Ares Crossfire Manual

Owner’s Manual &
Technical Information (AU)

2
Specication
All-up weight: .......................560g
Weight without battery:.......390g
Size (motor diagonals):.......280mm
Length:.................................232mm
Width:...................................234mm
ESCs (x4):.............................12A continuous; 15A peak; ONE-SHOT enabled
Camera: ...............................Semi wide-angle lens
Video Transmitter: ...............25mW – 32 channels on 4 bands
Video antenna: ....................Protected cloverleaf, circular polarized
Flight time:...........................5–7 minutes
Propellers:............................6 x 4.5” (clockwise and counterclockwise rotation)
Battery: ................................3S 2200mAh 25C

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In This Manual
Introduction ................................................................................ 4
Contents ..................................................................................... 4
Required to complete................................................................. 5
FCC Information ......................................................................... 5
Safety precautions ..................................................................... 5
LiPo battery warnings ................................................................ 6
Identication of components..................................................... 7
Set-up and Programming........................................................... 8
Flight Preparation.....................................................................22
VTX channel selection.............................................................. 24
Adjusting the camera angle.....................................................25
Recommended accessories....................................................25
Lawful Operation ......................................................................26
Replacement Parts ..................................................................26
Warranty. Service & Support ...................................................28
IMPORTANT! This radio control model is not a toy. It must be operated and
own according to these instructions and may cause serious injury to persons
or damage to property if not used responsibly or if operated without due
caution. Unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.

4
Introduction
The Ares Z-line Crossre Racing Quad is a high-performance quad that’s
ideal for getting started in 250 class racing. The Crossre provides natural
ight characteristics designed and tuned for FPV racing through a custom
ight controller that’s preloaded with the latest Cleanight software and
supports future updates via a micro USB port. The 32bit ight controller is
also customizable with multiple ight modes, including Acro (3-axis) and Self-
Leveling (6-axis) mode. Powerful and efcient brushless race motors provide
the Crossre’s speed and are complemented by 12amp ESCs with ONE-SHOT
enabled software.
A unique low-prole design and streamlined body combine to give the
Crossre improved aerodynamics and protection for the electronics against
the elements. The airframe is made from high-quality 3k twill weave matte
carbon ber for strength and lightweight performance. The Crossre comes
with a choice of two pre-painted, race-inspired stock canopies (red and blue)
with two alternate choices (green and orange) offered separately, allowing
you to race in your choice of colors. To top off the attractive design, bright
red LED tail lights help with visibility and make sure your competitors know
who’s in front of them on the course. As for a video system, the Crossre
comes with a pre-installed ultra-micro 25mW, 32-channel, 4-band VTX (video
transmitter) and a 640 x 480 camera with 120 degree FOV (eld-of-view) that
combine to provide a crisp FPV experience. The VTX is compatible with your
favorite goggles or a quality 5.8GHz video receiver / monitor, like the newly
released Ares Z-line monitors.
Perhaps best of all, the Ares Z-line Crossre arrives fully assembled out of the
box and includes pretty much all the components you need to race – even a
3S 2200mAh battery that’s easily removed without taking off the canopy. All
you need to add is your own standard-size (end pin) or satellite receiver and
you’ll be heading out to race your new Crossre before you know it.
Contents
1 x Factory assembled Crossre racer quad.
1 x 3S 11.1V 2200mAh LiPo battery.
1 x USB to micro USB cable.
4 x 6 x 4.5” (CW & CCW) propellers.
1 x Cloverleaf antenna.
1 x 8mm wrench for cloverleaf antenna.
1 x 1.5mm L-shape hex drive.
1 x Quick-start guide.

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Required To Complete
1 x 6-channel (minimum) computer radio set.
1 x 6-channel (minimum) end pin receiver.
1 x Strip of self-adhesive hook and loop tape.
1 x Suitable 3S LiPo battery charger.
You will also need access to Cleanight open-source software in order to
congure your Crossre’s ight control board.
FCC Information
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Caution: Changes or modications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
This product contains a radio transmitter with wireless technology which
has been tested and found to be compliant with the applicable regulations
governing a radio transmitter in the 2.400GHz to 2.4835GHz frequency
range.
The associated regulatory agencies of the following countries recognize the
noted certications for this product as authorized for sale and use: USA
Safety Precautions
Failure to use this product in the intended manner as described in the
following instructions can result in damage and / or personal injury. A Radio
Controlled (RC) quadcopter is not a toy! If misused it can cause serious bodily
harm and damage to property.
Keep items that could become entangled in the propellers away from the
propellers, including loose clothing, tools, etc. Be especially sure to keep your
hands, face and other parts of your body away from the propellers.
As the user of this product you are solely and wholly responsible for operating
it in a manner that does not endanger yourself and others or result in
damage to the product or the property of others.
This model is controlled by a radio signal that is subject to possible
interference from a variety of sources outside your control. This interference
can cause momentary loss of control so it’s advisable to always keep a safe
distance from objects and people in all directions around your model as this
will help to avoid collisions and/or injury.

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• Never operate your model if the voltage of the batteries in the transmitter
is too low.
• Always operate your model in an open area away from obstacles, people,
vehicles,buildings, etc.
• Carefully follow the directions and warnings for this and any optional
support equipment (chargers, rechargeable batteries, etc.).
• Keep all chemicals, small parts and all electronic components out of the
reach of children.
• Moisture causes damage to electronic components. Avoid water exposure
to all electronic components, parts, etc. that are not specically designed
and protected for use in water.
LiPo Battery Warnings
IMPORTANT NOTE: Lithium Polymer batteries are signicantly more volatile
than the alkaline, NiCd or NiMH batteries also used in RC applications.
All instructions and warnings must be followed exactly to prevent property
damage and / or personal injury as the mishandling of LiPo batteries can
result in re. By handling, charging or using the included LiPo battery you
assume all risks associated with LiPo batteries. If you do not agree with these
conditions please return the complete product in new, unused condition to
the place of purchase immediately.
• You MUST charge the LiPo battery in a safe area away from ammable
materials.
• NEVER, at any time, leave the LiPo battery unattended when it’s being
charged.
• When charging the battery you should ALWAYS remain in constant
observation to monitor the charging process and react immediately to
any potential problems that may occur.
• After ying / discharging the battery you must allow it to cool to ambient/
room temperature before recharging.
• To charge the LiPo battery you MUST use only the included charger in the
transmitter. Failure to do so may result in a re causing property damage
and/or personal injury. DO NOT use a NiCd or NiMH charger.
If at any time during the charge or discharge process the battery begins to
balloon or swell, discontinue charging or discharging immediately. Quickly
and safely disconnect the battery, then place it in a safe, open area away
from ammable materials to observe for at least 15 minutes. Continuing to
charge or discharge a battery that has begun to balloon or swell can result in
a re. A battery that has ballooned or swollen, even a small amount, must be
removed from service completely.
For best results, store the battery at room temperature – approximately
68 – 77°Fahrenheit (F) – and in a dry area.

7
Identication of Parts
Clockwise motor
Counter-
clockwise
motor
Counter-clockwise
motor
Clockwise motor
Outrigger
support
Outrigger arm
Canopy mount
RP SMA
antenna mount
Spektrum
Satellite port
Video camera
Video Transmitter
Channel Selectors
Flight Control Board
Video
transmitter
USB port
Cloverleaf antenna

8
Set-Up & Programming
1. Remove the canopy. Withdraw the rear body clip and gently ease the
canopy from the airframe by gently unclipping the fairings from the
outrigger supports and sliding the canopy forward, over the camera.
2. Canopy protection. For transport the canopy is protected by a thin shrink
wrap lm covering. Remove this to appreciate the full color luster of your
Crossre’s paintwork.
3. Transmitter programming/preparation. Pair your chosen transmitter
and receiver by following the pairing/binding procedure noted in your
transmitter’s instruction manual. Having done this, ensure that:
• The model memory you’ve chosen for your Crossre is set to ACRO mode.
• The wing type is set to single servo aileron control.
• All trims are centered.
• End Point Adjustment (ATV) is set to 100% on all channels.
• All sub trims are centered.
4. Wiring identication. Locate the receiver wiring loom on the left-hand side
of the electronics board and note the location ID for each wire using the
guide below:

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Hitec/Futaba
• Red/Black/White – Aileron CH1
• Red – Elevator/CH2
• White – Throttle/CH3
• Green – Rudder/CH4
• Blue – Auxiliary 1/CH5 (normal gyro/self level gyro)
• Yellow – Auxiliary 2/CH6 (lost model beeper)
Spektrum/JR
• Red/Black/White – Throttle/CH1
• Red – Aileron/CH2
• White – Elevator/CH3
• Green – Rudder/CH4
• Blue – Auxiliary 1/CH5 (normal gyro/self level gyro)
• Yellow – Auxiliary 2/CH6 (lost model beeper)
5. Reciever Connection. Plug the wires into the respective sockets on your
receiver noting that the single-pin connectors should be attached to the
‘signal’ pin, usually reserved for the yellow, orange or white wire.
6. Receiver installation. Secure your receiver to the upper frame using hook
and loop tape and secure the antenna wire(s). Note that only low-prole end
pin receivers are suitable for the Crossre due to the close proximity of the
fuselage shell when tted.

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7. Antenna installation. Install the cloverleaf downlink antenna using the
8mm wrench. WARNING! The Crossre should NEVER be powered ON
without the antenna connected as this can damage the video transmitter
circuitry.
8. Download the Cleanight Congurator software. Before ying your
Crossre you’ll need to congure and tune the Flight Control Board using
Cleanight open-source software. This software can be sourced via
Google Chrome using the following method:
a. Open Google Chrome.
b. Enter ‘Apps’ by clicking the Apps icon in top left corner of your menu bar.
c. Click on the ‘Web Store’ icon.
d. Enter ‘Cleanight’ into the search box (top left corner).
e. Click the + TO CHROME icon to download the ‘Cleanight Congurator’ software.
f. When the software has been successfully downloaded the green CF icon will
appear in the Apps menu.
Important note: Due to the nature of open-source software the Cleanight
Congurator interface is susceptible to regular updates and may not mirror the
screen images provided in the step-by-step set-up stages detailed below.

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9. Open the Cleanight Congurator software. Click the CF icon to access the
Cleanight Congurator ‘Welcome’ page.
10. Connect your Crossre. Ensure all propellers are removed, switch your
transmitter on, then connect the small end of the supplied USB cable to
the micro USB socket the Crossre’s Flight Control Board and the large end
to a spare USB socket on your computer. When the cable is connected the
Cleanight ‘Setup’ window will automatically be displayed.
Note: Apple Mac OS X users may experience problems which require that
a specic driver be installed to operate the Cleanight software. If you are
experiencing problems you can download the required driver from http://
www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx

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11. Cancel the beeper. When you rst connect the Flight Control Board, a
beeper will be heard. This is a warning alarm that indicates the following:
• Slow beep – Loss of signal from your transmitter.
• Fast beep – Incorrect throttle position.
Alarms can also be congured to highlight a number of alternative
user-dened issues from locating a lost model to indicating a battery low
voltage warning. During the set-up process we suggest you switch this
off. Here’s how:
• Select ‘Modes’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side of the Cleanight
interface.
• Scroll through the list of options (ARM, ANGLE, HORIZON, MAG etc.) until
you reach BEEPER which will be highlighted in green.
• Switch the beeper OFF by selecting the X in the top right-hand corner of
the panel and clicking SAVE. The beeper will now cancel.
• Return to the Setup menu.

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12. Calibrate the accelerometers. Place your Crossre on a level surface and
select the ‘Calibrate Accelerometer’ option. The Flight Control Board will
beep in conrmation and calibrate the accelerometers accordingly.
• Use the live graphic to ensure that the accelerometers are working as
they should, i.e. by tilting the quad to the left and checking that the
quadcopter graphic tilts left is unison.
• Check the roll, pitch and yaw functions in the same way.
13. Port conguration. Select ‘Ports’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side
of the Cleanight interface.
• Check that Identier UART1 is switched ON under the Data setting.
• Click ‘Save and Reboot’.
• The Flight Control Board will beep in conrmation.
Note: If using a Spektrum/JR satellite receiver, connected via the Spektrum
Satellite port, you will need to ensure that UART2 Serial Rx is switched ON
under the RX setting.

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14. Basic set-up. Select ‘Conguration’ from the menu bar on the left-hand
side of the Cleanight interface and check/adjust the following.
• Mixer – Set to ‘Quad X’
• Board and Sensor Alignment – No adjustment required.
• Receiver Mode – Select the receiver you’re using.
▪ For Hitec, Futaba, Spektrum & JR receivers, set to RX PARALLEL_PWM
▪ For a stand-alone Spektrum satellite, set to RX_SERIAL

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• Serial Receiver Provider – Select the option that suits the receiver you’re
using, i.e. for Hitec, Futaba and Spektrum receivers with 1024 resolution,
select SPEKTRUM1024
• RSSI – Leave switched OFF
• GPS – Leave switched OFF
• ESC/Motor Features – Congure as noted below.
▪ MOTOR_STOP - Leave switched OFF
▪ ONESHOT125 - Switch ON
▪ Disarm motors - Select ON
▪ Set throttle parameters to:
1000 – Minimum Throttle
1500 – Middle Throttle
1850 – Maximum Throttle
1000 – Minimum Command

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• Accelerometer Trim – Leave both Accelerometer Roll Trim and
Accelerometer Pitch Trim set to zero.
• Battery Voltage – Set VBAT (Battery voltage monitoring) to ON and adjust
the Cell Voltages to:
▪ 3.3 – Minimum Cell Voltage
▪ 4.3 – Maximum Cell Voltage
▪ 3.5 – Warning Cell Voltage
▪ 110 – Voltage Scale

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• Current Sensor – No adjustment required.
• System conguration – Set as noted below:
▪ 3500 – Flight Controller Loop Time
▪ 286 – Cycles/Sec (Hz)
• Other Features – For US versions of the Crossre that feature 6 motor
output connectors on the right-hand side of the Flight Control Board,
set SERVO_TILT to ON. For Flight Control Boards with 7 motor output
connectors on the right-hand side of the Flight Control Board, set SERVO_
TILT to OFF.
• Save and Reboot – At the end of this section click the ‘Save and Reboot’
icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

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15. Initiate failsafe. Select ‘Failsafe’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side
of the Cleanight interface and switch ON. Set Failsafe Throttle to 1000.
Click ‘Save and Reboot’.
16. PID Tuning. Select ‘PID Tuning’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side
of the Cleanight interface and ensure that the PID Controller is set to
MultiWii (2.3 – latest). Leave all other values as displayed. Click ‘Save’.
17. Adjust the channel center points. Select ‘Receiver’ from the menu bar
on the left-hand side of the Cleanight interface and select your chosen
receiver type under the ‘Channel Map’ heading.
Use the bar graph to check the direction of the roll, pitch, yaw and
throttle controls, using your transmitter’s servo reverse function to make
necessary corrections (see below).
• Roll (aileron): Left stick should move the bar graph slider to the left.
• Pitch (elevator): Pulling the stick back should move the bar graph slider
to the left.
• Yaw (rudder): Left stick should move the bar graph slider to the left.
• Throttle: Pulling the stick back should move the the bar graph slider to
the left.

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Allow the roll, pitch and yaw sticks on your transmitter to ‘centre’, then
manually and precisely centre the throttle stick. Precisely centre the roll,
pitch and yaw trims, then reduce the throttle trim to its lowest position.
Now use the bar graph to check that roll, pitch, yaw and throttle are set to
1500, i.e. their centre points. If any of the values are higher or lower than
1500, use your transmitter’s sub trim function to adjust.
18. Establish a switched mode function for gyro stabilized ight. Select
‘Modes’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side of the Cleanight
interface and check / adjust the following:
▪ Under the heading ‘HORIZON’ select the AUX 1 channel from the drop down
menu.
▪ In step 4 or 5 you will already have connected the AUX 1 wire to the Channel
5 socket on your receiver. So, in the programming section of your transmitter,
assign Channel 5 to a two-position switch of your choice.
▪ The programming can be veried as correct when the HORIZON icon turns green
with the Channel 5 switch in the ON position. This, then, is your gyro stabilised
ight condition.
▪ Set the range to: Min: 1400; Max: 2100.
▪ Click ‘Save’.
19. Congure adjustment switches. No changes need to be made under
the ‘Adjustments’ heading in the menu bar on the left-hand side of the
Cleanight interface.
20. Congure servos. No changes need to be made under the ‘Servos’
heading in the menu bar on the left-hand side of the Cleanight
interface.
21. Congure GPS. No changes need to be made under the ‘GPS’ heading in
the menu bar on the left-hand side of the Cleanight interface.

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22. ESC calibration. Select ‘Motors’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side
of the Cleanight interface and check / adjust the following:
▪ If you’ve already attached the propellers to your Crossre, REMOVE THEM NOW.
▪ Read the ‘Motor Test Mode Notice’ and conrm that you’ve removed the
propellers by pressing the disclaimer button to enable motor control.
▪ Drag the ‘Master’ slider control to the top of its travel.
▪ Ensure your transmitter is powered ON and pull the throttle stick back to close
the throttle.
▪ Install the charged 3S 2200mAh LiPo battery into your Crossre and plug it in
(see Step 30). On connecting the LiPo the Flight Control Board will emit a series
of beeps.
▪ Drag the ‘Master’ slider control back to zero. A series of short beeps will conrm
that ESC calibration is now complete.
▪ Disconnect the LiPo battery.
▪ Disconnect the mini USB from the Flight Control Board.
▪ Repower the board by re-connecting the mini USB.
23. Motor testing. Select ‘Motors’ from the menu bar on the left-hand side of
the Cleanight interface and check them using the following method:
▪ Install the charged 3S 2200mAh LiPo battery into your Crossre and plug it in
once more.
▪ Conrm that the propellers are still removed by pressing the disclaimer button to
enable motor control.
▪ Use the motor sliders (1 to 4) to individually check the rotation direction of the
four motors in accordance with the graphic in the top left corner of the screen.
▪ Disconnect the LiPo battery.