In the realm of FPV, choosing the right flight controller stack for your FPV drone can be pivotal. Enter the GEPRC Taker F405 50A FC/ESC stack, a budget-friendly option for low cost builds. This review dives into its specifications and features to see how it stacks up against the Speedybee F405 V4.
Learn more about FPV drone flight controllers in our buyer’s guide: https://oscarliang.com/flight-controller/
Table of Contents
Where to Buy?
Get the GEPRC Taker F405 stack from these vendors:
- Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-ewon ($64 Lowest Price)
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-w0a0
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DltVB3F
Unboxing the GEPRC Taker F405, I found a comprehensive set of accessories:
- 1x 35V 1000uF capacitor
- 1x DJI Air Unit Adapter Cable
- 1x Flight Controller Adapter Cable
- 1x XT60 Power cable (14AWG)
- 4x M3x30 Screws
- 4x M3x24 Screws
- 8x Nylon nuts
- 8x Silicone grommets
- 2x sh1.0 4pinsilicone cable
- 1x Camera connection cable
Specifications
GEP-F405-HD V2 Flight Controller
- MCU: STM32F405
- IMU: ICM42688-P (SPI)
- Air Unit Connection: Direct plugging into DJI Air Unit
- Black Box: 16M onboard
- USB Connector: Type-C
- OSD: BetaFlight OSD w/ AT7456E chip
- BEC: 5V,9V dual BEC
- Firmware Target: GEPRCF405
- Size: 36.8×36.8mm, hole 30.5×30.5mm，φ4mm hole becomes φ3mm after using a silicone shock-absorbing circle.
- Input Voltage: 3-6S LiPo
- UART: 6
- Power Filter: Integrated LC filter
- Weight: 7.7g
GEP-BLS50A-4IN1 ESC
- Input Voltage: 3-6S Lipo
- Galvanometer: Support
- Continuous Current: 50A
- Burst Current: 55A（5s）
- Support Protocol: Oneshot125/Oneshot42/Mulishot modes/Dshot 150/300/600
- Size: 42.9×39.7mm, hole30.5×30.5mm，φ4mm hole becomes φ3mm after using the silicone shock-absorbing circle.
- Weight:13.7g
- Target: G_H_30
Pinout Diagram
Standout Features
At $64, the GEPRC Taker F405 is $2 cheaper than the Speedybee F405 V4 – another popular budget option, yet doesn’t skimp on functionality. The Taker F405 matches many of the Speedybee F405 V4’s specs – same processor, gyro, barometer and number of UART’s.
Its versatile design, featuring both solder pads and connectors similar to the RushFPV F722 V2, caters to various preferences, whether you’re looking for a quick swap capability or direct soldering.
The availability of connectors for HD VTX’s (compatible with DJI Air Unit and Walksnail VTX), GPS, Receiver and FPV camera, makes it suitable for different drone builds including freestyle and long range.
The GEPRC Taker F405 supports Betaflight as well as iNav – the iNav 7.0 target name is GEPRCF405.
Limitations and Considerations
It would have been more user-friendly if they put the connectors on the bottom, and the solder pads on top. The solder pads are pretty small, which makes soldering a bit tricky especially for those less experienced.
The ESC does not have a heatsink for cooling and physical protection like the Speedybee F405 V4 stack.
Interestingly, the Taker F405 stack was released back in summer 2023 (over 6 months now), but not a single review out there. The lack of discussion about this product raises questions about its long-term reliability, so only time will tell.
The 9V BEC on this FC has a slightly lower rating at 2.5A than the Speedybee V4’s 3A. Not a massive difference but something to consider.
There’s no Bluetooth on the Taker either – not an issue if you only configure your flight controller via USB port. But for those prefer changing settings wirelessly from the Speedybee App on their phone, this might be a deal breaker.
Conclusion
Priced competitively, the GEPRC Taker F405 performance stacks up well against other budget options, though it’s not as feature-packed as the Speedybee V4. The additional connectors are appealing for those who prefer a plug-and-play experience. However for those prefer direct soldering may find the design a tad inconvenient to work with. Despite some limitations, the Taker F405 presents itself as a decent alternative to the Speedybee F405.
Get the GEPRC Taker F405 stack from these vendors:
- Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-ewon ($64 Lowest Price)
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-w0a0
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DltVB3F
5 comments
Is there any problem if I turn the FC over to leave the connectors underneath?
sure you can do that, you just need to remap the motor outputs and adjust the board orientation.
is there some places for servos?
You can potentially remap the UART/LED_Strip pads as motor/servo outputs, but that depends on if they have the right timers. I am not entirely sure at the moment as I haven’t tested this, your best bet is asking INAV devs on Github.
Alternatively get an FC that has more motor outputs, these can usually be used for servos, such as the Flywoo F722 offers 8 motor outputs: https://oscarliang.com/flywoo-goku-f722-v2-fc-stack/
Dear Oscar, you can switch barometer in Betaflight “configuration” chapter.I found this occasionally, but this works. By default, barometer is soldered on the FC board, but isn”t enabled, for what reason, I don”t know.