DolphinRC F405 V3 50A 60A STACK Review

If you’re building a powerful, reliable drone, the DolphinRC F405 V3 Stack is worth a look. This stack combines a feature-packed F405 flight controller with your choice of a 50A or 60A 4-in-1 ESC. Together, they offer plenty of power and flexibility for freestyle, racing, or heavier drones. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know—from unboxing to key specifications—written in clear, straightforward language that’s easy to read on any device.

What’s in the Box?

When you receive the DolphinRC F405 V3 Stack, here’s what you’ll find neatly packed inside its plastic case:

• Flight Controller (F405 V3) & 4-in-1 ESC (50A or 60A)
  A single board stack where the FC sits on top of the ESC. The only difference between the two ESC options is a $5 price gap—worth it to grab the 60A for extra headroom.
• Power Cable & XT60 Connector
  A 12 AWG red-and-black power lead (about 12 cm long) with an XT60 male plug already soldered on. This cable is not installed inside the box but included alongside it.
• Assorted Wiring & Connectors
  • One 470 µF, 35 V low-ESR capacitor
  • A trio of SH 1.0 mm cables:
    • 8-pin, 50 mm (for FC-to-ESC communication)
    • 4-pin, 60 mm
    • 4-pin, 100 mm
    • 4-pin, 150 mm
  • One 150 mm analog camera cable (3-pin)
  • One 150 mm DJI O4 connector (6-pin)
• Rubber Pad
  • Five Rubber Pad for the flight controller
  • Five Rubber Pad for the ESC
    
• Extra Hardware
  • An XT60 male plug (12 AWG)

Unboxing Experience

Right away, you’ll notice DolphinRC doesn’t skimp on accessories. Everything you need for a clean installation is included:

1. Protective Plastic Case
   The stack is secured in a form-fitting box, keeping it safe during shipping.
2. Accessory Bag
   Underneath the stack, you’ll find a sealed pouch with all the wires, connectors, screws, and grommets.

Tip: Keep the extra SH connectors and cables handy. If you switch cameras or video transmitters, you won’t have to buy new wiring.

Flight Controller (F405 V3) Overview

The heart of this stack is the F405 V3 flight controller. Here’s a breakdown of its key features:

1. Processing Power

• MCU: STM32F405RGT6 (Cortex-M4 @ 168 MHz)
  Plenty of horsepower for Betaflight, INAV, or ArduPilot.
• Target Firmware: MATEKF405TE (preconfigured for Betaflight out of the box)

2. Sensors & OSD

• Gyro/Accelerometer: ICM-42688-P (highly accurate, low noise)
• Barometer: SPL06-001 (altitude sensing for flight modes like altitude hold)
• OSD Chip: AT7456E (analog overlay for flight info on older analog video systems)

3. Power & BEC Options

• Input Voltage: 2S–6S LiPo (6 V – 30 V)
• Onboard Voltage Regulators (BECs):
  • 3.3 V @ 0.5 A (for electronics like receivers or sensors)
  • 5 V @ 3 A (ideal for most video transmitters or digital cameras)
  • 12 V @ 2.5 A (or a selectable 10 V @ 2.5 A) for high-power video systems that run hot on lower voltages
• TVS Diode: SMBJ24A (26 V) protection on the main 6 V line helps guard against voltage spikes

4. Connectivity & Ports

• USB-C Port & Boot Button
  • Allows quick firmware flashing (DFU mode) or configuration changes without soldering.
  • Boot button sits right next to the USB-C port, so you won’t struggle to reach it if you need to recover a bricked FC.
• UARTs:
  • Six hardware UARTs (UART1–UART6) + one software serial TX option for INAV/BetaFlight
  • You can connect GPS, telemetry radios, ESC telemetry, Bluetooth modules, etc. without running out of ports.
• PWM Outputs:
  • Eight distinct PWM pads individually labeled (no need to decode tiny silkscreen). Perfect for running up to an octocopter, or freeing up extra pins for peripherals.
• Camera & Video Transmitter Support:
  • Dual camera inputs (switchable) let you hook up two FPV cameras or a cine camera + FPV cam simultaneously.
  • Dedicated O4 Air Unit connector: plug in DJI’s Air Unit with zero soldering.

5. Flight Recorder (Blackbox)

• Storage: 16 MB onboard flash memory
  • Records PID loops, sensor data, and GPS logs. Perfect for tuning or analyzing crashes without a separate SD card.

6. Physical Layout

• Size: 36 × 36 × 8 mm (stack height, including both FC and ESC)
• Mounting Holes: Standard 30.5 × 30.5 mm (M3 hole spacing)
• Weight: ~8 g (flight controller alone)

Note: If you choose to use bidirectional filtering in Betaflight, the F405 CPU can only handle DShot300 and a maximum 4K/4K looptime. For higher-loop flight profiles, you’d need an F7-level board. But for most freestyle and racing setups, the F405’s performance is more than enough.

4-in-1 ESC (50A vs. 60A)

Underneath the flight controller sits the four-in-one ESC based on the AM32 architecture. You can opt for either a 50 A or 60 A continuous-current version. The extra $5 for the 60 A unit is a smart investment if you run bigger props or fly on 6S batteries.

Common ESC Features

• ESC Chipset: AM32 (modern design, super clean power delivery, low noise)
• Supported Battery: 2S–6S LiPo (6 V – 30 V)
• ESC Protocols: DShot300, DShot600 (fully digital, low latency)
• External Capacitor: 470 µF, 35 V (preinstalled)
• TVS Protection: SMBJ24A diode on the 6 V rail helps prevent voltage spikes from frying your FC
• Labeled Pads & Connectors:
  • Motor Pads (M1–M4): Large, clearly labeled solder points—enough room for thick motor wires.
  • Power Pads (+ and –): Each side has a tiny hole to let you solder the capacitor directly down if you ever need to upgrade it.
  • FC Connector: 8-pin SH socket lines up perfectly with the FC’s socket. If you’d rather solder directly, there’s space to do that, too.

Choosing Between 50 A and 60 A

• 50 A Version:
  • Good for most 5″ freestyle builds or lightweight 6″ rigs on 6S.
  • Costs a bit less and runs slightly cooler under moderate loads.
• 60 A Version:
  • Ideal if you push large props, over-propped freestyle drones, or heavy cine setups.
  • Handles bursts of power better and gives more headroom on 6S.

Pro Tip: If you’re uncertain about your amp draw, check your motor/prop combinations on a test bench. If you regularly see peaks above 45 A, go 60 A—otherwise, the 50 A will save a few bucks and run just as reliably.

Detailed Specifications

Below is a concise summary of the main specs for the F405 V3 FC and the AM32 ESC:

Flight Controller (F405 V3)

• MCU: STM32F405RGT6 (Cortex M4 @ 168 MHz)
• Gyro: ICM-42688-P
• Barometer: SPL06-001
• OSD: AT7456E (analog)
• Input Voltage: 6 V–30 V (2 S–6 S LiPo)
• BEC Outputs:
  • 3.3 V @ 0.5 A
  • 5 V @ 3 A
  • 12 V @ 2.5 A (or switchable 10 V @ 2.5 A)
• TVS Protection: SMBJ24A (26 V clamping)
• UARTs: 6 hardware + 1 software-serial TX
• PWM Outputs: 8 (labeled M1–M8)
• OSD Port: Dedicated AT7456E chip & pads
• Camera Inputs: Switchable dual-input (front/back)
• DJI Air Unit: Plug-and-play 6-pin connector
• Blackbox: 16 MB onboard memory
• Mounting Holes: 30.5 × 30.5 mm (M3)
• Dimensions: 36 × 36 × 8 mm (stacked)
• Weight: ~8 g

4-in-1 ESC (AM32)

• Versions: 50 A (continuous) or 60 A (continuous)
• Burst Current:
  • 50 A ESC: ~55 A (5 s burst on 5 S)
  • 60 A ESC: ~80 A (10 s burst)
• Protocol: DShot300, DShot600 (digital ESC control)
• Input Voltage: 6 V–30 V (2 S–6 S LiPo)
• External Capacitor: 470 µF, 35 V (soldered on board)
• TVS Protection: SMBJ24A (26 V) on the 6 V rail
• Current Sensor: Yes (integrated, scale ~400, offset 0)
• ESC Telemetry: No native telemetry (you can still use motor telemetry via separate telemetry wire if your ESC supports it)
• Mounting Holes: 30.5 × 30.5 mm (M3)
• Dimensions: ~45 × 44 × 8 mm
• Weight:
  • 50 A version: ~13.8 g
  • 60 A version: ~23.5 g

Installation & Setup Tips

1. Mounting the Stack
   • Use the provided silicone grommets to isolate the flight controller from frame vibrations.
   • Stack the FC on top of the ESC, aligning both sets of M3 holes. Install the rubber dampers (M3 × 8 mm for FC, M3 × 8.1 mm for ESC) to keep everything snug.
   • Make sure the USB-C port and boot button face a spot where you can reach them easily after the build.
2. Wiring
   • Connect your motors to the four labeled motor pads on the ESC. You can solder directly or use bullet connectors (if you prefer plug-and-play).
   • Plug the 8-pin cable from the ESC into the FC’s SH socket. This handles ESC telemetry and power distribution for the FC.
   • Attach your camera/video gear: use the 3-pin analog cable or plug in a DJI O4 unit with the 6-pin cable. If you fly analog and want a second camera feed, use the second “Camera In” pads.
   • Power up your FC via the XT60 cable (already soldered). The FC’s BEC outputs will feed your VTX, receiver, and other peripherals.
3. Firmware & Configuration
   • Jump into Betaflight (or INAV/ArduPilot) using the USB-C port. If the board doesn’t show up, hold down the boot button while plugging in a USB cable to force DFU mode.
   • Select “MATEKF405TE” (Betaflight) as your target, flash the latest firmware, and configure sensors, receivers, and ESC protocols.
   • Keep bidirectional DShot at 300 KB if you want to enable RPM filtering. Otherwise, you can run DShot600 if you don’t need bidir filtering.
4. Tuning Considerations
   • The ICM-42688-P gyro is very smooth, which means fewer gyro filter tweaks. You’ll still want to set up the dynamic notch and low-pass filters in Betaflight, but baseline settings usually work great.
   • If you plan on flying large props, especially on a 6S pack, calibrate your ESCs properly in BLHeli or via your ESC configurator to avoid unexpected amp spikes.
5. Future Upgrades
   • If you ever need more filtering headroom (for 32 kHz looptime, bidirectional DShot, and heavy filtering), you could upgrade to an F7-based board. Otherwise, this F405 V3 with AM32 ESC is rock solid for most freestyle and racing setups.

Why Choose the DolphinRC F405 V3 Stack?

1. All-in-One Convenience
   You get a modern STM32 processor, high-quality gyro, onboard OSD, and a beefy 4-in-1 ESC in a single, compact stack. No need to hunt for separate FC and ESC that work together.
2. Rich Accessory Pack
   The included cables, connectors, and dampening hardware mean you can integrate plenty of peripherals (DJI Air Unit, analog cam, extra sensors) without buying extras. Even rubber grommets for spares are provided.
3. Future-Proof Power Delivery
   • 60 A ESC option gives extra headroom for aggressive flying or big props.
   • Multiple BEC outputs (3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V) ensure you can power high-drain VTXs without overheating them.
   • TVS protection on voltage rails helps protect against electrical mishaps.
4. User-Friendly Design
   • Large, clearly labeled pads for motors, power, and signal make soldering a breeze—no tiny silkscreen guesswork.
   • USB-C and an easy-to-reach boot button let you flash firmware quickly, even after the stack is installed.
   • Supports 10 PWM outputs if you decide to build an octocopter someday.
5. Solid Component Choices
   • ICM-42688-P gyro is known for reliability and low noise.
   • AT7456E OSD chip works well with older analog systems, and it’s ready for an analog or digital video path via the dual camera inputs.

Final Thoughts

The DolphinRC F405 V3 Stack (paired with either the 50 A or 60 A ESC) is a well-rounded, budget-friendly solution that doesn’t cut corners. Whether you’re starting your first 5″ freestyle build or upgrading a racing quad for 6S performance, this combo covers all the bases:

• Robust power delivery
• Versatile connector options (analog + digital)
• Plenty of UARTs and PWM outputs for expansion
• Convenient accessories so you can get flying right away

For about $60 , you get high-end features that rival more expensive setups. Pick the 60 A version if you run big props or want extra safety margin on 6S, or save a few bucks with the 50 A unit if you stay in the 5″/6S freestyle realm. Either way, DolphinRC’s attention to detail—like well-labeled pads, preinstalled capacitor, and quality dampening hardware—makes this stack a great choice for reliable, user-friendly builds.

Whether you’re building your first quad or refining your next freestyle machine, the DolphinRC F405 V3 50A/60A Stack brings pro-level specs to an affordable price point, all wrapped up in a compact, easy-to-install package.