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Any replacement for the Colorspace Hyperdrive?

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:38 pm
by OntPhoto
I see the Colorspace Hyperdrive is no longer made.  Any alternative that does the same thing where you can do the copying of data from a memory card without hooking to a computer? 

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 11:12 am
by photoman4343
Yes there is one. Check out the Gnarbox 2.0.

I do not own one and still use my Hyperdrive. But for XQD cards and maybe CF cards, the Gnarbox2 is what I would likely buy, and probably with the Gnarbox card reader as i believe you need a card reader for certain image cards.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... ernal.html

https://photographylife.com/reviews/gnarbox-2-0-ssd

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 2:03 pm
by Anthony Medici
Gnarbox 2 tries to do more than the Hyperdrive while not being able to do what the hyperdrive did in the first place.

The hyperdrive made exact copies of cards which meant that the date stamps were identical to the original card. In fact, if you cleared the card and then copied the information on the hyperdrive back to a card, you end up exactly what you had in the first place.

Gnarbox can't duplicate that function. When you copy a card with the setting set to simply copy, it creates different time stamps on folders in the structure so you don't end up with the same information and, therefore, can't make a second copy of the original card with everything exactly the same.

Gnarbox then goes further allowing you to create a totally different structure by joining folders together allowing you to continue to copy files without having to repeat files you didn't delete previously. This is interesting in theory but doesn't really give you want you need, a copy of all the files from your cards organized in such a way that you can replace the card copies as a backup.

The reason it doesn't replace the card copies is Gnarbox then lets you do a number of things that make the copy on the Gnarbox different than a copy you are making on a computer at the same time. They even go so far as suggesting you replace the computer with Gnarbox since it has all this additional functionality. Yet, to me, it isn't quite up to the task.

Finally, when I first got the Gnarbox two, there were several times when I couldn't get the device to start properly and had to call customer service to get it started. If that ever happened on the road, it would have simply been out of luck if I was traveling off grid.

I have not tried it with the latest app and firmware. That's on my to do list. I don't think it will correct the issues I had enough for me to actually take it seriously though.

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:36 pm
by photoman4343
Tony, this is very good information. Thanks. When I was considering getting a Gnarbox 2 I had some questions and the company was very responsive with providing me with detailed answers. if you haven't shared the above with Gnarbox I suggest you do so. Contacting Hyperdrive and getting any response was a real struggle. And some of the responses I got were not accurate.

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:27 am
by Anthony Medici
I've spent a bunch of time on the phone with their technical support. They are helpful, and often what they suggest works. But they didn't seem to be interested in changing what they decided the would do. If I'm going to replace a computer with 1 or 2 of these devices, I need the process to be repeatable and produce exactly the same results. The device doesn't meet that standard.

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:42 am
by rene
Yes there is , but in my opinion it’s very expensive

https://www.dazuinfo.com/

Re: Any replacement for the Colorspace Hyperdrive?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:08 pm
by Ed Cordes
OntPhoto wrote:I see the Colorspace Hyperdrive is no longer made.  Any alternative that does the same thing where you can do the copying of data from a memory card without hooking to a computer? 
What's wrong with your ColorSpace?  Will replacing the HD solve the issue?  Mine is very old but works fine.  Problem is that it won't read CF Fast cards and I am not sure how to solve this.

Re: Any replacement for the Colorspace Hyperdrive?

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:45 am
by OntPhoto
Ed Cordes wrote:
OntPhoto wrote:I see the Colorspace Hyperdrive is no longer made.  Any alternative that does the same thing where you can do the copying of data from a memory card without hooking to a computer? 
What's wrong with your ColorSpace?  Will replacing the HD solve the issue?  Mine is very old but works fine.  Problem is that it won't read CF Fast cards and I am not sure how to solve this.
I have one of the earlier models.  Can't recall when but maybe mid-2000's.  2008?  I am trying to use it again as backup in the car without bringing a laptop along.  I see the HDD is 150 gb, so not bad.  This is probably enough for my needs.  I suppose I can upgrade the HDD to 256 or 512.  I will have to find the AC adapter.  Charging with USB right now.  It likely has the original firmware as I never updated.

Does anyone have a link to any firmware updates?  

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:10 pm
by Anthony Medici
You could upgrade the HDD to an SSD.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:24 am
by photoman4343
This link might help for firmware. . Make sure it is for the exact Hyperdrive model you are using.

https://hypershop.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... 39-Latest-

I would add a SSD over a HDD as Tony suggests.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:52 am
by PV Hiker
I have 5 Hyperdrives sitting in a closet but moved on and replaced them with 4 Nexto DI NPS-10 units for traveling. We were able to use them January 2020 on the last out of the country trip before the pandemic hit and seemed to work fine. I put 2TB SSD drives in them.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products ... 3Anexto-di

Re:

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:22 pm
by OntPhoto
photoman4343 wrote:This link might help for firmware. . Make sure it is for the exact Hyperdrive model you are using.

https://hypershop.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... 39-Latest-

I would add a SSD over a HDD as Tony suggests.
Thanks for the link.  I will search for my model (it doesn't have the round dial, just buttons). 

Re:

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:25 pm
by OntPhoto
PV Hiker wrote:I have 5 Hyperdrives sitting in a closet but moved on and replaced them with 4 Nexto DI NPS-10 units for traveling.  We were able to use them January 2020 on the last out of the country trip before the pandemic hit and seemed to work fine.  I put 2TB SSD drives in them.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products ... 3Anexto-di
Thanks for the link.  So, I see these types of devices are still being made.  Makes sense as there is still a need to just stick a card in and have the software built-in that does the copying.  Would you know off-hand how much faster these NEXTO Drives are for transferring files (NEXTO says, at speesd up to 320 MB/s) compared to an older model Colorspace since you have several of them?

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:33 am
by PV Hiker
They do rip pretty good.  Having the SSD gives you the fastest rate along with your cards specifications read speed limits how fast it can read off of the card.  I do get near the speed they say, but you know marketing.  I have 4 of the Hyperdrive 2 models and one older. The Nexto-10 for us was a good choice for a upgrade.  

I can pop in 3 cards and it will copy them one after another.  Also I can plug in a USB card reader with a card it it will copy it.  Seems to do what we want it to.

I first learned about them on a board post where a person wrote:
One can see the appeal, but I need reliability and speed.

I've owned about 16 portable storage devices over the years and for 2019 I'm using the Nexto NPS-10. You can't beat the transfer rates and capacity per charge in a compact portable device. A single completely full 128GB UHS-II Sony G card takes about 8:15 to download (~240 MB/sec.) and I was able to download almost 1.7 TB on a charge. It can back up three SD cards (2 internal and one USB 3 OTG) in succession without user intervention. I'm using two of them with the 2TB EVO 860 SSDs, which are relatively power efficient TLC SSDs that can sustain the full write speeds continuously (don't even think about using the QVO or similar QLC drives). The drives are easily swappable in the field with only a thumb screw.