TRACK IR overheating and stopped working

[jillian.smythe]

Please note that if your unit is overheating and you purchased it within the last year, we do have a 1 year warranty on our products. You can reach out to use through the contact form to request further assistance: https://www.trackir.com/help. We recommend connecting your TrackIR to a USB port on your motherboard whenever possible. If you must connect it to a USB hub, please make sure the hub is powered.

Kind Regards,

[beslemma]

Same here,
Mine died after short more than 2 years of non extensive use.
Very hot to the touch and cooling down or plugging directly on the USB port at computer changes nothing.
Emailed the Natural Point support on the 24/09 with the purchase order number. No answer so far.
It is really disappointing. Obviously owing to the number of issues reported on the internet it is a rather common fault and misconception Natural Point doesn’t care sorting out.
This product works very well but is apparently poorly engineered.
Worst thing is that Natural Point knowing this does not bring any descent support beyond “oh yeah Plse buy another one” which will fail soon enough. This is rather a subscription than a purchase.
There are plenty of free alternatives using your phone which require nothing to be worn on the head.
Extremely disappointing for a product of this price.
Manu B

[jillian.smythe]

Hello beslemma,

I looked through our tickets that came in around September 24th, and I don't see one that looks like it came from you. How did you reach out to us? Did you use the contact form on our website, https://www.trackir.com/help? Please submit your request again so that we can look into this issue further.

Kind Regards,

[beslemma]

Hi Jillian,
Good to read finally s/o at TrackIR.
Ticket number #ct8711 #tcbzE4gpTSzBD0 at TrackIR France / Europe related to purchase order AWRKEQTAV.
Before posting yesterday I checked in my outbox and confirmed the attached email (hopefully it will work).
I am not in the US however I did purchase directly from Track IR.
Kindest regards,
Manu

[jillian.smythe]

Hello Manu,

Thank you for clarifying. Please note that TrackIR.fr is the website for a third-party company that imports and resells products from TrackIR/NaturalPoint, the company that makes the TrackIR. They are not part of NaturalPoint but they are an authorized reseller of our TrackIR products. Because of this, TrackIR/NaturalPoint cannot see any requests that are filled out on the TrackIR.fr website. You will note in their terms and conditions that the TrackIR.fr website is owned by SB Import. Because you purchased the device through them, any warranty claim would need to be handled by them as well. We can still help with any troubleshooting through this forum or through our help page: https://www.trackir.com/help/.

Is your TrackIR undetected by Windows on more than one computer? Is there an entry for TrackIR in Device Manager under NaturalPoint devices, or is there an entry for an Unknown Device in Device Manager? To maximize the longevity of the TrackIR, we strongly recommend connecting it directly to a USB port on the computer, not through a USB hub. Make sure you are closing the software when you are not using the TrackIR so that the unit can go into standby mode and cool down between sessions.

Kind Regards,

[beslemma]

Well Jillian,
This is it and no different from other posts.
Answer from TeackIR RMA support: 1) the unit is dying / died and 2) your unit is not under warranty anymore you can purchase a new one at our resellers.
Back to square one and my initial post which has now been verified / validated by TrackIR themselves.
Poor quality product (less than 3 years lifespan) which is likely to be the same with a new unit. No intent to sort out situations created at customers.
Sorry but I shall pass my way and not purchase another unit in these conditions while a simple app on my phone appears to do as good job as my former unit, nothing to be worn on the head and far better build quality I would expect.
Really disappointed and left with bitter taste in the mouth. Will certainly not recommend natural point products in the future.
With my best regards,
Manu

[jillian.smythe]

Hello Manu,

I understand your frustration and I respect your choice to use an alternate product. When your product was working, did you have it connected directly to the computer, or were you using a USB hub, docking station or other device? Often customers who are having problems with their unit overheating have had it connect to a USB hub, extension cable or other device, not to a USB port on their computer's motherboard. Our user manual states to "plug the TrackIR into a USB port on your computer. For best results, directly connect the TrackIR into a USB port on your computer. We do not recommend using a USB hub of any kind."

We also recommend turning off the TrackIR software when the TrackIR is not in use to put the TrackIR camera in standby mode. If you are not going to be using it for an extended period, I would suggest disconnecting it from your computer to maximize its lifespan.

Kind Regards,