2010 Tachyon XC Micro Instruction Manual

Dear Customer,

Thank you for buying the Tachyon XC Micro. The Tachyon XC Micro is the latest generation video and still helmet camera designed for filming extreme action in extreme conditions. It is very rugged and very simple to use, while delivering 30FPS of quality video.

The Tachyon XC Micro is shockproof, waterproof, and foolproof. Take it anywhere on land, into the sea, and into the air and bring back your stunts, adventures, and bloopers. A patented shock-proof battery system eliminates an all-too -common problem among other action cameras; the loss of power and recorded files caused by the jarring loose of the batteries. This innovation ensures that videos taken in challenging and perhaps impossible-to-repeat situations will not be lost.

And unlike other action cameras which need to rely on an external waterproof case, the Tachyon XC Micro’s housing is already waterproof, allowing you to film to a depth of 2 Atmospheres (34 feet or 10.3 meters) and protecting the camera from adverse elements.

The Tachyon XC Micro provides two recording modes: Superior-Quality Video and Time-Lapse Photography. It makes use of the 4GB - 32GB Micro SDHC cards, for the longest recording times on the market.

About Tachyon

Tachyon, Inc. is a company that deals in extremes: We make extremely cool products for extreme people who engage in extreme activities. In order to make the best products, Tachyon, Inc. does not compromise on materials or on the quality of construction. We exceed industrial standards to ensure that our products exceed your expectations.

Please be sure to set up your new action camera using the following instructions. If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

The Management
Tachyon, Inc.

The Tachyon XC Micro is comes preset on Video Mode.

To get started, insert two AAA batteries into the battery cartridge. Then insert the cartridge into back of your Tachyon XC Micro, making sure the red latch locks over the cartridge.

For batteries, we recommend Energizer Ultimate Lithium for longer battery life. In cold weather use ONLY this kind of battery.

In the slot to the left, insert your Micro SDHC card. Insert with the gold leads facing up.

Once your batteries and Micro SDHC card have been inserted, turn on your Tachyon XC Micro by pushing and holding down the START/STOP button on the top of the camera. You will hear a beep sound and see the green LED light up, quuickly followed by the red.

That’s it! You have begun shooting video!

To stop filming, push and hold down the START/STOP button again. You will hear a lower beep sound and the red LED will turn off.

Warning: Do NOT use rechargeable batteries, as they may be too large for the battery cartridge and could become stuck inside your camera.

There is a small LED just above your START/STOP button.
• When you are recording, this light will be red.
• When you are in Time-Lapse Photo mode, this light will flash red - green - red - green.
• If your Micro SDHC card is full, it will flash green (short pulses).
• If there is no Micro SDHC card in your camera, or if there is an error with the card, it will flash green (long pulses).

To turn off the camera in the last two cases, pop out the battery cartridge.

You may change recording modes from Video to Photo (Time-Lapse) by sliding the switch on the left to the desired position.

To lock the camera so that it cannot shut off due to extreme water pressure, or by the user accidentally pressing the button, slide the right switch to the Lock position.

If you are having video playback problems when connected to your TV, please see below for how to use the Unlock - Lock to switch TV playback modes.

When in video mode, your camera will record superior-quality VGA video.

After you have been recording for 30 minutes, you camera will pause for five seconds to save your file to your memory card. But don’t worry; it will automatically start up again after those five seconds.

When editing your video, which will be compatible with most video editing programs, you may choose to edit in wide-screen or even HD sizes. Although your video will not be true HD, it will still look much better this way when you upload to a video sharing site.

A 4GB Micro SDHC card will hold just over one hour of video. Larger cards will hold multiples of that amount.

To switch from Video mode to Time Lapse mode, slide the left switch from Video to Photo.

Now when you press the START/STOP button you will hear a beep sound and see the LED flashing red and green. You are now capturing a series of time-lapse photos. One photo every two seconds. These photos will be saved in .JPG format and can be read by all common photo applications.

To return to video mode, slide the switch back to Video.

The Tachyon XC Micro comes with one reversible Universal Mount that allows you to securely mount your camera on the top or on either side of your helmet.

You Micro will easily snap in and out of the Universal Mount, which itself will easily slip over the strap of your goggles, or on to the top or either side of your helmet.

We also recommend, for secure and easy mounting, 3M™ Dual-Lock™ Fastening Strips. You will get one 12" strip in your box. These are similar to Velcro but much stronger.

When filming in extreme situations, it is important to further tether your camera to the mount that you are using. This will ensure that your camera is not lost in water, snow, or rugged terrain when you fall or hit your camera. The rear door of your camera is designed to allow fishing line to be passed through the top, near the latch, so when the door is locked shut your camera will be securely attached to whatever you tie it to.

3M™ Dual-Lock™ is a trademark of 3M Company in the United States and/or other countries.

See our Tachyon XC Micro Mounting Page for more mounting tips.

For waterproofing reasons, the microphone of the Tachyon XC Micro is sealed inside the case. This ensures that your camera will function well in extreme situations. But your sound-recording quality will be quite a bit lower than on a camera that is not designed to be waterproof.

To improve sound recording, you may open the back door of your camera. But it would not be a good idea to do this when you are shooting outside in an area where any dust or water could enter your camera. An open back door will also create a lot of noise if you are moving the camera around. So it would be preferable to do this only when the camera is still. NEVER open the back door when going under water!

Tachyon, Inc. has patented a shock-resistance system that keeps your batteries in place and connected in event of severe jarring. Disconnected batteries would result in the shut down of the camera and the loss or corruption of your video files.

Be sure that your batteries are inserted correctly into the shock-proof battery cartridge, and that your cartridge is inserted correctly into the camera, so that the red latch snaps securely over the back of the cartridge.

The Tachyon XC Micro is designed to work under water to a depth of 2 atmospheres (34 feet or 10.3 meters) for a maximum of 30 minutes. It will keep recording to a greater depth, but due to the water pressure the buttons may no longer function until you return to a shallower depth.

To ensure waterproofing, be sure to keep the rubber seal around the rear door clean and the door closed properly.

To prevent water pressure from shutting off your camera in the deep water, you can lock it by opening the back door and sliding the locking switch to the Right. Close and lock the door and then start recording as normal. You (and high water pressure) will now be unable to stop the recording.

To stop recording, you must surface, dry your camera, open the door, slide the switch back to the left, and then push the ON/OFF button until the camera stops.

The Tachyon XC Micro comes with a USB cable.

To open your files from your camera, first set the switches on the back of your camera to Photo and Lock.

Then plug the small end into the jack inside the back door of your camera and the large end into your computer’s USB port. (The jack on your camera is used for both the TV and the USB cables).

Now turn on your camera. You should hear a beep and see a window popping up asking you to view your files.

We suggest that you save your files to your computer as soon as possible after recording.

But if your computer is able to read SDHC cards, we highly recommend removing the card from your Tachyon XC Micro, inserting it into its adaptor, and then plugging it into your computer. Then you will be able to move your files from your camera onto your computer.

This will not only save the batteries of your cameras, but video files watched directly from the SDHC/SD card may not run as smoothly as files that have been copied to your computer’s hard drive.

Please note: Because the Tachyon XC Micro is not a mass-storage device, files cannot be written from your computer to the Tachyon XC Micro or deleted from your Micro SD card while it is inserted into your XC Micro.

When your Micro USB cable or SDHC card is inserted into your adaptor/card reader/computer, you should see the following in your file manager.

Under the DCIM folder you will see one video folder (100XCVID) for all of the videos that you have taken on that card.

And you will see a separate picture folder (101,102XCPIC) for each “session” of photo taking. That means that every time you start and stop taking your time lapse photos, a new folder will be created. This will help you to keep things organized.

You may copy, paste and delete these files just as you would do with any other file on your computer.

We urge you to copy your files to the computer as quickly as possible, to free up space for more files and to be sure that you don’t lose any great video or photos.

To connect the Micro to your TV, insert the TV cable into the back of your camera, and then plug in the yellow and white leads into the back of your TV (to the corresponding color plugs)

See the next section for selecting your TV system.

NTSC and PAL are two different TV systems. The videos that you take with the Tachyon XC Micro are compatible with both.

You can switch between the two systems using the Lock and Unlock switch on the back of your camera. When connected to your TV and turning on the camera when unlocked, you will be in NTSC mode. Turning it on when locked, you will be in PAL mode.

Your camera ships with the switch set to Unlock. Therefore the default mode is NTSC system. So if you are in an PAL country, and your TV playback is in black and white or with a wavy image, you will need to switch.

With the first batch of production for the Micro, these switches were reversed. It was Unlock for PAL and Lock for NTSC. So if you purchased your camera before February, 2010, please try the opposite of these instructions!

We recommend that you use an 8GB Micro SDHC card or larger. These will give you longer recording times so that you can be record more action without having to stop and load a new card.

4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB (when available) cards are all compatible with your camera.

With a 4GB card you will get 1 hour of video.

With larger cards, you can double, quadruple and octuple these numbers.

Tachyon offers this brand, or comparable Micro SDHC cards, on our online store.

As with most electronic products, it is better if you take the batteries out if you don’t plan on using them. Leaking or expanding batteries could cause damage to your connections, or even become jammed inside your camera.

It is also a good idea to remove the batteries from the cartridge and the cartridge from the camera and leave the back door open. This will relieve pressure on the springs, contacts, and rubber seal.

If you do leave the back door open, it is probably a good idea to keep the camera in a Ziploc® bag, to prevent dust or dirt from getting inside.

If using your camera in salt water, be sure to rinse it in fresh water after use. The salt can cause rusting of metal parts. Also be sure to clean any sand from around the seals, as this could allow water to enter the workings.

Store your Tachyon XC in a cool dry place.

The Tachyon XC Camera is compatible with Windows® XP/Vista/7 and Apple Mac OS® X

Apple MAC OS® X is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows® XP/Vista/7 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

The Tachyon XC Micro requires good-quality batteries to support its high-capacity functions, so low-cost carbon-zinc batteries are not recommended. For best results, use AAA Energizer® Ultimate Lithium Batteries. In cold weather, use ONLY this kind!

You will get up to 4 hours of life with Ultimate Lithium Batteries. Other types of batteries will give you less recording time.

• DO NOT mix new and used or different kinds of batteries.
• DO NOT use rechargeable batteries.
• DO NOT try to force your batteries into the Tachyon XC if they are not going in easily. You may have inserted them incorrectly, or you may be using batteries that are too thick.

AAA-Size rechargeable batteries must not be used for several reasons:

1. They are larger than normal AAA batteries and will not fit well into our shockproof battery cartridge, which was designed to be a tight fit to prevent loose batteries from losing connection and losing your files.
2. When they run out of power, they run out suddenly. This will also cause you to lose your files.
3. They are no good in the cold, and our users take a lot of cold-weather video.

Over the life of your camera battery technology may improve, so you should make use of the most advanced (non-rechargeable) batteries available.

Note: There is no low-power indicator on the Micro, so you won't be able to tell when your batteries are becoming low. But before your camera shuts off, the file that you are recording will be saved, so that you won't lose any important footage. Always carry extra batteries with you when you go, just in case you have misjudged the power remaining in your camera.

Energizer® is a registered trademark of
Eveready Battery Company, Inc. in the United States
and/or other countries.
Duracell® is a registered trademark of P. R. Mallory & Co. Inc.
in the United States and/or other countries.

Although the Tachyon XC Micro performs well indoors, underwater, and in low-light situations, it is specifically tuned for shooting in sunlight. So for the best looking videos, try to shoot your action when the light is good.

Always be sure to use the fastest (Class 6) Micro SDHC cards that you can. These will be written to at a faster rate, giving you smoother video.

Make sure that your lens is clean. One small spot can ruin a great video. Don’t be afraid to pour water over your camera to clean it. Just be sure that the rear door is securely closed.

Videos taken with your Tachyon XC Micro are in VGA resolution, which is perfect for uploading to YouTube®, or other video sharing sites.

You may edit your video and save it at a higher resolution (in HD quality or HD widescreen) so that it will appear on these sites as HD, although it will not be as sharp as true HD.

See this YouTube page for optimizing your video uploads.

Be sure to mention Tachyon XC Micro and Helmet Camera in your title or tags so that other Tachyon XC and XC Micro users can find and comment on your videos.

And be sure to see our website for video samples and for further tips and tricks on video recording and editing.

The Micro XC uses Micro SDHC memory cards. From 4GB up to 32GB.
We recommend always using Class 6 cards for fastest write-to times.

With a 4GB card you will get 1 hour of video, and over 100,000 still photos.

With larger cards, you can double, quadruple and octuple these numbers.

Tachyon offers compatible Micro SDHC cards on our online store. The Micro SDHC cards pictured on our website an in this manual may be replaced by similar or superior cards, depending on supply.

Warranty

Tachyon products are covered by a 90-day limited warranty from the date of purchase from Tachyon, Inc. The warranty covers only defects in workmanship and materials. It does not apply to products which have been damaged due to unreasonable use or by intention nor does it cover
dissatisfaction with the product. This warranty does not cover those products purchased from other individuals & resellers and is not transferable.

Tachyon, Inc.’s warranty policy only covers products purchased directly from Tachyon Inc. If you purchased the product from our website you will have been given a purchase number with your confirmation email. Please quote this number, along with your name and email address, in your dealings with us.

If you purchased the product from an authorized reseller, please contact them for their warranty information.

(a) Tachyon, Inc.’s return policy covers only defective products. All sales are final. Monetary refunds will not be issued for any reason.
(b) Tachyon Inc will only accept returns of defective product within 90 days of purchase, as stated in the warranty above.
(c) All products will be exchanged for new products, and not for monetary returns.
(d) Before products are exchanged or returned, customer must contact Tachyon, Inc. ,via email or phone. Tachyon, Inc. will help troubleshoot the problem to avoid the unnecessary returns. If it is determined that the camera is defective, Tachyon, Inc. will authorize the return, in writing, via email. Tachyon, Inc. may request sample video clips to be sent to support@tachyoninc.com in order to ascertain the problem/defect.
(e) Customer will pay for one-way shipping to Tachyon, Inc. There is no need to use any express or overnight service. Tachyon, Inc. will pay the shipping costs for the exchange product.
(f) Returns should be sent to: 401 E Corporate Drive, Ste 100 Lewisville TX, 75057 USA

Tachyon, Inc. shall only be liable for:

(a) the replacement of a defective product with a new product.

Tachyon, Inc. shall NOT be liable for:

(a) injury to persons, or damage to property or consequential losses arising from the use of the product.
(b) a product that has been tampered with, altered, or been serviced by an unauthorized agent.
(c) damage due to the use of mounting accessories that were not included with the product or those not sold as optional accessories on our website.
(d) loss of video or still picture files for any reason.

In the event that goods are undelivered to recipient and are returned to Tachyon Inc by post, for any of, but not limited to, the following reasons:

a) the recipient entered his/her address on Tachyon’s order form incorrectly or incompletely,
b)  the recipient refused the package,
c) the recipient did not pick up the package in a timely manner from his/her local post office, customs office, or any other location in which the package was being held,

the recipient will be responsible for covering the shipping costs needed to resend their goods to them. 
The original shipping costs cannot be recovered by Tachyon Inc and will be considered payment for a service already rendered.

In the event that the recipient refuses to have the goods resent and the goods are still in like new condition, Tachyon Inc will not refund shipping costs and will charge a 15% restocking fee.