Tachyon, Inc.

Tel: 972-353-0888
Fax: 972-353-0978

Website: www.tachyoninc.com
Email: support@tachyoninc.com

Tachyon XC Instruction Manual - English

1 - Tachyon XC

2 - Battery Cartridge

3 - Remote Control

4 - Swivel Mount

5 - General Mount

6 - Side Mount

7 - TV Cable

8 - USB Cable

Quick Start

To get started, insert two AA batteries into the battery cartridge. Then insert the cartridge into back of your Tachyon XC. In the slot to the left, insert your SD or SDHC card.

We highly recommend using a class 6 SDHC card or above, with 10MB/s or above speed. 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB SDHC cards are all compatible with the Tachyon XC.

Class 4 cards will also work but may deliver video that is not as smooth.

On Superior Level you can capture one hour of 26FPS video on a 4GB SDHC card. The other levels will give you longer recording times. Refer to the chart on page 16 for details.

As for batteries, we recommend Energizer e2 Lithium/Ultimate Lithium Batteries for longer battery life, especially in cold weather.

Once your batteries and SDHC card have been inserted, turn on your Tachyon XC by holding down the Power Button (Bottom Left - Outlined in Red) until you hear a double beep and your LCD lights up. To begin taking videos, hold down the START/STOP Button (Top) until you hear a high-pitched beep. You will notice that the time counter has begun to advance. You are now shooting video.

Hold down the START/STOP Button again to stop filming.

Setting the Clock

This will take you to your calendar settings, which include the Year (YY), Month (MM) or Day (DD), Hour (Hr) and Minute (Min) numbers. To change the activated number, press (but don’t hold) the MENU Button until the correct number appears.

When the number is correct, press the START/STOP Button. This will take you to the next number. Repeat until your time and date are correct.

The clock is a 24-hour clock, so 6:30PM should be entered as 18:30.

If you make an error, or if you just wish to exit the setup menu, press and hold the MENU Button for two seconds.

If you remove your batteries for more than a few minutes, your time and date settings will be lost.

To use the TACHYON XC’s remote controller, you must first insert 2 AAA batteries. Then point it towards the front of your camera and press the large START/STOP Button to start recording. You will see the green LED turn to red. This means that you are recording. Press again to stop and the LED will turn green.

See set-up video above.

Press the MENU Button until you reach the desired setting, then press the START/STOP Button to confirm your choice. H (High-Level) will give you 2 hours of recording time, also in VGA. For longer recording times, but at 1/4 VGA, you can choose M (Medium-Level) or L (Long-Level) modes. On a 4GB SDHC card, these modes will allow you to save from 4 to 8 hours of video respectively.

To exit the menu, press and hold the MENU Button.

Continuous recording time is limited to either 90 minutes (H, M, L) or 45 minutes (S). This allows your camera to process the data and for your files to play on all computer video players. Recording will begin again automatically after 5 seconds. You will not need to do anything.

If you have been recording for more than one hour, your time indicator will switch from minutes and seconds to hours and minutes.

All recording times are based on a 4GB SDHC card. Higher-capacity SDHC cards will give you longer recording times.

(See Table)

Now every time you press the START/STOP Button you will hear a beep sound and capture a photograph. The number that you see displayed on the LCD will be the number of photos remaining until your memory is full.

The photographs are of the same 640X480 pixel resolution as the videos (S & H level).

To return to Video Mode, press the MENU button once again. Turning the camera off and on again will also reset you to the default Video Mode.

Press and hold the MENU Button to exit the menu.

To ensure waterproofing, the microphone of the Tachyon XC 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.

Please note that your sound playback on the VLC Media Player will sound extremely distorted. Other popular media players, such as QuickTime and Windows Media Player should have no problem.

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.

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. Always remember that your body makes a great shock absorber. So videos taken with the camera attached to your body will be smoother than videos taken with your camera is attached to something, such as a bicycle, that you are riding.

The Tachyon XC is designed to work under water to a depth of 28 feet (8.5 meters) for a maximum of 30 minutes. To ensure waterproofing, be sure to keep the rubber seal around the rear door clean and the door closed properly.

Remember: The Remote Controller is NOT waterproof!

Although the TACHYON XC is designed to handle extreme situations, it would be best not to leave it sitting in strong sunlight or on or near any hot objects.

Tachyon, Inc. is not responsible for any damage resulting from improper use.

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.

Duracell or Energizer Alkaline Batteries - approx. 3.5 hours
Energizer e2/Ultimate Lithium Batteries - approx. 10 hours

Tachyon, Inc. is not responsible for the above reference data. Over the life of your camera, battery technology will continue to improve, so you should make use of the most advanced non-rechargeable batteries available.

But if you have or would like to buy an 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB card, be assured that they are fully compatible with the Tachyon XC and will give longer recording times.

Please remember, though, that not all SDHC cards are the same. Faster cards are better than slower cards. So for smoother videos, we recommend class 6 SDHC cards with 10MB/s or above speed.

Tachyon offers compatible SDHC cards on our online store.

The Tachyon XC comes with one set of mounting accessories:

The new Side Mount (Top) is perfectly contoured for your helmet or head and slips easily over your goggle straps. It may also be attached to the helmet with Velco or other such types of fasteners.

The General Mount (Top Right) can attach the camera to a helmet or almost anything else you can think of, while the Swivel Mount (Bottom) can be mounted on a typical camera tripod and allows the camera to be rotated in any direction.

Plastic zip ties and rubber bands (not included) can also be used, and are highly recommended, to secure your mounts to difficult surfaces such as biking helmets. See the example on the bottom right.

A uniquely-designed Handlebar Mount (below), that mounts securely to most tubular surfaces and allows a wide range of tilt and rotation, can be purchased separately. These are ideal for mounting your camera on bikes, motorcycles, or gun barrels. This mount comes with three gripping pads of different diameters designed to fit a wide range of handlebars or other tubular shapes.

To purchase this or additional sets of mounts and accessories, please visit our online store.

For added security when in extreme environments you may wish to secure your camera with a bit of fishing line, or something similar, to your person or your vehicle. Pass the line through the latch on the rear door and close it tight. This will prevent your camera from being lost in water or snow in case of any accident.

To play back your video or still image files on your XC, press and hold the START/STOP Button.

When you do you will see one of the two menus below. The one on the top appears when a video file is active, and the one on the bottom appears when a sill photo is active.

Follow the directions on the menus to view, play, pause, or delete your files.

To return to preview, disconnect your cable and then reconnect.

Press the MENU Button to toggle between Yes and No.
Press START/STOP to confirm your choice. If you press NO, you will return to the playback of your files.

To delete files without connecting to your TV, remove your memory card and insert it into your computer (or into a card reader and then your computer). You can then use your computer's file manager to delete your files.

NTSC and PAL are two different TV systems. NTSC is used in the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, while PAL is used in the EU and most of the rest of the world.

When you plug your XC into your TV with the included TV cable, you will see on your LCD, TU (TV) and below it a little flashing NTSC. If you are in an NTSC country, press the START/STOP Button to set NTSC. If you are in a PAL country, press the MENU Button. This will change the flashing NTSC to a flashing PAL. When you press the START/STOP Button, you will set PAL and be able to play your videos on your PAL TV.

There is no need to set NTSC or PAL before you record your videos. Your videos will be compatible with both systems.

The Tachyon XC also comes with a USB cable. Plug it into the top jack inside the back door of your camera, labeled with the USB symbol.

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/SD cards, we highly recommend removing the card from your Tachyon XC, plugging it into your computer, and copying your video or picture files to 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 that because the Tachyon XC is not a mass-storage device, files cannot be written from your computer to the Tachyon XC.

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.

Windows XP/Vista and Apple Mac OS X

If you experience difficulties with the product, take out the batteries for about 10 minutes. This will act as a master reset, where all of your settings will revert to the default.

If you notice that your video playback is corrupted, you can’t save any videos, or your card doesn't hold the full amount it is supposed to, it is recommended that you reformat your SDHC card memory.

With your card inserted, press a pin or paper clip into the hole between the USB and TV jacks (inside the SD card icon). When you do, the LCD will show “no”. You can press the START/STOP Button to abort formatting and return to normal operation, but if you really want to format your card, toggle to “yes” by pressing the MENU Button. Pressing the START/STOP Button will then format your memory card.

WARNING: All of the video previously recorded on your SD/SDHC Card will be lost.

For technical support, please contact us at support@tachyoninc.com

Tachyon, Inc. will not under any circumstances be responsible for injuries or property damage incurred during the use of any of our products.

Because the Tachyon XC is an action camera, it is tuned for shooting in sunlight. So for the best looking videos, try to shoot your action when the light is good. Shooting indoors, even with what you perceive to be good light, may not result in very good video.

In action situations you will often encounter a lot of vibration. So it is a good thing to remember that your body makes a great shock absorber. Mounting your Tachyon XC on your helmet, shoulder, or waist will give you a smoother video than if you mount it directly to whatever it is you are riding.

Make sure you are using the Superior “S” setting for the best image quality. See your manual for how to change back to the S setting if you are now on the H, M, or L setting.

Be sure to use a fast SDHC card. A class 6 card rated at 10MB/s speed or above should do the the job quite well. Class 4 cards are also compatible, but may not deliver the smoothness that class 6 cards do.

It is possible that we may sometimes offer a free upgrade to the camera’s firmware. If we do, it will be posted for download on our website, along with instructions for the simple installation process.

If you purchased your camera from our website, you will receive the upgrade by email.

Be sure to mention Tachyon XC and Helmet Camera in your title or tags.

Click on the YouTube logo to see Tachyon XC videos

The Tachyon XC (the product) is covered by a 90-day limited warranty from the date of purchase from Tachyon, Inc. The warranty covers defects in workmanship and materials. It does not apply to products which have been damaged due to unreasonable use or by intention. This warranty does not cover those products purchased from other individuals and is not transferable.
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.

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.

Tachyon, Inc. Return Policy
(a) Tachyon Inc will only accept returns of defective product within 90 days of purchase, as stated in warranty above.
(b) All defective product will be exchanged for new products, and not for monetary returns.
(c) Tachyon, Inc. may request sample video clips to be sent to support@tachyoninc.com in order to ascertain the problem/defect.
(d) 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.
(e)Returns should be sent to:Tachyon, Inc. 401 E Corporate Drive, Ste 100, Lewisville TX, 75057 USA

Before contacting us, please see the FAQ page.

If your question is not answered there, please feel free to contact our staff us at support@tachyoninc.com

We will get back to you as soon as we can with helpful information.

FPS means Frames Per Second.