© Swann Communications 2012
Helpdesk / Technical Support Details
Limited Warranty Terms & Conditions
Swann Communications warrants this product against defects in workmanship and material for a period
of one (1) year from it’s original purchase date. You must present your receipt as proof of date of purchase
for warranty validation. Any unit which proves defective during the stated period will be repaired without
charge for parts or labour or replaced at the sole discretion of Swann. The end user is responsible for all
freight charges incurred to send the product to Swann’s repair centres. The end user is responsible for all
shipping costs incurred when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.
The warranty does not cover any incidental, accidental or consequential damages arising from the use of
or the inability to use this product. Any costs associated with the tting or removal of this product by a
tradesman or other person or any other costs associated with its use are the responsibility of the end user.
This warranty applies to the original purchaser of the product only and is not transferable to any third
party. Unauthorized end user or third party modi cations to any component or evidence of misuse or
abuse of the device will render all warranties void.
By law some countries do not allow limitations on certain exclusions in this warranty. Where applicable by
local laws, regulations and legal rights will take precedence.
For Australia: Our goods come with guarantees which cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer
Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other
reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the
goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to major failure.
Swann Technical Support
All Countries E-mail: tech@swannsecurity.com
Telephone Helpdesk
USA toll free
1-800-627-2799
(Su, 2pm-10pm US PT)
(M-Th, 6am-10pm US PT)
(F 6am-2pm US PT)
USA Exchange & Repairs
1-800-627-2799 (Option 1)
(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)
AUSTRALIA toll free
1300 138 324
(M 9am-5pm AUS ET)
(Tu-F 1am-5pm AUS ET)
(Sa 1am-9am AUS ET)
NEW ZEALAND toll free
0800 479 266
UK
0203 027 0979
See http://www.worldtimeserver.com for information on time zones and the
current time in Melbourne, Australia compared to your local time.
FCC Veri cation
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital device, pursuant
to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit di erent from that to which the receiver is connected
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
WARNING: Modi cations not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
Crimson Eye
MCRIMSO170212E
2
The Helicopter
The Remote Control
Upper Rotors
Balance Bar
Lower Rotors Tail Rotor
Lens
Charging port
(Power Switch on other side)
Camera
A B
Right stick
Up/Down: Back/Forward
Left/Right: Turn on Spot
Trim
Rudder / Rotation
Power Switch
Video Rec ON/OFF ButtonPhoto Button
Charge
indicator
light
Left stick
Up/Down: Throttle
Power
Indicator
LED
Band
Selector
Switch
Charging Lead
Compartment
11
Warnings
Helicopter Battery Warnings
The helicopter has a built in Lithium Polymer battery. This battery is light and powerful, as its
chemistry is based on lithium, a light and extremely volatile metal.
• The battery pack in the helicopter will become warm if charged for too long and could
become damaged. Do not overcharge the battery in the helicopter.
• Charge battery in an isolated, controlled environment. Keep far away from ammable
materials.
• Never leave the helicopter unattended while charging.
• The battery pack in the helicopter becomes warm after use. We recommend you allow 30
minutes for it cool before re-charging the helicopter.
• Never completely exhaust the battery. When the helicopter starts to lose power, turn it o
and charge it as soon as practicable.
• DO NOT dispose of the batteries in the remote control or the helicopter in re as they may
explode.
• The battery must be disposed of responsibly.
• DO NOT expose to direct sunlight: there is a risk that the battery may overheat, ignite and/
or explode.
• DO NOT disassemble, modify, heat, or short circuit the battery. Don’t place it in re or leave
in hot places or near heat sources.
• DO NOT drop the battery or subject it to strong impacts.
• DO NOT allow the battery to get wet.
• Only charge the battery from the supplied charging equipment. Using other charging
equipment will void your warranty, may damage the battery and poses a risk of re or
explosion.
• Use the battery only in this helicopter, and use only this battery in the helicopter.
• Read these instructions carefully and thoroughly, and obey all guidelines herein.
• In the unlikely event of leakage or explosion, use sand or a chemical re extinguisher to
extinguish the batteries.
If your high school chemistry teacher ever demonstrated what happens when sodium is placed
in water (“bam” is the technical description of the outcome) then you’re somewhat familiar
with how volatile lithium is – except that lithium is lighter (and therefore packs a bigger bang
per gram) than sodium is! Basically, obey all the guidelines and respect the power of lithium!
CHOKING HAZARD: Small parts. NOT for children
under 3 years.
!
DANGER: Never insert any sharp objects, pins or
screws into the helicopter as this may puncture the
internal battery!
!
10
Warnings
Battery Warnings:
• Requires 6 x 1.5V AA Alkaline batteries (not included).
• Rechargeable batteries are NOT recommended.
• Replacing batteries must be undertaken by a competent adult.
• Follow the polarity diagram ( + / - ) in the battery compartment.
• Promptly remove dead/exhausted batteries from the controller.
• Dispose of used batteries responsibly.
• DO NOT incinerate batteries, used or otherwise.
• DO NOT dispose of batteries in re, as batteries may explode or leak.
• DO NOT mix new and old batteries or types of batteries (i.e. alkaline/standard).
• DO NOT recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
• DO NOT short circuit the supply terminals.
Precautions and Maintenance
• Never y near your face. Keep rotor away from your ngers, hair, eyes and other
body parts.
• Always lift o from a at surface.
• Never hold the ying helicopter in your hand when lifting o .
• DO NOT launch the helicopter near people or animals.
• Stay away from obstacles and electrical hazards.
• To clean, wipe gently with a damp cloth. Avoid use of solvents, as these can
damage the plastic components.
• Keep the helicopter and remote away from heat sources.
• Do not submerge the helicopter or remote control in water. This will damage the
electronic components, and could pose a severe risk to the built-in battery.
• Turn o controller/charger and helicopter while not in use. Remove batteries
from the controller when not in use.
• Parental guidance is required for younger users.
• Keep your helicopter close and within line of sight – if the line-of-sight to the
controller is lost, you may lose control of the helicopter.
• For best performance, use only fresh Alkaline AA batteries in the controller.
• Read and obey all warnings and safety guidelines in this manual.
• The controller and charger are speci cally designed to charge this helicopter.
Never use any other charging equipment!
Special Notice to Adults:
• The helicopter is NOT intended for use by children under fourteen (14) years old,
unless directly supervised by a competent adult at all times.
• The helicopter must only be used with the supplied controller/charger.
• Regularly examine the helicopter and controller for any damage to the plugs,
enclosure, rotors, battery covers and other parts. In the event of any damage,
neither the helicopter nor controller should be used until the damage is
completely repaired.
3
Remote Control parts
Charging the helicopter
Loading batteries into the Remote Control
1. The battery compartment is located on the rear of the remote control. Using a precision
screwdriver, undo the screw holding the battery compartment cover in place and remove
it to reveal the battery compartment.
2. Insert 6 AA alkaline batteries into the battery compartment, ensuring each battery
is oriented the correct way for polarity. The correct way is shown inside the battery
compartment and also in the picture below.
3. Replace the battery compartment cover, securing it with the screw removed in step 1.
Note: If the helicopter has trouble lifting o
the ground or does not y as high as normal,
it means the battery is running low and needs
recharging.
Before you can take ight, you need to charge the battery in the helicopter using the supplied
power adaptor.
Charge via Remote Control: Open the charging lead compartment located on the front of the
remote control, and extend the charging lead. Turn the remote control ON. Plug the other end into
the charging socket on the bottom of the helicopter. The indicator LED on the remote control will
be orange/red when the helicopter is charging, and will go out when the helicopter is charged.
Charge via USB: Plug the USB end of the charging cable into a USB port on your computer,
or to a stand-alone USB charger. Then, connect the other end to the helicopter. Never connect
the helicopter to a USB port supplying anything other than 5V @ 500mA. There is an LED in the
USB plug, which will go out when the helicopter is charging. The LED will light up when charging
is complete, or the helicopter isn’t attached to the cable.
• The helicopter must be turned OFF to charge.
• The helicopter will take 40-50 minutes to charge. Don’t over-charge the helicopter
and do not leave it connected to the charger for more than ninety (90) minutes.
4
Pairing the remote
Before you can take ight, you need to pair the remote control to the helicopter.
Exercise caution when using multiple IR helicopters: the control signals can interfere
with one another, often with surprising results. If you are using multiple IR helicopters,
ensure they are set to di erent control bands (see “Infrared Bands” on page 6 for
more information about control bands).
1. Make sure you are away from any other helicopters/controllers or that all other units are
OFF.
2. Turn ON the helicopter and the remote control. Place the helicopter on the ground.
3. Push the left stick (throttle) completely forwards to full throttle and then back down to
its starting position.
4. If you gently push the throttle forward again, the helicopter should respond and the
rotors will start spinning. The helicopter will now be paired to that remote control.
Be careful when testing the pairing since once paired, pushing the throttle to full again will
cause the rotor blades to spin at full speed. The helicopter is likely to y o at high speed
causing unexpected and (possibly dangerous) results.
1. Place the helicopter on the ground with the tail facing away from you. Make sure you are
away from crowds, animals, obstructions or valuables that could break (like that urn with
the ashes in it).
2. Turn ON the helicopter.
3. Make sure the throttle on the controller is at minimum.
4. Turn on the controller.
5. Pair the controller to the helicopter.
6. You are now ready to y. Check the guides on the following pages on how to control your
helicopter.
Pairing the remote control
Step 1: Push the throttle up
to full throttle.
Step 2: Pull the throttle
back down to zero throttle.
WARNING: Do NOT y near eyes or face.
!
Taking to the Air
9
Cannot
control the
helicopter
• Ensure the controller is switched ON.
• Ensure the helicopter is switched ON.
• Try pairing the remote and the helicopter again.
• Check the batteries in the remote and if needed, replace with new
batteries.
• Ensure the helicopter is fully charged.
• Do not y the helicopter in any wind, as this will make it hard to control.
• Center the trim control and, if needed, adjust the trim again.
Helicopter
will not
ascend.
• The charge in the helicopter may be too low. You will need to recharge
the helicopter.
• Check that you are providing enough throttle to lift the chopper.
Helicopter
lands too fast
• You may be reducing the throttle too fast. Reduce the throttle gently to
get a gradual descent to the ground and a softer landing.
• You may be experiencing wind shear. This often happens around active
air conditioning units - we suggest staying away from air-con, or simply
turning it o while ying the helicopter.
Helicopter
won’t charge
• Ensure the helicopter is turned OFF - it won’t charge when it’s turned
on.
• If you’re charging from the remote control, make sure there are batteries
installed with enough charge, and that the control is switched ON.
• If you’re charging via the USB cable, ensure that the USB port you’re
using complies to USB 2.0 speci cations (supplying 5V @ 500mA).
• Don’t use USB hubs or multi-port adapters when charging the
helicopter.
Charging time
Approx. 40-50 minutes
Flying time
Approx. 5-8 minutes
Control distance
Up to 10m / 33ft (approx.)
Control Method
Infrared
Battery (helicopter)
DC 3.7V output
Battery (remote control)
AA 1.5V x 6 (not included)
Camera Resolution
640 x 480 pixels (VGA)
Movie File Type / Size
AVI, approx. 40 - 60 MB per minute (vbr)
Photo File Type / Size
JPEG, 50KB - 100KB per image (variable)
Storage Format and Capacity
MicroSD card, card up to 32GB
Troubleshooting & Speci cations
8
Photo and Video Recording
Let’s face it - you probably bought this helicopter because OMG, IT HAS A CAMERA IN IT, OMG,
I WANTS IT (or “Oh, that’s a neat feature, it’s got a camera... I think I’ll purchase it” if you don’t get
quite as worked up about these things as we do). So, in order that you can be the cool guy/girl
you always knew you were, here’s how to operate the camera.
Starting/Stopping Recording
The right shoulder button starts recording, and also stops recording. Yep, one button. How
easy is that?
The camera will only start or stop recording while the helicopter is in ight.
This is because we put a fail-safe system in it: the helicopter
won’t respond to any commands while stopped idle on
the ground (except increasing throttle). This is the case to
prevent any weird or unusual activity while the helicopter is
idle if, say, the controller is bumped, or someone uses another
IR remote control in the vicinity which happens to interfere.
Aiming the Camera (shown above)
The lens of the camera can pivot up and down, depending on what you want to shoot.
Detaching/Attaching the Camera (shown to the right)
You can remove the camera by gently sliding it backwards
(towards the tail rotor). It’s held in place by two clips, which
attach/detach when slid forward or back, respectively.
Arrows indicate direction to attach the camera.
Inserting a microSD card
Hold the helicopter upside down, so that the underside of the camera is facing up. The
microSD card slot is on the side of the camera unit.
Orient the microSD card so that the text is facing up. Gently insert it into the microSD card slot.
To remove a microSD card, push it in momentarily - it will spring back out. Be careful - the
microSD card can spring back out with surprising speed... and microSD cards are easy to lose!
Connecting to a Computer
You can easily transfer data (a fancy, computer term for “your videos”) o the microSD card by
plugging the big end of the included USB-to-camera cable into a USB port on your computer,
and the little end into the USB socket on the rear of the camera.
It’ll pop up on your computer in the same way that USB ash drives do.
Note that the helicopter will not be recharged via the camera cable - only the yellow
USB cable connected to the charging socket will actually charge the internal battery.
The le structure looks something like this:
Root ---> IMAGES ---> DCIMG ---> Your Photos
VIDEO ---> DVREC ---> Your Videos
The videos are stored as FILE TYPE, and can be played back by most media players. If you’re
having trouble, we recommend VLC media player - it’s free, and can be downloaded from
www.videolan.org/vlc.
The Camera
5
Control
Forward, Backwards
The right stick (the rudder) on the controller a ects
the helicopter’s direction, kind of like the right stick
on a video game controller.
Forwards: Pushing the right stick up will pitch
the nose of the helicopter down and move the
helicopter forward.
Backwards: Pulling the right stick down will
pitch the nose of the helicopter up and move the
helicopter backwards.
Up/Down (Ascend/Descend)
The height the helicopter ies is controlled by the
throttle which varies the speed of the spinning
rotors.
Ascend: Push the throttle UP gently to increase
the spinning speed of the rotors and make the
helicopter ascend.
Descend: Move the throttle DOWN to reduce
the speed of the spinning rotors and make the
helicopter descend.
To get good results, be gentle and subtle. Small
adjustments made slowly and carefully are the best
way to get the helicopter to y well.
Rotating the helicopter left and right
The rudder control can be used to turn the
helicopter to the left or right. When hovering,
this will make it rotate but when the helicopter is
in motion, this can be used to perform tricks like
spiralling to the left or right.
Rotate/Turn Right: To make the helicopter turn
to the right, push the right stick (the rudder) to the
right.
Rotate/Turn Left: To make the helicopter turn to
the left, push the right stick (the rudder) to the left.
Operating the Camera
The video camera is controlled by the right shoulder button. The
camera can only be switched ON or OFF while the helicopter is in ight.
The left shoulder button will activate the camera momentarily, taking
a still photograph.
The camera will continue to record (if already set to ON while the
helicopter is in ight) if you land and sit idle. Recording cannot be
stopped while the helicopter is on the ground.
Simply apply a small amount of throttle (gently!) and then press the
button if you want recording to start/stop. For more about the camera,
see
“The Camera” on page 8.
Photo Video
6
Control
Infrared Bands
What is trim (rotation / rudder)?
You may nd that the helicopter rotates left or right while hovering, even when you are not
using the right stick on the controller. This rotation is because the two sets of rotor blades
sometimes get out of sync requiring adjustment to the trim.
The trim control is located underneath the ight control stick on the controller and ne-tunes
the speed of the rotor blades to keep the helicopter ying straight.
Trim should be checked each time you y the helicopter to make sure the chopper ies straight.
While hovering, if the helicopter is rotating
anti-clockwise, gently shift the trim control
to the right until the helicopter stops
drifting to the left.
If the helicopter is rotating clockwise,
gently shift the trim control to the left until
the helicopter stops drifting to the right.
What does that switch marked A/B on the controller do?
It selects your IR Band. It’s a little like tuning - a helicopter paired to Band A will not be a ected
by a controller set to Band B, and vice-versa.
Some helicopters are marked as having bands A, B & C (or possibly even more!). Be careful
with these - sometimes a controller may be marked as a di erent band, but still interfere with
this helicopter (and vice-versa). There’s no universal standard for infrared control, so be careful
when using multiple helicopters, even if they’re (apparently) set to di erent control bands.
Shift the TRIM control
to the right...
Shift the TRIM control
to the left...
...if the helicopter is
drifting clockwise
...if the helicopter is
drifting anti-clockwise
If you’re using two Crimson Eyes at once, ensure that one controller is set
to IR BAND A and the other set to IR BAND B.
Pair the helicopters very carefully.
For best results, pair each helicopter in separate rooms.
Ensure that they aren’t within line of sight of one another.
7
Flight Tips
CAUTION: Do not touch the running rotors. Do not
y above or near someone’s head. Adult supervision is
required at all times.
!
Wind: Basically, these are (approximately) 1/40th scale helicopters. Full sized helicopters
can’t y in high winds – and neither can the models. If a full sized helicopter has di culty
overcoming 50mph winds, then the model will have the same di culty with 1~2 mph
winds (i.e. 1/40th as much). There’s nothing that can be done about this, it’s just physics.
Air conditioning: Hot air rises and cool air falls – this creates movement in the air, leading
to an e ect called “wind shear”. Basically, this is when there’s a column of hot air going
up next to cold air going down. Many full-scale aircraft accidents have been caused by
wind shear. Air conditioners create heaps of wind shear. If the helicopter ies through
wind shear, it will seem to suddenly y up or down (depending on the direction of the
wind shear).
The Ground E ect: When the helicopter is near the ground, the air it pushes down with
its rotor has nowhere to go – the ground is in the way. Some of this air bounces back, this
pushes the helicopter up. When the helicopter is near the ground, it will get slightly more
lift than it normally would. This is something to keep in mind when landing.
The Ceiling E ect: Conversely to the ground e ect, when you y too close to a ceiling,
a small pocket of low pressure is created above the helicopter, and it will be sucked
upwards. This could be bad – if you hit the ceiling, the helicopter will stall, fall and possibly
be damaged.
Multiple Helicopters: If you’re using more than one helicopter in a space at once, be very
careful when setting the controller band and pairing them to the helicopters. You may
nd that more than one helicopter will be controlled by a single controller, and this can
lead to crashes, accidents, injuries or other very undesirable outcomes.
Places to Fly: Because high winds can be a problem, we recommend ying indoors.
However, you really do need a bit of space to get the most out of the helicopter. Some
places which are good for ight include large garages (whilst the car’s not parked there),
indoor sports areas, aircraft hangars, secret underground submarine pens and so on
(though why you’d y a toy helicopter in your secret underground submarine pen is
beyond us). Or a large lounge room with delicate items stashed somewhere out of the
way - whatever you’ve got.
Low Battery: To get the longest possible life from the built-in battery, never completely
discharge it. As soon as the helicopter shows any sign of running low on power (such as
responding slowly or being unable to maintain altitude easily) turn it o and charge it as
soon as practicable. For more information about battery care, see “Helicopter Battery
Warnings” on page 11.
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