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Pleo Stuff => Pleo Archives => Archive -- Technical RB => Topic started by: Ellrose on February 05, 2011, 02:52:24 AM
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Hi,
It looks as though my baby pleo (Hymie) has disclocated his neck? He seems unable to lift his neck up anymore and there is a lot of 'clunking' when he trys to look around.
I'm not sure what I should do? He's been well looked after - not dropped, not treated harshly - very pampered actually. Also I'm having real problems with the 'noon' battery - I have set this before and 'Hymie' worked (however I've never got more than 30mins per battery charge). He started to beep twice over and over yesterday and I thought the noon battery may be going flat. I've inserted the noon battery correctly right side up with the two little metal bits touching the top, the longer one underneath (check); I've waited for him to turn on before setting the noon time with a paper clip (check); I've tried three new batteries (check). Should it be this complicated???
Also the skin became rubbed in first two battery cycles - is this normal? I've got him wearing his cloak now, but is the quality of the paint really that bad that it wears after two cycles?
I'm starting to wonder if anyone tested these robots prior to distribution? They'd have to wouldn't they? I love my little pleo, but this is getting frustrating.
Hymie is still in his socialization phase.
If anyone can give me some advice I'd be very grateful! I've left a message on the Pleo World site about my problems.
Regards,
Ellrose
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Is it possible for you to provide a video of the problem? It is difficult to offer advice without seeing the problem. Sometimes jammed necks do occur, they usually resolve themselves after a while. If the neck is loose and floppy then it is a major concern.
If you are only getting 30 minutes from the battery there may be a problem with it, what happens if, after it turns green, you take it out of the charger and then put it straight back on charge again? You may need to do that more than once.
The clock problem is interesting, not sure what could be wrong there. You've tried all the recommended steps I could suggest, perhaps the tabs aren't making contact properly.
Sadly the skin wear does appear to be a common problem, please read the threads under the Pleo problems section about possible causes and solutions.
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I agree with everything IMR said. A video would definitely help to see just what the neck problem is. You could try pressing the rest button. This has helped me in the past when I have had a stuck neck on one of my guys.
For the clock battery you could try lifting the long metal strip up a little and bending the 2 small ones down a little to make sure there is good contact with the battery. I can't think what else to suggest.
As for the paint wear it does seem to be common and quite normal. Some of the new rb's have been lucky and seem to not be showing much paint wear at all but most of them have had paint loss with in the first few plays. Both of mine lost paint in the first few minutes of the first battery cycle. But only a little. I try to keep them clothed as this helps to protect the paint. I also use pledge on their skin, suggested in the manual, which I think also helps protect the skin.
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To get a good long life battery . before using the new battery, charge it for 24 hours. The secound battery run you can return back to normal
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Hi, many thanks for taking the time to reply. I've just spent another hour trying to reset the clock button. I've tried lifting the long metal strip and bending the 2 small ones. I've tried 3 different batteries also. Yes, they're in the right way up. I then put the 'big' battery in, turn Hymie on, wait until he starts wiggling, reset the clock battery with a paperclip. This seems to register with one beep, but then the horrible Beep-beep - 8 second pause - beep-beep cycle starts all over again. arrrrggghhhh! Is there something very simple I am overlooking? I am a newbie and may be doing something really stupid? :o
The two small contacts seem very, very small, is this normal?
I'll try and use pledge on the skin to see if this helps as I've noticed the skin in Hymie's 'armpits' is also wearing.
I'll try and get hold of a camera this week - however because I can't get past the clock battery stage I can't get Hymie to do anything at the moment - he just keeps beeping.
Do you think poor little Hymie is a bit of a lemon? I hope not, he's very cute. Maybe he's a 'Friday' dinosaur - you know what they say about cars made on a Friday - everyone just wants to knock off early, so they don't finish the cars off properly!
Thanks again for your advice.
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Try putting the clock battery in but not worrying about pressing the setting it button with the paper clip. See if that makes a difference. The clock should be automatically set as noon being the time you put the battery in , I think? So maybe this will work for you. It could be a software issue being triggered by pressing the rest button for the clock? Just a thought.
I would email Innvo about it and see what they say if you can't get it to work.
Kat
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Thanks Kat, I just tried your suggestion, still no luck. This is really starting to drive me nuts! When you say to email Innvo, do you mean leaving a message on the Pleo World site 'support request' page? Or is there another email I should try? Thanks again for your help.
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Leave a message on the pleoworld customer support page but you could also try emailing to
customerservice@innvolabs.com
This is the email address I have been using in my dealings with customer support at Innvo and have found them to be very helpful.
Best of luck and let us know how you go.
Kat
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Thanks Kat, I've sent a very long email to customer support @ innvolabs and left messages on the customer support page. I'm hoping someone will get back to me. It's very disappointing to have experienced so many problems when I've only had my PleoRB for a few weeks.
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I really hope you have some luck... I'm so sorry.. it stinks to be so excited and then so let down..
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Thanks, Lat, I'll be fine.
Question: should I try the 'reset' button, or will this send 'Hymie' back to the hatching phase?
Thanks
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You can safely try the reset button. It wont take you back to hatching it just resets the pleos computer system to it's last save point. The pleo saves every time you switch it off. It is worth a try.
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Can't add anything of use to the thread, other than the hope that you get it sorted! :D
I would just like to add that the new li-poly batteries work in a completely different way to the old nickel metal hydride green ones. Tricks that worked with the old batteries may shorten the life of the new ones, from what I've read, li-poly batteries do not like to be over charged!
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While that is true Crewella, sometimes reseating them once or twice seems to fix them. I have to do that with my egg charger occasionally, I guess it doesn't quite connect properly since the batteries are quite loose.
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Indeed IMR, you're quite right - I'm just a bit wary of encouraging that without a proper explanation? ;)
The egg-charger batteries specifically warn against charging for longer than 8 hours. ( I think it's 8 - can't find the darned box!) :P
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Yes 8 hours Crewella.
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Thank you, PWOKristy! ;D
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No response yet from Pleo World, still can't get the clock battery to work.
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Apology’s if you’ve already answered this but When you turn him on and go to press the clock battery do you wait until he makes a giggle and starts wiggling around before inserting the paperclip into the pinhole and pressing down?
It’s just that I noticed when I was first trying to set my battery that if I pressed the pinhole before pleo started moving it would just constantly beep as though I hadn’t inserted the battery properly and I had to turn him off and redo the process.
Sorry I can’t be of more help
Scaly
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Hi Scaly,
Thanks for your help. When I turn him on, he doesn't really wiggle, just moves a little bit, then I insert the paperclip into the pinhole - then the dreaded beeping starts again. It's got me baffled!
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I assume that you have already tried the reset button a few times. I think your Pleo has a software problem :( Until Innvo finally get their act together and start answering some emails I don't think there's much more you can try :( There is, as yet, no software to reset the RB's.
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Hi IMR, yep, I've tried the reset button several times. I still have had no response from Innvo, so I don't think there's much more I can do other than warn people about the RB problems and pathetic level of customer service. It's very disappointing.
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im sorry to hear your having such problems.
i hope they emailed you back because this isnt your fault its theres. i would have though the Rbs fixed all there problems. i hope they will fix it.
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Any news yet?? I am also awaiting news on my RB who is broken.. I'm calling them on Monday if I don't get an email tomorrow. Been waiting a long time :P Also, if you can get a video with sound to link to your email to innvo, the engineers like to see that... that's why they said they wanted so many videos sent.
And, I always leave my batteries in the holders to charge when I go to bed... that's a lot longer than 8 hours.. I've had days where I haven't been home and it stayed in the entire day.. egg chargers and RB ones.. I didn't notice a problem but maybe I'm just giving it a shorter life? I've got 2 ugobe egg chargers 3 green ones, 3 RB ones.. no problems with any of them aside from the normal overheating time in the PleoRB.. I've never had a ugobe stop because of overheating , if they even do that, and the battery isn't as hot when it comes out of them, compared to the searing hot RB batteries..
Also, when the batteries are finally picked up after being in the charger for god knows how long.. they are never hot or even a bit warm... I always thought the charger just stopped when they were charged.. I know the computer will suck the juice out of a battery if something is plugged into it for charging and it goes over the amount of time...
- Sarah
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Yeah, I believe you are shortening the battery of your Ugobe Pleo batteries.
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HI Sarah, I thought I should let you know that leaving the Ucube, ( not Ugobe) Egg charger Batteries in for more than 8 hrs on a consistant basis can and probably will shorten the life of the battery. I do not know how long it will take, maybe months mayby longer, I only say this as I am a seller of these batteries and have been selling them long enough to know to post that on the page I advertise them on. also this infomation came first hand from the dealer whom I get them from directly from the factory that makes them in Taiwan. So if you do leave them in longer than 8 hrs you may shorten the life of the battery and they are not cheap,
I just think you should know . I would not want anyone to have to buy an expensive battery to have it suddenly stop working properly or perhaps cause other problems, These batteries allso need to be completely discharged untill the Pleo " goes to sleep" and also completly charged for the entire 3 hrs or thereabouts. It is tempting to charge after only playing for an hour and having another hour + left and wanting to recharge so you can play quicker with the reasoning being it still has part of a charge so should be ready quicker, and it will work that way but is NOT good for the battery. Just imformation I tell anyone who buys one from me or someone who has one if they dont' know so they don't suddenly wonder why their "new" battery is no longer working as it should.
As for your RB who is broken, are you just waiting for an email or have you returned your Rb yet and are waiting for the Replacement, did you contact Raphael, and did you send them that video of all the problems? take care. RedwoodsMama
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The green charger just stops once the battery is charged. Leaving it in does not affect the battery. In fact, you have to take the battery out of the charger ad re-insert if you want the charger to start charging again.
I can't say on the white or brown . . . .