diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 1c31f98..cf0861f 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: raadfiles
 Title: File Database Management for 'raadtools'
-Version: 0.1.4.9004
+Version: 0.1.4.9005
 Authors@R: c(
    person("Michael D.","Sumner", role = c("aut", "cre"), email = "michael.sumner@aad.gov.au"), 
    person("Ben", "Raymond", role = "ctb"), 
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 84d009e..a72c3bc 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # raadfiles dev
 
+* `srtm_files()` now defunct, use opentopography or similar (one example is in gh:hypertidy/sds::cop30()). 
+
 * Bumped required version of fs to dev, see https://github.com/r-lib/fs/issues/447. 
 
 * GHRSST now uses our own COGs. 
diff --git a/R/srtm-files.R b/R/srtm-files.R
index e52238d..fad139b 100644
--- a/R/srtm-files.R
+++ b/R/srtm-files.R
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #' }
 srtm_files <- function() {
 pattern <- c("srtm.csi.cgiar.org", ".*\\.tif$", "srtm_5x5/TIFF/srtm")
+  .Defunct(msg = "srtm_files() now defunct, better to use standard sources like 'sds::cop30()' see gh:hypertidy/sds")
   files <- .find_files_generic(pattern)
   if (nrow(files) < 1)
     stop("no smap files found")