07-18-2017 01:36 PM - edited 07-18-2017 01:38 PM
07-18-2017 01:36 PM - edited 07-18-2017 01:38 PM
Hi everybody (just a copy / paste of a reddit post - I know you know this is a overheating problem)
I think I know the problem. I struggled with this 100% same issue now for days and I "tried everything" ... nothing helped.
But a few hours ago I checked my cables on the Vive side (not the box) and: they are extremely hot! You can bearely touch them.
So I simply went to my freezer, took a frozen coolpad (for injuries) and put it directly on the black front of the Vive. All issues went away immediately and they didn't return as long as I used the pad.
After around 15-30min without pad, the issue returns. And it immediatly disappears when you mount the ice pad.
To be sure it's not a (by the pad) covered sensor I tested it also with something the same size as the pad - then no effect to the issue. Use the icepad - no issue immediately.
This da** thing just turns too hot!! It's not the base stations, it loses. It seems to go nuts by overheating!
Not acceptable workaround:
Reduce overheating
Why it happens in seating postion? - no answer to that. But maybe the seating position games like Elite or EVE: Valkyrie have extremely heavy graphics to render and maybe this affects overheating more...
But it is obviously an overheating issue. Not sure, if this is a HW defect or a design problem.
Could you guys do me a favor and test it, too?
@jagibson- what can we do? Change the headset? Or has it to be repaired?
07-18-2017
02:58 PM
- last edited on
07-18-2017
04:10 PM
by
VibrantNebula
07-18-2017
02:58 PM
- last edited on
07-18-2017
04:10 PM
by
VibrantNebula
Thank you to those that have responded to the information requests. I'm putting all of the responses together and will follow up with next steps. If others experiencing similar issues have not yet posted the info request, please do so!
Thank you,
John
07-18-2017 07:48 PM
07-18-2017 07:48 PM
I am in the seating position too but like I replied in the previous comment, I have no such problem . I turned on AC tho. (Room temp was 26~28 degrees I believe)
07-18-2017 10:26 PM
07-18-2017 10:26 PM
07-18-2017 10:38 PM - edited 07-18-2017 10:45 PM
07-18-2017 10:38 PM - edited 07-18-2017 10:45 PM
HMD Serial and date of purchase:
HMD S/N: FA6BXJJ00060 - purchased on 2017-01-11
Grey Screen: does it flicker or stay solid grey?
- after 15-30min it first starts flickering more and more and sometimes it stays grey for 5 to 10 seconds.
- in the SteamVR it shows that the basestations are grey - sometimes one, then the other, sometimes both. Even when both are grey it sometimes keep on tracking (witch is impossible). this happens only without controllers are online.
- If the controllers are online, everything keep green in the SteamVR, even the tracking problem starts the same time after 15-30min
When problem began (more or less):
- around start of July 2017 when I finished my new PC build the issue started. Could have happened also before, but I'm not sure, because I didn't play a lot of Elite. What I know is, that in the beginning after the purchase on the older computer (ASUS Maximus VI Extreme / GTX 980 Ti) I was able to play EVE: Valkyrie for hours without any issues. But then it was January and room temp was around 22-25 degrees. Not sure if this had an effect.
actual PC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57uL6v-BXLY
Your location:
- Bern, Switzerland
OS Version: please provide actual version (build etc) by typing "winver" in the run command
- Win 10 Pro Version 1703 (Build 15063, 483)
Computer Make/Model or Motherboard if homebuilt:
- ASUS Maximus IX APEX
RAM:
- G.SKILL Trident Z RGB, 32GB (F4-3600C17D-32GTZR)
2x 16GB, DDR4-DIMM, PC4-28800 (3600MHz), CL17-19-19-39-2N, Kühlkörper • Low Voltage (1.35V)/Intel XMP 2.0/LED
Networking or other cards plugged in to motherboard:
- Bluetooth ASUS BT400 Adapter
Graphics Card: make/model any addtional built in graphics as well. Current driver version.
- ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
- Driver Version 382.53
- Monitor lg 34um95 3440x1440
General Computing Environment and Set up:
- Exsys 7x USB 3.0 Hub (USB ext.)
- 2x Farbwerk LED Control (USB int)
- 1x USB 2.0 x7 Aquacomputer Hubby7 internal USB Hub
- 1x Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 PRO
Steam Version: beta or public release
- beta (also tested with public - same result)
VR Home Beta enabled/disabled:
- enabled (also tested with disabled - same result)
Viveport installed/not installed: state which version if installed by going to
- installed, Ver. 1.0.8889 (r1076)
Oculus or revive or other VR environment installed:
- Oculus revive was installed on the old computer, but not on this one
Photo of the room your vive is in: If you can it would be good for us to see how the physical layout of the room your vive is in is set up. You can post publicly if you wish or send via PM to myself or @Synthesis or @VibrantNebula.
(Foto will send directly)
-> this is a screenshot taken when the issue is not happening. When it happens, then there is one or both base stations not visible.
General:
- connected by HDMI
- room temp is around 28-30 degrees Celcius
- I tested with different USB ports - same issue
- Disabled every software and service, that could affect the system - same issue
- tested a lot of options in the SteamVR - same issue
Workaround:
- the ONLY workaround I found - and it is 100% reliable is put a cold ice pack directly on the Vive. (a not-cold thing with the same size didn't change the issue - tested this to be sure it's not the covering of the sensors)
Reproducing the error:
- see the following thread on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/6e5jne/base_stations_losing_connection_while_playing/
-> it describes it very well and suits also my experience. Vive in seated position, playing Elite Dangerous, beeing always on the border of the chaperone. But repositioning of the lighthouses didn't help.
Last thing: it IS a overheating problem. no matter how it's happening. It's obvious.
07-18-2017 11:14 PM - edited 07-18-2017 11:17 PM
07-18-2017 11:14 PM - edited 07-18-2017 11:17 PM
@MartinMarty wrote:...
Could you guys do me a favor and test it, too?
I reported a similar discovery recently.
Thanks MartinMarty - Just wanted to know if the issue also immediately disappears if you put cold on the Vive.
07-20-2017 02:23 PM
07-20-2017 02:23 PM
I've been troubleshooting the same issue for the past 3 months. After ruling out environmental or software issues (by cross-checking with a problem-free headset and problem-free environment), I sent my headset to repair. Twice. Both times it came back, it started flashing gray after 20-40 minutes of first use.
In the meanwhile we got another vive headset which works perfectly, so I doubt it's a software/environment issue... I just want both headsets to be reliably used for our technical development needs.
1) Faulty vive was manufactured 2016/11. New vive manufactured 2017/2.
2) Started experiencing problems May 5th 2017.
3) Environmental factors - have some reflective surfaces in play area that don't cause issues to the second vive.
4) N/A
5) N/A
07-21-2017 03:40 AM
07-21-2017 03:40 AM
HTC, what news? Something have you done for solved or searching it?
07-21-2017 03:42 AM - edited 07-21-2017 07:37 AM
07-21-2017 03:42 AM - edited 07-21-2017 07:37 AM
07-21-2017 09:40 AM
07-21-2017 09:40 AM
07-21-2017 09:45 AM
07-21-2017 09:45 AM
@Dave0590
Please provide answers to the questions asked earlier by @jagibson in this thread. It will be very helpful if we can get as much information as possible about your issue and the circumstances surrounding it.
Thank you!
-John C
07-21-2017 09:55 AM
07-21-2017 09:55 AM
HMD Serial and date of purchase: FA6C3JJ01359, February 17 2017
Grey Screen: it flickers after about 30-40 minutes (variable) and can stay grey after a while.
When problem began (more or less): Around May 2017
Your location: Quebec, Canada
OS Version: Version 1703 OS build 15063.483
Computer Make/Model or Motherboard if homebuilt: AMD Ryzen 1700, MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon
RAM: 16 GB DDR4
Networking or other cards plugged in to motherboard: None
Graphics Card: Zotac GTX 1080 AMP! Version: 384.76
General Computing Environment and Set up: 1 monitor via DP only
Steam Version: beta
VR Home Beta enabled/disabled: enabled
Viveport installed/not installed: not installed
Oculus or revive or other VR environment installed: not installed.
Might take a picture later.
07-21-2017 10:11 AM
07-21-2017 10:11 AM
07-21-2017 10:28 AM
07-21-2017 10:28 AM
Please give us daily reports in this thread (situation, news, next steps, possible workarounds, root cause analysis information). I would really appreciate this very much. Thank you.
To everybody who is interested in how the Vive looks inside - with very hi res pictures!:
https://ifixit-pwa.appspot.com/guide/62213
best,
AGR-13
07-21-2017 12:04 PM - edited 07-21-2017 03:56 PM
07-21-2017 12:04 PM - edited 07-21-2017 03:56 PM
@AGR-13 wrote:
Thanks MartinMarty - Just wanted to know if the issue also immediately disappears if you put cold on the Vive.
Sorry, AGR, I had not intended to ignore your request.
Wednesday night I attended a party in theWaveVR, which is a wonderful experience but mine has been marred by grey-outs diminishing the immersion. Anyway, I had been in there a while, maybe close to an hour, and thought I was doing pretty good when the grey-outs started. This time it really got me at bad moment when I was running the light show for everybody to see. So there I was totally blind and I just kept pulling controls even though I couldn't see if I had ahold of the control, let alone the results.
Anyway, in a pinch I started covering up sensors with my hands and it was helping a lot. I got it isolated to the one nearest my right eye, level with the camera. So I grabbed a post-it note and stuck it over that sensor. The results were good but the post-it was not covering the sensor thoroughly, so I cut the sticky parts from two post-its and almost cured the problem. Finally I stuck electrical tape over the post-it material, that way no light can get through and no tape adhesive gets on the sensor lens.
Knock-on-wood, the occlusion solution seems to be working great for me. I have not had a single episode of grey-outs since I covered the sensor. I am leaving it on all the time and I will see how long the success continues. If and when it fails, I will try the cool-down solution but I don't want to mess with success since this is the most I've been able to enjoy my Vive in a couple months.
I am posting a picture. I know it's not pretty but cut me a break - the repair was made during gameplay.
I had dabbled with this before with mixed results, but I never actually isolated a single sensor and I never taped over it/them good. Now I just hope that this fix keeps working, as some others have not.