User's Manual

TRAXXAS
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9
*Compatible with GoPro® Hero3, Hero3+, or Hero4
Flying without GPS (without a Return to Home Location)
WARNING: The Āton has tremendous power and capability; it
can very easily get out of your line of sight. Flying the helicopter
without a satellite GPS signal and a set Return to Home location
has the risk of losing your helicopter. We do not recommend flying
Āton without GPS fully enabled and functioning. If the helicopter
encounters an emergency situation during flight without GPS, such
as loss of the radio control signal or critically low battery, Āton will
attempt to safely land and disarm. This can result in loss of the Āton
if it is, for example, over water or some other area where it can’t be
retrieved. To help prevent problems, always fly with GPS enabled
and avoid flying over areas where an unexpected emergency
landing could endanger the Āton or nearby people and property.
If for some reason you decide it is necessary to operate Āton without
GPS, you can override the satellite search function by pressing and
holding the Arm/Disarm button on the transmitter for 2 seconds. This
will arm the helicopter for flight, but the Return to Home function will
be deactivated (the GPS Status LED on the Status Bar will continue to
blink green slowly during flight).
When you are finished flying, land the helicopter in a safe location.
Move the throttle stick to the full down position. Press and hold the
fast blinking green Arm/Disarm button on the transmitter for 2 seconds
to disarm your model. The helicopter will not disarm unless the throttle
stick is in the full down position.
Note: If a satellite GPS signal is found during flight, the GPS Status LED
on the Status Bar will glow solid green indicating that the Return to
Home function is now active. This location will be set as the Return
to Home location. To choose a different location, land the helicopter,
disarm it, and then follow the instructions in the “Resetting Home
Location” section on page 7.
Flying without the Geofence Protection
The Āton is programmed with default geofence protection that keeps
Āton within the range of the telemetry communication. The geofence
radius is set to about 500 feet (150 meters) and can be adjusted or
removed using the Traxxas Flight Link App. If you remove the geofence,
you can encounter situations where the Āton is flying autonomously
(such as Return to Home) without providing information to the pilot
about its actions until it flies within telemetry range. Once in range,
the tansmitter will provide alerts to the pilot. For example, if the Āton’s
battery reaches the end of its charge while the Āton is flying beyond
telemetry range, the pilot will not receive the progression of prompts
from the transmitter to return and land. When the battery reaches its
critical threshold, Āton will return to home automatically without alerting
the pilot until Āton is inside telemetry range with the Return to Home
sound followed by three beeps. When you observe the Āton flying
autonomously and returning to home, do not cancel return to home until
you receive an alert that informs you of the reason it is returning to home.
If the reason is a low battery, then allow Āton to return and land on its
own. We recommend that pilots do not disable or extend the geofence
range unless they are fully familiar and confident in how the Āton
responds to different circumstances.
If one or more of the rotor blades are obstructed, the helicopter
will disarm itself. Move the helicopter to a clear area, remove
the obstruction, arm the helicopter again, and continue flying. If the
helicopter will not fly correctly, unplug the battery and inspect the
helicopter for damage.
“FIND ME” BEEPER
If the helicopter lands and disarms
out of your line of sight, it is
equipped with a beeper to help
determine its location. To activate
the beeper, move the throttle stick
on the transmitter to the full down
position ( the beeper will not activate
unless the throttle stick is in the down
position); then, move the flight stick
right and back.
HELPFUL FLYING TIPS
Controls are reversed as the model flies toward you.
• When your model is flying away from you, the helicopter reacts to
direction changes just as you command. If you command the model
to move right, it will move to your right as you commanded.
• When the helicopter is coming toward you and you command
the model to move right, the model will move to your left. Always
remember that the model flies forward, reverse, right, and left relative
to the position of itself, not relative to your position.
• Until you become used to reversing your control inputs as the model
changes direction, allow yourself extra flying room to accommodate
pilot error.
• To help with directional control, it may help to imagine yourself
sitting in the cockpit of the helicopter.
• The model will react quickly to your commands. At first, move the
controls SLOWLY and make small, gentle control movements to
avoid loss of control. If you ever feel you don’t have complete control
of the helicopter, maintain altitude with the throttle stick and release
the opposite stick to return to level flight (Film and Fast Mode).
• Fly the Āton with the Status Bar facing you (nose out) until you
become familiar with the flight controls and different behaviors of
the helicopter.
• Fly at least 8-10 feet (2-3 meters) above the ground to avoid ground
turbulence for a more stable and controllable flight.
Be prepared for altitude changes as you fly. Forward/reverse
and left/right movements may increase or reduce lift, causing
the helicopter to gain or lose altitude. Be prepared to react to altitude
changes by adjusting the throttle as you fly the model.
Return to Home is Your Extra Security
Āton’s sophisticated Return to Home functions are there to
help whenever you need it. If you ever encounter a dicult or
uncomfortable situation, such as losing directional orientation, loss
of visual contact, high winds, ying too high and so on, simply press
the Return to Home button. Let Āton bring itself back to you quickly
and safely. Āton’s Return to Home function can be especially helpful
if you are learning how to y for fun in Sport or Expert Modes.