PicoDrone - Drone ARCHOS - Free user manual and instructions

Product type	Miniature drone
Brand	ARCHOS
Model	PicoDrone
Category	Leisure drone
Drone power	Rechargeable Li-Po battery via USB (5V 2A adapter recommended)
Remote control	3 alkaline batteries (not included)
Control range	Out-of-range alarm (distance not specified)
Flight functions	Automatic takeoff/landing, altitude hold, heading hold mode, 3 speeds (slow/medium/fast)
Controls	Left stick (throttle/yaw), right stick (forward/backward/left/right), takeoff/landing/emergency stop button
Calibration	Manual procedure after impact or imbalance
Camera	Onboard camera with image transmission to smartphone
Mobile app	ARCHOS Drone Remote (iOS/Android)
Propellers	2 propellers A (clockwise) and 2 propellers B (counterclockwise), replaceable
Propeller guards	Removable, included
Safety	Emergency stop, low battery alarm, out-of-range alarm, automatic shutdown on signal loss
Maintenance	Clean with a dry cloth, regularly check component condition
Recycling	Li-Po battery to be recycled according to local regulations
Operating environment	Indoor or outdoor without strong wind

Frequently Asked Questions - PicoDrone ARCHOS

How to pair the drone with the remote control?

First, turn on the remote control, fully lower the left stick and release it. The LED flashes slowly. Then, turn on the drone placed on a flat surface. The drone LEDs stay on continuously when pairing is successful.

What to do if the remote control does not turn on?

Check the batteries: replace them, respect polarity and clean contacts. If the problem persists, replace the batteries.

How to charge the drone battery?

Connect the battery to the provided USB cable, then plug it into a 5V 2A adapter (not included), a computer, or a power bank. The indicator is red while charging, green when charged.

The drone tilts to one side during flight, how to correct?

Use the trimmer: press the trimmer button on the remote control, then push the right stick in the opposite direction of the tilt. If that is not enough, recalibrate the drone (see manual).

How to start the motors and take off?

Move both sticks diagonally inward (45°) to start the motors. Then, gently push the left stick upward to ascend, or press the automatic takeoff button.

What is the emergency stop button?

Press the takeoff/landing/emergency stop button for more than one second to immediately cut the propellers in an emergency.

How to use the altitude hold mode?

Raise the drone to the desired height with the left stick, then release it. The drone automatically stays at that altitude. To change, repeat the operation.

The drone does not stabilize after a fall, what to do?

Turn off the drone and remote control. Turn on the remote control, lower the left stick, then turn on the drone on a flat surface. Then, move the right stick as indicated in the manual (figure 8) to start calibration. The LEDs flash then remain on.

How to install the mobile app?

Download 'ARCHOS Drone Remote' from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Scan the QR code on the packaging or search for the app manually.

What to do if the camera image does not display?

Check the camera wire connection. If there is poor contact, disconnect and reconnect. If the image still does not appear, the camera may be damaged and needs replacement.

USER MANUAL PicoDrone ARCHOS

Safety Notice for Drone Battery

Please read the user handbook carefully and then keep it in a safe place for future reference and maintenance.

• Only use the provided charger.

• When you install the battery, you must follow the electrode instructions. It is not allowed to reverse the batteries, which can cause short circuits.

• Non-rechargeable battery can't be used, and the rechargeable battery can only be charged under adult supervision.

• Different types of batteries (new and old) can't be mixed

• Please contact your environmental government bureau to know how to dispose and recycle Lipo batteries

• Please don't overcharge the battery or leave the battery charging alone.

• Don't throw the battery into fire or put it in a high temperature location, this may cause battery explosion

• The charger and battery are not toys.

• This product contains electronic components. Under water immersion and humid environments are forbidden.

• Use dry cloth to wipe the surface

• Check the product regularly to see if there is any damage to the components, if so please stop using until it has been repaired.

Do not put the battery in high temperature place, such as in the fire or on a heating device to avoid damage or explosion.

Do not slam the battery on a hard surface.

Do not put the battery in water and keep it in dry place.

Do not open the battery.

Do not leave the battery without supervision when charging.

Make sure that there is no short circuit of the power wire.

Please use the recommended charger only.

Check the charger's wire, plug, surface regularly. Do not use any broken charger.

If you do not fly the drone at least once a week, maintain the drone battery with about 50% power to keep its performance.

Charging Instructions for the Drone Battery

1. Connect the drone battery with USB cable first then choose one of the methods as on the picture below to connect with USB plug.

2. The red USB indicator light is on when charging and the light turns green when fully charged (The switch must be powered off when charging).

3. For faster charging, it is recommended to use an adapter with 5V 2A output current (not included) to charge the battery

Li-Po Battery Disposal & Recycling

Wasted Lithium-Polymer batteries must not be placed with household trash. Please contact local environmental or waste agency or the supplier of your model or your nearest Li-Po battery recycling center.

Check List Before Your Flight

1. Make sure the drone's battery and transmitter's battery are fully charged.
2. Make sure the left lever of the transmitter is in the middle position.
3. Please strictly follow the instructions to turn on and turn off before operation. Turn on the transmitter power first and then turn on the drone power before flying; turn off the drone power first and then turn off the transmitter power when you are finishing flying. Improper turn on and turn off order may cause the drone to lose control and threaten people's safety. Please make sure you correctly turn on and turn off.
4. Make sure the connection is strong between battery and motor etc. The ongoing vibration may cause bad connection of power terminal and make the drone lose control.
5. Improper use may cause drone to crash, which may lead to motor defects and noise, and then affect the flying status or even stop flying. Please go to the local distributor to buy new replacement parts in case of damage.

Instructions for Drone and Transmitter

Drone

Transmitter

Left lever Move the lever forward / backward / left / right to fly the drone up / down / turn left / turn right.
Right lever Move the lever forward / backward / left / right to fly the drone forward / backward / left / right.
Power Switch Push up the power switch to turn on the transmitter, and pull down to turn off.
Heading Hold Mode	Press the button to enter heading hold mode, and press again to exit from heading hold mode.
High / Medium/ Low Speed Mode	Press down the Left lever to switch to High / Medium/ Low Speed
Take Off / Landing / Emergency Stop Button	Press the button and the drone will fly up automatically. Press the button again and the drone will land on the ground automatically. Press and hold the button more than 1s, the drone propellers will stop and fall down immediately.
Trimmer mode Button	Press down this button, move the right lever to the required trimmer direction, then it will adjust the direction accordingly, when loose the lever, then ESC from the trimmer mode.

Installing the batteries:

Open the battery cover on the back side of the transmitter and put 3 alkaline batteries (AAA, not included) into the box in accordance with electrode instructions, as picture shown.

Notice:

1. Make sure the electrodes match.
2. Do not mix new with old batteries.
3. Do not mix different kinds of batteries.
4. Do not charge non rechargeable batteries.

Pre-flight Operation Instructions

Frequency Pairing

1. Turn on the transmitter switch (Picture 1) and the power indicator light flashes rapidly. Push the Left lever all the way down to the lowest position and then release. The Left lever moves back to the middle position automatically. (Picture 2 / 3) The power indicator light flashes slowly, indicating the transmitter is ready for frequency pairing.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

1. Turn on the drone. (Picture 4)
2. Put the drone on a flat surface, the drone body lights turn from flashing to solid bright, which indicates successful frequency pairing.

Picture 4

Important Notice: Please make sure the drone is placed on the horizontal position after powering on the drone, so that the drone can work well.

Checklist before Flight

1. The camera is in front of the drone. Keep the drone front away from you.
2. Power on the drone and check the direction of the rotating propellers. The left front and right rear A propellers rotating clockwise while the right front and left rear B propellers rotating counterclockwise.
3. Move the Left Stick and Right Stick at the same time as Picture 5 shown(45 degree inward) to start the motors and repeat previous step again to lock the motors.

Picture 5

1. After starting the motors, push up the left lever to fly the drone slowly, and then pull down the left lever to the lowest position slowly, then the drone lands on the ground.
2. It's recommended to repeat above Steps 4 to practice.
3. Adjust relative transmitter Trimmer button to adjust the rudder if the drone tilts to one side when flying.

Calibration Instructions

Please follow below steps to calibrate the drone if the drone becomes imbalanced after crashing during the flight, and can not be adjusted by trimmer button and causes flight difficulties.

1. Turn off the drone, then turn off the transmitter switch.

2. Turn on the transmitter switch, push the left lever all the way down to the lowest position (Picture 6) and then release. The left lever goes back to the middle position automatically (Picture 7). The transmitter is ready for frequency pairing mode.

Picture 6 Picture 7

1. Turn on the drone and put it on a flat surface in a horizontal position. The drone's body lights change from flashing to solid bright, which indicates successful frequency pairing.

2. Do not move the left lever before successful

calibration. Push the right lever as Picture 8 shown and then release. The drone's body lights flash, which indicates that the drone is calibrating. When

Picture8

the drone's body lights become solid, the calibration is complete.

Notice: If the drone crashes, the gyroscope can be affected causing flight issues. If so, turn the power off and on again to calibrate.

Flying Control

Notice: Every time before the drone takes off, move the left lever and right lever at the same time as shown on Picture 5(inward 45 degree) to start the motors. Push up the left lever slowly to fly the drone or press down the one button take off.

Push the lever up, the drone takes off

Pull the lever down, the drone descends.

Turn the lever to the left, the drone turns to left.

Turn the lever to the right, the drone turns to right.

Left Stick

Forward and backward trimmer

During take off, if the drone tilts forward, press down the left lever in the center, and push the right lever backwards. Otherwise push forwards.

Left and right turning trimmer

During take off, if the drone head rotates to left, then press down the left lever in the center and push left lever to right. Otherwise push left.

Left and right side flying trimmer

During take off, if the drone tilts to left, then press down the left lever in the center and push the right lever to right side. Otherwise push left.

Functions Introduction

Two Take Off Methods

1. Method 1 (Take off): After successful frequency pairing, move the Left and Right levers at the same time as shown Picture 5 (inward 45 degree) to start the motors. Push up the Left lever to fly the drone to a certain altitude and then release the lever.

2. Method 2 (One Button Take Off): Press the Take Off / Landing / Emergency Stop Button (Picture 9), the drone flies up automatically and keep flying at an altitude of approximately 1.2 meters.

Take off/Landing/Emergency stop button

Landing Methods

1. Method 1 (Landing): Push the Left lever all the way down to the lowest position(Picture 2/6) and hold it till the motors stop and the drone will land on the ground.
2. Method 2 (One Button Landing): Press the Take Off / Landing / Emergency Stop Button once shortly(picture 9), and the drone will land on the ground automatically.

(When using this function, you can not touch the left lever, if not, then the function will fail)

Emergency Stop: When the drone in emergency situation and going to hit people or an obstacle etc., press the Take Off / Landing / Emergency Stop Button immediately and hold it for more than 1s. The propellers will stop immediately.

Tip: Do not use the emergency stop function unless in emergency situation. The drone will fall down suddenly after all propellers stop.

Altitude Hold Mode

Altitude hold mode indicates that the drone maintains a consistent altitude while allowing roll, pitch, and yaw to be controlled normally. It makes easier to control the drone for beginner and more stable for aerial photography.

Push the Left lever up (down) to fly the drone at a certain altitude and then release the lever. The lever will go back to the center position (Altitude Hold Center) as Picture 10 shown. And the drone will keep flying at current altitude. Repeat above steps if you want to change the drone altitude (Default mode).

Picture 10
Altitude Hold Center

High / Medium/Low Speed Mode Switch

1. Low Speed Mode (Mode 1) is suitable for beginners.
2. Medium Speed Mode (Mode 2) is suitable for skillful pilots to play in the gentle breeze.
3. High Speed Mode (Mode 3) is suitable for experts to experience aerial stunts outdoors.

High/Medium/Low Speed Mode Switch

Heading Hold Mode

• Drones generally have a front and rear indicated by LED lights or colored propellers. By default, users are required to tell the front and the rear of the drone when flying. Under heading hold mode, users can operate the drone without worrying about the orientation (left is left and right is right all the time, regardless of where your drone is pointing at).

Heading Hold Mode is designed for beginners and users who fly the drone in daylight or at a far distance.

When the drone is in heading hold mode, push the Right lever forward / backward / left / right, and the drone will fly forward / backward / left / right accordingly.

To turn on Heading Hold Mode, press Heading Hold Mode button and the drone LED lights flash, which indicates the drone enters heading hold mode. To turn off Heading Hold Mode, press Heading Hold Mode button again and the drone LED lights turn solid, which indicates the heading hold mode is off.

Low Battery Alarm

When the transmitter has low battery, the transmitter will beep Di-di-di... to remind the user to land the drone in order to replace the batteries as soon as possible. Or the drone may lose control.

When the drone has low battery, the transmitter will beep Di.di.di... constantly to remind the user to land the drone as soon as possible.

Out of Range Alarm

When the drone is going to fly out of the max remote control distance, the transmitter will beep Didi..didi.. didi... to warn the user to fly back immediately. Or the drone may lose control and fly away.

Spare Parts Installation Instructions

Propeller Installation and disassembly Diagram When disassembling, pull up the propeller in the vertical direction (Picture 11) and remove as Picture 12.

Notice: Because the propeller is blowing up structure, it should keep a bit gap between the motor housing and the propeller (Picture 13).

Picture 11

Picture 2

Picture 13

Propeller guards installation and disassembly diagram

When disassembling, remove one side of the guard from the buckle, and then pull out (Picture 14).

When installing, aim the groove of the motor housing buckle and then press down (Picture 15).

Picture 14 Picture 15

Download and install the APP: ARCHOS Drone Remote

The APP is suitable for mobile phone with iOS or Android system, please download from the mobile phone software store:

1. For mobile phone with iOS system, please search ARCHOS Drone Remote.
2. For mobile phone with Android system, please search ARCHOS Drone Remote.
3. Scan the QR code on the packaging.

For more information about the use of this app, consult the online user manual of the ARCHOS PicoDrone.

A complete guide to the app is available here: https://www.archos.com/fr/support/support_tech/downloads. html

N° Problem	Problem	Solution
1 The transmitter's light is off	1. Low battery 2. The battery positive pole and negative pole are in reverse order. 3. Poor contact. 4. Indicator light is off.	1. Replace the transmitter battery. 2. Install the battery in accordance with the user manual. 3. Clean the dirt between the battery and the battery slice.
2 Fail to pair the drone with transmitter	1. Indicator light is off. 2. There is interference signal nearby. 3. Misoperation 4. The electronic component is damaged because of frequent crash.	1. The same as above 1,2,3. 2. Restart the drone and turn on the transmitter. 3. Operate the drone step by step in accordance with the user manual 4. Buy spare parts from local seller and replace damaged parts.
3 The drone is under-powered or can not fly.	1. The propeller deformed seriously. 2. Low battery 3. Incorrect installation of propeller.	1. Replace the propeller. 2. Recharge the drone battery. 3. Install the propeller in accordance with the user manual.

4 The drone could not hover and tilts to one side.	1. The propeller is deformed seriously. 2. The motor holder is deformed. 3. The gyro did not reset after violent crash. 4. The motor is damaged.	1. Replace propeller. 2. Replace the motor holder. 3. Put the drone on the flat ground for about 10 s or restart the drone to calibrate again. 4. Replace the motor.
5 The drone's light is off	1. Low battery 2. The battery is expired or over discharge protection 3. Poor contact	1. Recharge the drone battery. 2. Buy a new battery from local seller to replace the battery. 3. Disconnect the battery and then connect it with the plug again.
6 Could not see the picture.	1. Did not connect the wire of camera box or poor contact. 2. There is interferences signal nearby. 3. Damaged camera	1. Check the wire and connect well. 2. Disconnect the wire and re-connect. 3. Buy a new camera box from local seller to replace.
7 Hard to control by cellphone	1. Not experienced enough.	1. Practice and read the cellphone controlling instruction carefully.

Take off/Landing/Emergency stop button

Instructions for Drone and Transmitter

Drone

Trasmettitore

Archos company (Contact address : ARCHOS SA 12 Rue Ampère 91430 Igny France) declares that this device is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC: http://www.archos.com/support/download/conformity/CE_RTTE-DOC_ACPIDR.pdf