Mini SD (with adapter), RS-MMC (with adapter), MS Duo ( with adapter).

Chris Hurd
October 16th, 2008, 07:33 AM
Hmm, most interesting... product page is Emtec PhotoCube (http://www.emtec-international.com/en/produit.php?categorie=STMOB&gamme=DISQUES%20DURS&ss_gamme=PHOTOCUBE)

Ted OMalley
October 16th, 2008, 08:48 AM
The WolverineData PicPac has a 320GB storage device with an SD reader, but it's a little bulky. They also have the FlashPac, a smaller (in your pocket) 160GB one.

They also have viewers, but they won't work with our HD files.

Be aware of how the drives are formatted no matter what you select. FAT and FAT16 are limited to 2GB files. Some devices, like the Vosonic VP8860 with user-replaceable drives, allow the user to format it to FAT32, and then will allow files up to 4GB in size.

"Nobody will ever need more than 640k RAM!"
-- Bill Gates, 1981

Mark Twittey
October 16th, 2008, 09:05 AM
I have formated the drive into 4 x 32GB Fat32 partions.
It working fine at the moment.

Ted OMalley
October 16th, 2008, 10:04 AM
Why did you choose to partition it? Just curious.

Mark Twittey
October 16th, 2008, 11:30 AM
I could only get it to have 32GB partitions not the whole disk as one partition.
It's a windows XP thing.
Unless someone knows a way of fortmating a Fat32 drive as one partition.

Mark Twittey
October 16th, 2008, 02:51 PM
I have just re-formated the drive using the free version of EASEUS partition tool.
I now have 1 large Fat32 partition...perfect!

Ted OMalley
October 16th, 2008, 05:50 PM
Very cool - good for you!

Dave Elston
October 17th, 2008, 03:11 AM
Another free partition tool that I have used under XP with success is Swissknife...

CompuApps, Inc. - Download Swissknife (http://www.compuapps.com/download/Swissknife/swissknife.htm)

It provides a variety of useful format and partition options (including FAT32 up to 2TB!), I've used it without any problems to reformat a 320GB external HDD as a single partition for use with my PS3 (which can only access FAT32 volumes).