Mine refuses to turn on. I've double checked to make sure the battery's plugged in correctly, but every time I press the power button, it just will not turn on. This is the same whether or not it's on the charging dock. I don't know if this is a battery or charger problem. If anyone can offer some advice in the meantime, it'd be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I think I might just return this DOA for a refund.

After charging my battery with a hobby charger and getting over an hour of usage, I'm pretty sure it's not the battery. Originally the base was only giving me a minute or two of run time. Now I seem to be able to charge it up to about 10 or so minutes, but no where near what the hobby charger did. I'll see if another power supply has any effect.

Not so sure that the charger is the problem with my Rovio anymore. I've tried all of the things mentioned here and in the various forums.

A friend got one at the same time as I did and was having problems similar to mine in that it would appear to be charging (pulsing lights, etc)and appear to complete after a couple hrs. But when he drove it off the base, it would die in a matter of seconds.

He hooked it up to a regulated bench power supply set to 9 volts at 2 amps and you could see it drawing somewhere around 1.7 amps at its peak. You could see the pulse of the charging cycle. After a couple hrs, he drove it off and played with it around 45 minutes.

I took the supply home and hooked mine up the same way , but mine would only draw a fraction of what my friend's did and would not charge the battery. It seems that the charging circuit on mine is malfunctioning.

At WowWee's request, I faxed a copy of my "receipt" to them so that they can send me a new charger. I don't think that this is the problem, but I'll play along for a while. If the new charger does not fix the problem, I guess I'll see what happens next.

I'd really like to get this thing working.

liquidkool wrote:Mine refuses to turn on. I don't know if this is a battery or charger problem. If anyone can offer some advice in the meantime, it'd be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I think I might just return this DOA for a refund.

Originally posted on page 10:

From what we know of the situation WowWee will be helping our customers. There is no 30 day period where Woot will have to replace the battery/charger (though we will still be the ones replacing completely defective units).

You can contact WowWee at this number: 800-310-3033 between the hours of 9-5pm EST for a live person (though please be understanding that they may be getting large call volumes), or leave a voicemail outside of that time. If they ask for it, as it sounds like they are, your receipt can be found under "My account" and by clicking on the hyperlink for this order on the left-hand side of the page.

If you have already left a message and have not heard back from them, we're suggesting that you try again now that they've apparently refocused their efforts. If you get a hold of them and they are uncooperative, please let us know at service@woot.com, we will be continuing to monitor the situation.

I too have had a problem my Rovio battery life. When it is fully charged, it reads 6.82 volts, measured at the battery inside the compartment. When it shuts down for low voltage, it measures 6.2 volts-again measured at the battery inside the compartment. Keeping in mind that this battery pack consists 5-1.2 volt Nickel Metal Hydride cells assembled to a 6.0 V battery pack, it is obvious that it is charging correctly or even overcharging. For some reason the firmware/software controlling the cutoff point for shutting down is set too high. The runtime is consistent with the surface charge of the Nickle metal Hydride's as seen on a discharge curve. I do not know what voltage the microprocessor requires for proper operation, but it should shut off based on the discharge curve of a nickel metal hydride battery pack of approximately 5 V not 6.2 V. Wowee needs to either send us a more powerful battery pack coupled with updated firmware or, if the microprocessor can use a lower voltage, send us firmware updates which will not shut down the power until five volts is reached by the battery.

HOW I FIXED MY ROVIO:

Like many of you, or perhaps all of you, I was only getting 5 mins out of my Rovio, regardless of how long its been sitting in the dock.

At first I suspected it was the battery, and I've heard of people redocking the unit to get it charging again, but each time I did so, the blue LED's would only pulsate for half an hour or so and become solid. (Tip: if the blue lights are solid, your Rovio isn't charging.) And even after several iterations of redocking/charging, the most battery life I got must've been around 15 mins.

I've contacted Wowwee support via email and they told me it was a faulty adapter and would send me one after I faxed in my receipt. Not knowing how long it would take to get a replacement, I went to Radioshack and purchased a 9V 2500mA universal adapter w/ type "T" connector.

Got home, plugged it in, and started charging. Before the blue lights would only pulsate for about a hour, but this time it charged for 3-4 hrs. After it was done, I took it out for a spin. The new adapter worked like the blue pill that starts with a letter "V". It just kept going and going (as opposed to coming and coming I guess). Anyways, after a hour of roaming around the house in thick carpet, the battery was still half full.

So for most you who are having problems, a new adapter should help.

If your a magical pet rock user, Good luck! I got owned by woot!

Hello,
Can can anyone help me configure my Rovio to be accessed by an external network? It works fine on my LAN but I can't access it through the Internet. I have a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router that I think is configured correctly. I also have a Verizon DSL Modem (Westell 6100) that I'm not sure how to configure.. I think the problems lies there. Does anyone have this configuration and have a working Rovio?

Please e-mail me at daw@jhu.edu with any and all advice..

Thanks!
Dave

would a new adapter fix the no power light on issue?

thanks
mark

After upgrading the firmware to 5.03, the Rovio loses its connection to the wi-fi after docking. The only way to fix it is to power-cycle it manually. Has anyone else seen this problem?

hellphish wrote:After upgrading the firmware to 5.03, the Rovio loses its connection to the wi-fi after docking. The only way to fix it is to power-cycle it manually. Has anyone else seen this problem?

I have the exact problem also. Would like to hear if anyone has a fix (or there is a way to downgrade from the 5.03 firmware)

Mine temporarily disconnects but then reconnects shortly afterwards. I'm not using encryption though, just magical pet rock filtering. I do wish I could turn off broadcasting my SSID though.

I'm also using RovioDirect. Quality is so much better, especially audio.

I like some of the features in RovioDirect.
But my video is nowhere near real time, and very choppy trying to recover after any movement.
Did anybody tweak the config.ini file to get better results?
jjdsx@comcast.net if you don't want to reply here.

Thanks

My battery life was 5 minutes at best at first. It seems to be up to about 20 mins now after continual usage.

More than enough to patrol my 1300 sq ft downstairs.

I know how a dalek feels now when the cats escape up the stairs!

TheFaz wrote:My battery life was 5 minutes at best at first. It seems to be up to about 20 mins now after continual usage.

More than enough to patrol my 1300 sq ft downstairs.

I know how a dalek feels now when the cats escape up the stairs!

Correction. I just got about 30 of continual play.

One of the blue LEDs burned out after the first hour of operation. I'm not clear if the LEDs do anything but look woot, so I don't know if returning the device is necessary.

Mine is still charging, after claiming to have finished charge and then being removed and returned to the stand a few times. I am wary of using the device much before it gets a full charge.

NiCd batteries used to be killed by reverse polarization of one cell, which was likely to happen if you didn't fully charge the pack before the first use and then ran it dead. I don't know if this is as much of a problem with NiMH

I have a MAHA computerized battery charger-conditioner, the kind used for ham HT battery packs, which should work to fully charge the pack if it doesn't charge on the base. It has the proper algorithm for NiMH - charge until you see a voltage drop, and then stop. It's small enough that over-current won't be a problem, and it has a thermocouple sensor with a magnet that sits on the pack and monitors it for overheating. I'll try that if I can't get a good charge out of the base.

Does anyone know what the maximum recommended charge current is for these cells? I think the guy who ran a 1.5 A charge could have been overdoing it.

yenb wrote:HOW I FIXED MY ROVIO:

Like many of you, or perhaps all of you, I was only getting 5 mins out of my Rovio, regardless of how long its been sitting in the dock.

At first I suspected it was the battery, and I've heard of people redocking the unit to get it charging again, but each time I did so, the blue LED's would only pulsate for half an hour or so and become solid. (Tip: if the blue lights are solid, your Rovio isn't charging.) And even after several iterations of redocking/charging, the most battery life I got must've been around 15 mins.

I've contacted Wowwee support via email and they told me it was a faulty adapter and would send me one after I faxed in my receipt. Not knowing how long it would take to get a replacement, I went to Radioshack and purchased a 9V 2500mA universal adapter w/ type "T" connector.

Got home, plugged it in, and started charging. Before the blue lights would only pulsate for about a hour, but this time it charged for 3-4 hrs. After it was done, I took it out for a spin. The new adapter worked like the blue pill that starts with a letter "V". It just kept going and going (as opposed to coming and coming I guess). Anyways, after a hour of roaming around the house in thick carpet, the battery was still half full.

So for most you who are having problems, a new adapter should help.

What is the part number of the charger you got from Radio Shack?

No problem with my battery - perhaps because I was careful to get the charge beyond the "surface charge" by restarting the charge a few times. The LED that went out is intermittent - it lit up again today for a while and then quit again. The unit works well with one access point, but I wasn't able to get it to connect to another, older one, although I had set it up for WEP.

kcarsonwoot wrote:Originally posted on page 10:

From what we know of the situation WowWee will be helping our customers. There is no 30 day period where Woot will have to replace the battery/charger (though we will still be the ones replacing completely defective units).

You can contact WowWee at this number: 800-310-3033 between the hours of 9-5pm EST for a live person (though please be understanding that they may be getting large call volumes), or leave a voicemail outside of that time. If they ask for it, as it sounds like they are, your receipt can be found under "My account" and by clicking on the hyperlink for this order on the left-hand side of the page.

If you have already left a message and have not heard back from them, we're suggesting that you try again now that they've apparently refocused their efforts. If you get a hold of them and they are uncooperative, please let us know at service@woot.com, we will be continuing to monitor the situation.

What kind of fly-by-night operation is this WowWee company? I must have called that number 15 times now and have only got the answering machine. No reply to my online support submittal. Worst customer support EVER.

I faxed WowWee my receipt last week and am waiting to receive a replacement power adapter. I wonder how long it'll take to arrive. For those of you who got your replacement adapters how long did it take WowWee to ship them to you?

Maybe Woot can sell the correct adapter for .99 cents, so we don't have to deal with Wowwee

Absolute POS. $104 door stop.

newtronbomb wrote:Absolute POS. $104 door stop.

Woot does not give a POOP
Countless messages to them and zero responses
Step the he-ll up Woot.
FIX THIS ISSUE ..WowWee support is just as bad!

Can someone clue me in on the sound quality going from the Rovio to the computer. Mine sounds like Donald Duck on helium. Can't understand a word anyone says. Sound going the other way is great.

I contacted Wowwee and they said "sorree".

Just trying to figure out if it is the norm, or if mine is defective.

Not to brag, but it sounds like I really lucked out. My Rovio worked ad-hoc with my phone out of the box, and I haven't had any trouble with battery life. Setting it up to work remotely did cause me quite a bit of frustration, but it was only because the console reports it can't find the internet even when it's working right. The only real complaint I have is the light issue. I have a $7 webcam that does 100 times better in any light, and the headlight built into the unit is a joke. I will probably buy the add-on from wowwee or try making one.

For anyone having trouble, there is a ton of great info in the forums at robocommunity.com

woot woot

My feedback contributions:

- Cam: Like many other people comments here already. Good to great in outdoor or VERY WELL lit room, EXTREME gets lemon juice in the eye in normal or somewhat dim light. Strap on an additional head light they sell might help but I think if you want to use Rovio to check on your house while you're away, installing a motion switch light switch in the room(s) might be a better option.

- Sound Quality (2-way communication via Internet Explorer 8): I can hear things pretty good actually but audio output to Rovio's speaker is just 'okay' ... kinda like an underpowered AM radio but you can't definitely understand it though. If you have problems, you might try using a different/better microphone & also run audio wizard to optimize your microphone settings.

- No problem with setting it here (port forwarding, Dynamic DNS & stuff) to communicate with it via a browser outside my network. Although I still can't get it to show my extranal address/real IP (Settings --> Network Tab) on the browser control screen for some reason.

- People that wish they can't control the webcam arm (instead of stuck with 3 preset positions) might want to check out RovioDirect program. (For newbies, "config.ini" file where function preset values are kept ...for example 1 is on, 0 is off) This setting interface might not be elegant but it works & it's free). But when you want to access it on the outside your network, I have to handfeed my actually IP address into the 'RobotIP' variable. It's not hard though but it does require that extra step. But totally worth it to be able to control that webcam arm. Preset sounds are fun to play with and you can add your own. Although under Windows 7, the video won't load sometimes but under XP, works every time.

- I don't know if having it turn on all the time will waste a lot of electricity or hurt the battery or not so I welcome other people input on this. I mean it does feel a little warm. LEDs brightness doesn't really bother me too much. Double as a night light in my opinions. I read some people put low transparency tapes over them to cut down the intensity.

- Can't get 'Paths' features to work at all. Does anyone else have any luck with this?

- After docking, 90% most of the times, the video stream froze and I have to hit the refresh button to get it back. This is really annoying problem that shouldn't happen.

- I got the navigation laser light shone into my eyes accidentally a few time. I know this can't be good. For those with children, it would find some ways of preventing this. Eventhough this isn't one of those concentrated laser beam but how bad and dangerous are these light anyway, I wonder.

- Is HiFi coverage a problem for anyone else? Less than a 20 feet downstair away from my router where my netbook recieves the signal fine & strong. But Rovio attenna just can't pick up anything and the controling browser or RovioDirect won't load. I can live without the additionl navigational beacons but I really love to be able to roam from room to room manually. Does anyone knows how to overcome this problem? Has anyone ever try setting up a repeaters to extend the range?

adamklong wrote:- Is HiFi coverage a problem for anyone else? Less than a 20 feet downstair away from my router where my netbook recieves the signal fine & strong. But Rovio attenna just can't pick up anything and the controling browser or RovioDirect won't load. I can live without the additionl navigational beacons but I really love to be able to roam from room to room manually. Does anyone knows how to overcome this problem? Has anyone ever try setting up a repeaters to extend the range?

I'm only asking this because I've accidently done the same thing in handling my Rovio: Is your Rovio's antenna in the upright position?
Also you or your neighbors using using a 2.4 Mhz cordless phone? Have you tried changing your wireless channel? Is your router an draft 'n'?

Massive Overkill wrote:I'm only asking this because I've accidently done the same thing in handling my Rovio: Is your Rovio's antenna in the upright position?
Also you or your neighbors using using a 2.4 Mhz cordless phone? Have you tried changing your wireless channel? Is your router an draft 'n'?

- Attenta is fully extended: Yes
- Tested & Changed the wireless channels to all 11 channels: No improvement
- Interfering from neighbor cordless phone: Very unlikely (Lots of space between houses, tried on all hours of the day)
- Set my router to all settings: Mix N/G/B, Mix G/B, G only : No improvement

: - (

I spoke too soon when I said I wasn't having any trouble. My Rovio has started dying on the dock. It self-docks and charges, but apparently when it's done it stops accepting current, and doesn't start again when the battery gets low. Some folks on Robocommunity forums say it's a known issue and should be fixed on the next firmware update. Wish I knew when that's going to be.

my unit came defective im contacting wowWee rovio

I tried for 3 days to set mine up on my mac, to no avail.. i emailed rma@woot.com, and they promptly responded with a complimentary shipping label and an apology.. i mailed the hunk of junk back, and saved myself tons of headaches

Did anyone receive their replacement adapter yet? I faxed in my receipt to WowWee but never received a response yet, its like it went into a black hole.

I bought the squaretrade warranty but I am really considering returning this thing...works for 5 mins and then dies no matter how many times I charge it.

dlinnean wrote:Did anyone receive their replacement adapter yet? I faxed in my receipt to WowWee but never received a response yet, its like it went into a black hole.

I bought the squaretrade warranty but I am really considering returning this thing...works for 5 mins and then dies no matter how many times I charge it.

Consider yourself lucky that you got *that* far. I have tried contacting them countless times and countless ways with a big fat zero of a response from them.

Damn!! Should read this forum first before I bought this piece of hernia. Battery is crappy and video quality is like The Strangers (2008) and can't seem to get the audio to work even after speaking through the mic on the pc (vista). Battery first used was like freaking 5 mins, but as time goes by it seems to get better battery life. Oh BTW 2Bots is for Android and this app have built in audio streaming, but if you try to control your robot it is very very very slow. I also have AndRovio on my nexus one this app seems to control better than 2Bots, but got no audio. Your pick! I only found 2 of these apps for Android phone. Just buy an app for iphone 3g called Rovio Driver. Will let you know how it is. BTW it cost .99 cents.

Just finished test out the Rovio Driver for iphone 3g it is a little better than the 2Bots for Android phone in my case for Nexus one. They are still crappy apps for both iphone and android, but for now it is better then have nothing to control it with. I recommend to get the AndRovio for android phone this seems to work better than the 2Bots app for Android. As for the iphone I only found one app in the App Store which is Rovio Driver. No battery, nav, wifi indictor on this app and have no audio streaming. AndRovio for android have all that, but also no audio streaming. They are all suck!! Don't buy this piece of hernia bot!! Now is just become an RC toy for my kids to mess with.

Um, bought 3 of these to re-sell. Just kinda skimmed the posts, seems that every one of them has something wrong with it.

So my question: does anyone have a "good" unit that there are no problems with?

Wanted to sell them new, but looks like I might have to test each one out/ get replacement parts?

i just got my sold item returned for this battery story. sigh

Mine worked better as a brick then a robot. Got an Rma Replacement and it to seems to be a better brick then robot.