I’m trying to transfer photos and videos from my DNT Optics HYDRA-LRF to my Mac, but the device or files aren’t appearing when I connect it. What cable, software, or settings do I need for a successful file transfer?
The cable is probably fine. The HYDRA-LRF connects as an Android device, so macOS will not automatically mount it like a normal USB drive. DNT Optics notes the same limitation in its support information.
You will need an Android file-transfer app. MacDroid would be my first try. It works for moving files between a Samsung phone and a MacBook, and the HYDRA-LRF should connect in a similar way. I have not tested it with this scope myself, though, since I do not own one.
Try this:
- Enable Developer Options on the HYDRA-LRF.
- Open Developer Options and turn on USB Debugging.
- Connect the device to your Mac using USB.
- Add it in MacDroid and follow the setup instructions for its Android version.
- Choose either MTP or ADB mode.
- If the HYDRA-LRF shows a USB prompt, select File Transfer.
- Click Mount in MacDroid.
- The files should then appear in Finder.
MacDroid lets you browse folders and copy files without dealing with command-line tools. It supports MTP, ADB, and Wi-Fi connections.
OpenMTP is another option if MacDroid does not recognize the device. It would be useful to hear from someone who has connected an actual HYDRA-LRF to a Mac, especially which app and connection mode worked.
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If the HYDRA-LRF only charges, suspect a charge-only cable or USB hub; if MacDroid detects it but shows no storage, change the scope’s USB mode to File Transfer/MTP after connecting. USB debugging usually is not required for MTP, so I would try a known data-capable cable and direct Mac port before enabling Developer Options. If the recordings are on a removable microSD card, using a card reader is often the quickest workaround.
Expect the HYDRA-LRF to stay invisible in Finder unless an MTP app mounts it. I would not enable Developer Options or USB debugging at first. That adds another connection method without fixing basic MTP detection.
Keep the scope powered on and unlocked, connect it directly with a known data cable, then choose File Transfer if a USB notification appears. Open MacDroid only after connecting, and close any other Android transfer software because two apps can compete for the same MTP connection. Once mounted, check folders such as DCIM, Movies, Pictures, or the device manufacturer’s recording folder rather than expecting files at the top level.
If no USB prompt appears and MacDroid sees nothing, test another cable and port. If the recordings are stored on microSD, removing the card and using a Mac-compatible reader is usually less fiddly and faster for large video files.
If the HYDRA-LRF does not appear under System Information > USB, MacDroid cannot fix it because the Mac is not detecting the hardware. Check the macOS “Allow accessories to connect” prompt or setting, then try a direct port and data-rated cable; only troubleshoot MTP once it appears in that USB list.
If the HYDRA-LRF is saving recordings to its microSD card, I would skip the USB connection entirely and use a card reader. The confusing bit is that Finder normally handles cameras and drives, but an Android-style MTP device does not appear there automatically.
For direct transfer, use a USB cable that supports data, keep the scope powered on, and select File Transfer or MTP if that choice appears. Then open MacDroid or OpenMTP. USB debugging should not be needed unless you specifically switch to an ADB connection.
Before troubleshooting apps, check System Information > USB as @nick_codes suggested. If the HYDRA-LRF is absent there, the problem is still the cable, adapter, port, or accessory permission. If it appears there but not in Finder, that is expected and the MTP app is the missing piece.
With a card reader, look in DCIM, Movies, Pictures, and any DNT recording folder. If macOS says the card is unreadable, do not click Initialize or format it until the files are recovered, since that can erase the recordings.
Do not delete recordings from the HYDRA-LRF until the copies on your Mac have been opened and checked. MTP transfers can appear finished even when a large video was interrupted, especially if the scope sleeps, loses power, or the cable gets bumped.
I would avoid Developer Options and ADB for now. USB debugging is unnecessary for ordinary photo and video transfer, and it adds another variable. Start with the scope well charged, powered on, and connected directly to the Mac through a known data-capable cable. If macOS asks whether to allow the accessory, approve it. Then check System Information under USB. No entry there means you still have a physical connection or permission problem, regardless of which transfer app you install.
If the device appears in the USB list, look on the scope for a USB choice such as File Transfer, MTP, or possibly “Connected device.” Selecting charging mode will make it look connected while exposing no files. Finder, Photos, and Image Capture may still show nothing because an MTP device is not treated like a normal disk.
At that point, use a single MTP application such as MacDroid or OpenMTP. Do not leave both running together. Search inside the device by file date or extensions such as .mp4 and .jpg instead of relying entirely on folder names. Recording folders are sometimes buried under internal storage or an application-specific directory.
For large videos, copy a few files at a time rather than dragging the entire recording library in one batch. Keep the scope awake during the transfer. Afterward, compare the copied file sizes and play each important video through to the end before removing anything from the scope.
The microSD reader route is still the safest fallback if that is where the HYDRA-LRF stores its recordings. Copy the files first and leave the card’s formatting alone. If the card uses a layout or filesystem macOS dislikes, do not accept an Initialize or Erase prompt. Put it back into the scope unchanged and try the USB/MTP route instead. When cleanup is needed, deleting recordings through the scope’s own interface is generally safer than changing its folder structure from the Mac.
Enabling USB Debugging first is the part that’ll waste your afternoon. @greenlogic already called that out, and I’m with him. That step in the first reply is skipping past the basic question of whether the scope even talks MTP over USB.
Here’s the thing people keep glossing over: a lot of these thermal/LRF scopes barely bother with a proper USB file mode. Some only hand off recordings through their own phone app over WiFi, or they just expect you to pull the card. So before you buy or set up anything, confirm the HYDRA even offers a File Transfer prompt when you plug it in. No prompt, no MTP, and MacDroid or OpenMTP won’t conjure one out of nothing.
MacDroid’s fine once you know the device actually presents storage, but I’d honestly just pop the microSD in a reader and be done with it. Faster for video, nothing to configure, and you skip the whole ‘did the transfer finish’ worry.