Vacation Backup System – Thank you for the idea

jbrackjr wrote in post #18091115
Just a note to those that came up with the idea of backing up your cards (SD in my case) without a computer. It has been very helpful to me and I just wanted to say thanks to the good folks on this forum.

We are flying and I hate to bring the laptop along for two reasons. One the bag and all its contents is heavy and the second is that I tend to work on the photos each evening which the wife is not always happy about.

So after reading several different threads on the subject. I purchased the following on Amazon for $82:
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB USB3.0
Anker Ultra Slim 4 Port USB3.0 Powered Hub
WEme Micro USB OTG adapter

I have a 3.0 card reader and an Android phone (Note 4), so I cobbled everything together and of course it didn’t work. After reformatting the HD to FAT32 (google is your friend and Youtube is your instruction manual) I had it up and running fine.

I have to say it brought a smile to my face, technology is truly amazing.

Thanks again for the great idea.

Jim

Jim,

Are you backing up pictures from your phone, or from a DSLR camera?

Would something like this work for backing up pictures from my 60D? Would I need a HD as you suggest, or would a high capacity flash device like a USB stick suffice as Archibald suggested later in this thread?

Thank you

Charles, stay tuned, as I am risking an incredible sum of $14 on a OTG unit.

• I already have a CF card reader that I can plug into the OTG so it will read my CF cards, and
  
• I already own a USB connected SSD, and
  

Thank you Wilt,

I will keep my radar tuned on this channel... err thread

I got my WEme MHU-303 which is supposed to provide USB 3.0 ports for my Android phone. So far, massive FAIL

1. I plug a USB stick into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, and my phone sees the USB memory stick
   
2. I plug same USB memory stick into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone no longer sees the USB memory stick
   
3. I plug USB 2.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 2.0 harddrive
   
4. I plug USB 3.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 3.0 harddrive
   
5. when the USB memory stick is plugged into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, although the Android phone can detect it is present, I find no file utilities to permit me to copy files from the internal memory to the memory stick.
   

Wilt wrote in post #18106377
I got my WEme MHU-303 which is supposed to provide USB 3.0 ports for my Android phone. So far, massive FAIL

1. I plug a USB stick into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, and my phone sees the USB memory stick
   
2. I plug same USB memory stick into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone no longer sees the USB memory stick
   
3. I plug USB 2.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 2.0 harddrive
   
4. I plug USB 3.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 3.0 harddrive
   
5. when the USB memory stick is plugged into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, although the Android phone can detect it is present, I find no file utilities to permit me to copy files from the internal memory to the memory stick.
   

I plan to repeat tests 2-4 above, using a Win7 laptop with USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port, to figure out whether or not I have an issue NOT related to use of Android/

Interesting.... Thank you

Wilt wrote in post #18106377
I got my WEme MHU-303 which is supposed to provide USB 3.0 ports for my Android phone. So far, massive FAIL

1. I plug a USB stick into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, and my phone sees the USB memory stick
   
2. I plug same USB memory stick into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone no longer sees the USB memory stick
   
3. I plug USB 2.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 2.0 harddrive
   
4. I plug USB 3.0 external harddrive into the provided USB 3.0 WEme MHU-303 and the phone does not see the external USB 3.0 harddrive
   
5. when the USB memory stick is plugged into the provided USB to USB mini plug adapter, although the Android phone can detect it is present, I find no file utilities to permit me to copy files from the internal memory to the memory stick.
   

I plan to repeat tests 2-4 above, using a Win7 laptop with USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port, to figure out whether or not I have an issue NOT related to use of Android/

OK, the WEme MHU-303 is the USB hub, correct?

I had a USB 2 hub once, and it only worked with some devices. I threw it away.

You might be able to use the USB-USB adapter to read and write files to your device, for instance by shuttling files from an SD card to the phone memory, and then out to a USB stick. That is awkward and time-consuming, but should work. Have you looked at ES File Explorer? A miserable app, but they say it is the best.

I just looked at ES File Explorer.... some good reviews, but many more saying it is now spamware...

No thank you

Archibald wrote in post #18106678
OK, the WEme MHU-303 is the USB hub, correct?

I had a USB 2 hub once, and it only worked with some devices. I threw it away.

You might be able to use the USB-USB adapter to read and write files to your device, for instance by shuttling files from an SD card to the phone memory, and then out to a USB stick. That is awkward and time-consuming, but should work. Have you looked at ES File Explorer? A miserable app, but they say it is the best.

Yes, it is a USB 3.0 hub with 3 ports, and it is a powered hub (AC adapter included) so you are not drawing down your smartphone battery.

If you re-read my test, points #1 and #2, the hub PREVENTS the phone from even seeing the memory stick! And then there is issue #5, file utilities to handle files are lacking in a device not made for something much more than store files and opening files.

Wilt wrote in post #18106911
If you re-read my test, points #1 and #2, the hub PREVENTS the phone from even seeing the memory stick!

Right, so don't use the hub.

I agree the software is limited. But it should be possible to do simple reads and writes. Then you could store files temporarily on the phone and then write them to a USB stick. This is what I did earlier in the year with an Android device. It was awkward but OK for a relatively small number of files.

Archibald wrote in post #18106996
Right, so don't use the hub.

The point of this thread, and my own curiosity about it for my own phone, was to be able to insert a memory card reader into one port, an SSD/HD into second port, for photo file copy without PC...with no hub, no capability for plugging in multiple USB-connected things!

Archibald wrote in post #18106996
I agree the software is limited. But it should be possible to do simple reads and writes. Then you could store files temporarily on the phone and then write them to a USB stick. This is what I did earlier in the year with an Android device. It was awkward but OK for a relatively small number of files.

And HOW is the file read from memory file and then written to SSD/HD, how is it accomplished with no file utilities in Android phone?!
I can't even get the phone to see files on the (no hub) memory stick when all it has is an MP3 music file! Copy to/from...???


As I said earlier, BIG FAIL!

Wilt wrote in post #18107104
The point of this thread, and my own curiosity about it for my own phone, was to be able to insert a memory card reader into one port, an SSD/HD into second port, for photo file copy without PC...with no hub, no capability for plugging in multiple USB-connected things!

You could say the objective is to be able to use a phone to do photo file backups when on the road so you don't have to take along a heavy, expensive and fragile laptop. A hub might be handy, if it works, but is only a means to an end, and one might not consider it to be a critical part of the objectives.

In my experience, USB hubs are not very good, so I would avoid them.

It should be possible to do this. I succeeded on a trip earlier this year. However, it was not very elegant, and as you noticed from earlier posts in this thread, I'm not recommending it except for small numbers of files.

Plug the USB adapter into the phone, then connect the card reader and insert the card. Now fire up your Android. Can you see the card on your Android? You said earlier that you could see a memory stick, so probably you will be able to see the memory card.

There are many Android file managers. See
http://www.androidauth​ority.com …orer-apps-android-279800/
and other sources. Just go to Google Play and enter 'file manager' into the search. ES File Explorer (free) should work. You won't like how it works, but it works.

Now launch ES and see if you can see the pic files on the connected memory card. If you can, then you will be able to copy them to the phone's internal memory.

Now plug the card reader out and plug the flash drive in. Again using the kludgy ES app, move the pic files from the phone's memory to the flash drive. I am pretty sure it will work, and also that you won't like it. But it offers a solution. And the second time you do it will be a lot easier than the first time.

Thx Archibald. It is unfortunate that on a vacation trip without a PC, moving only a couple of files does nothing for addressing data redundancy, nor simply getting hundreds of photos off a full memory card so it makes room for hundreds more.

Wilt wrote in post #18107181
Thx Archibald. It is unfortunate that on a vacation trip without a PC, moving only a couple of files does nothing for addressing data redundancy, nor simply getting hundreds of photos off a full memory card so it makes room for hundreds more.

You can copy all the files on a memory card to your Android, limited of course by the free memory space on the device, and then back out to a flash drive. For redundancy, copy to more than one flash drive.

Hey, don't take it so hard!

Archibald wrote in post #18107137
There are many Android file managers. See
http://www.androidauth​ority.com …orer-apps-android-279800/
and other sources. Just go to Google Play and enter 'file manager' into the search. ES File Explorer (free) should work. You won't like how it works, but it works.

Now launch ES and see if you can see the pic files on the connected memory card. If you can, then you will be able to copy them to the phone's internal memory.

Now plug the card reader out and plug the flash drive in. Again using the kludgy ES app, move the pic files from the phone's memory to the flash drive. I am pretty sure it will work, and also that you won't like it. But it offers a solution. And the second time you do it will be a lot easier than the first time.

The article you posted says this about ES File Manager:

From that I read if you buy the Pro version you should be OK and (hopefully) will like how it works....

This is on sale today at BB. Worth a shot for 9 bucks.

SanDisk - Ultra 32GB Micro USB/USB 3.0 Flash Drive
http://www.bestbuy.com …ash-drive-black/3530864.p