Micro SD card

General support for the Pi-Star System
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w7efs
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by w7efs »

I have [re]burned a great many sd cards for many years using only e.g. "pv xxx.img | dd bs=4M of=/dev/sdx" and the ext4 filesystem works very well. Go ahead and format to ntfs or fat32 if you like, but it accomplishes nothing useful.
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w7efs
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by w7efs »

So ask yourself why the resultant ext4 filesystem doesn't care about your M$-determined "errors".
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w7efs
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by w7efs »

It's one of the native tools to deal with such things. When have you ever invoked "badblocks" on a Pi-Star microSD card?
kt4naz
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Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Micro SD card

Post by kt4naz »

KE7FNS wrote: Sat Jun 22, 2019 3:19 am Start with backing up your settings, and reimaging the SD card with a fresh image, update it to the latest versions, and then restore your configurations and see if it still happens. Also, try a different SD card (brand). I experienced data corruption issues with a 3B+ and a patriot 32gig SD card, for some reason it just corrupted files randomly, so I started using 16 gig Samsung and Unirex SD cards instead.
I can not get the 32GB cards to work. Can not find 8-16 GB cards that have worked for me so for, but I can not believe that the card size would have anything to do with this problems?
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KE0FHS
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by KE0FHS »

kt4naz wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:43 pm I can not get the 32GB cards to work. Can not find 8-16 GB cards that have worked for me so for, but I can not believe that the card size would have anything to do with this problems?
32 GB cards are fine; I use them all the time in all sorts of different types of hotspots with no problems at all.

I think it would help if you provided more details about your issue, for example:
  • What exact image are you flashing onto your microSD cards?
  • What kind of radio/modem board are you using?
  • What kind of Raspberry Pi are you using?
  • What exactly are you doing next? Are you inserting them into your Raspberry Pi and powering it on?
  • What exactly do you see that suggests to you that your microSD cards aren't working?
  • Have you tried a different power supply? (You can't believe how often that is what causes a hotspot not to work. Even if a power supply has worked previously, it can fail.)
  • Have you tried a different radio/modem board?
Also, I'm not arguing against using SD Card Formatter to format an entire card, but I've imaged scores of microSD cards (almost always SanDisk cards that I got from a trustworthy source) over the past few years, many of them many times, and almost always using only Etcher (now balena Etcher), and I've never had any problems with any of the cards. However, the issue with bootleg cards is a real issue and is growing, so make sure you get your cards from a trustworthy source. I personally would avoid purchasing cards from miscellaneous vendors on eBay or the Amazon Marketplace, especially if the prices are too good to believe.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
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w7efs
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by w7efs »

KE0FHS wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:23 pm ...However, the issue with bootleg cards is a real issue and is growing, so make sure you get your cards from a trustworthy source. ...
I get Class 10 8GB "Industrial" from vendor SanDisk at https://amazon.com/s?k=sandisk+industrial+micro+sd+8gb

The 25-pack means less than US$8 each, and they have an easy $10 trading value at hamfests. I've never had any problem of any kind dd-burning the Pi-Star or any other images to them, nor any operational problems afterwards, even though they're MLC not SLC.
kt4naz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Micro SD card

Post by kt4naz »

I think it would help if you provided more details about your issue, for example:
  • What exact image are you flashing onto your microSD cards?
  • What kind of radio/modem board are you using?
  • What kind of Raspberry Pi are you using?
  • What exactly are you doing next? Are you inserting them into your Raspberry Pi and powering it on?
  • What exactly do you see that suggests to you that your microSD cards aren't working?
  • Have you tried a different power supply? (You can't believe how often that is what causes a hotspot not to work. Even if a power supply has worked previously, it can fail.)
  • Have you tried a different radio/modem board?


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    Pi-Star_RPi_V3.4.17_20-Jan-2019.zip
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    SD Card Formatter
    BalenaEtcher

    Put sd card into laptop and format then burn with etcher. Open card to verify transfer, eject and into Pi. Have tried
    not formatting and no difference.

    I have two MMDVM tophats on two raspberry pi zero w and one micro sd card that works with either. I can use either MMDVM's with the one card to get into the rooms. That card is a 16GB SanDisk SDHC class 10.

    Went back to Wllyworld and bought another 32gb sandisk with no luck.

    Power supply works for hours when logged on to Alabama link or any other room/reflector. Also have used the laptops
    with no problems.

    As always thanks to all who make this site possible.
    tnaz
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KE0FHS
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Re: Micro SD card

Post by KE0FHS »

Sounds to me like you might have a bad radio/modem board.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
kt4naz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Micro SD card

Post by kt4naz »

KE7FNS wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:04 am
kt4naz wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:44 pm [*]What exactly do you see that suggests to you that your microSD cards aren't working?
I think you need to elaborate on that question in much greater detail.
I don't know where that came from? I went back twice and i'm lost? I have some more 16 gb cards coming and will try them.
kt4naz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Micro SD card

Post by kt4naz »

KE7FNS wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:04 am
kt4naz wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:44 pm [*]What exactly do you see that suggests to you that your microSD cards aren't working?
I think you need to elaborate on that question in much greater detail.
The cards that are programmed will power up and work the MMDVM and I can log on/in to the rooms and connect FT2DR and communicate. I think I am doing the same process with these new micro SD cards with no luck.

Just received new raspberry pi zero-w and thought this might be my problem but cards still not working. Maybe I am missing something in the program-download and unzipping process???

I have unzipped, and not unzipped with no difference? How did I get three cards to work and now stuck?
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