Review: SpeedyBee Adapter 3 – Configuring FPV Drone Without Computer

The Speedybee Adapter 2 had been the MUST HAVE tool for me and they just made it better with the newer Speedybee Adapter 3! It has many more improvements and new features which I will cover in this review.

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Where to Buy?

• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-bi7z
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-vhj7
• Amazon: https://amzn.to/3F3T4gC
• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkKLHOj

What does it do?

You can use the Speedybee Adapter 3 to connect to Betaflight/Emuflight/iNav and configure settings on your phone (via the Speedybee App), no need for a computer! It’s tiny and perfect to take with you to the field. Yes, you can also use an OTG cable which is cheaper, but it’s only available for Android, iPhones don’t support OTG and the Speedybee Adapter would be the next best option as it connects via WiFi.

You can look at Blackbox logs (Betaflight and Emuflight) using it. It also supports firmware flashing, configuring ExpressLRS and BLHeli_S/BLHeli_32 ESC (all inside the Speedybee App), which you can’t do with OTG or previous Speedybee Adapters.

Also, I have been having trouble flashing Betaflight with my new computer (connecting fine to configurator, and DFU driver works fine, but just fails to open serial port when flashing). The Speedybee Adapter is a life saver and it’s what I use to flash Betaflight nowadays.

It can be used as a powerful 30W USB charger (USB-A output), and it has a screen to display the voltage of the battery plugged in (works like a battery checker).

It supports both Bluetooth and Wifi. Bluetooth can be used for quick access to your firmware configurator, and it switches to WiFi for flashing firmware or downloading Blackbox logs at the higher speed.

It takes 1S battery via the PH2.0 connector, up to 6S via the XT60.

Supports both USB-C or Micro USB port in the FC.

Specifications

• Case Material: ABS + PC
• USB Cable Length: 12.4cm
• FC Interface Supports USB-C and Micro USB
• iOS & Android Compatible
• Input Voltage: 1-6S (3.8V+ for 1S) –
• Battery Checker – LED Display for Voltage
• Power Input Connector: XT60 male, PH2.0 male
• Required Mobile Device System Version: Android 7.0+ | iOS 12.0+
• Supported SpeedyBee App Version: V1.6.1 + for iOS | V1.5.6+ for Android
• Maximum Output Current for flight controllers: 700mA @5V
• USB Fast Charging
  • Output interface: USB-A
  • Minimum Input Voltage for Charging output: 7.4V (2S LiPo)
  • Supported Fast Charging Protocol: QC3.0/QC2.0, AFC, FCP, SCP/High SCP, PE2.0/PE1.1, SFCP
  • Max Fast Charging Current: 3.5A
  • Max Fast Charging Power: 30W
• Dimension: 24.8×21.8×53.6mm
• Weight: 35g

Speedybee Adapter 3 vs Adapter 2 Differences

Apart from these features, I also found the Adapter 3 is a lot of seamless to use than the Adapter 2. When flashing FC I don’t need to leave the app at all, the whole process is smooth as butter. When flashing via the Adapter 2 you have to go to the WiFi settings and choose the Adapter network manually then back to the app, it takes longer to do.

How to Use?

Official Manual (link provided by Speedybee): https://speedybee.s3.amazonaws.com/Manual_of_Adapter3_EN.pdf

Power the Speedybee Adapter 3 from a LiPo battery, then connect the USB cable to the flight controller.

Open the Speedybee app on your phone, select the Speedybee Adapter 3 in the device list, and click Search, it should automatically find your adapter (it connects via WiFi).

Blackbox in Speedybee App

It’s a simplified version of Blackbox Explorer with limited functionality. It’s not meant to replace the PC version. It’s still a useful tool for analyzing and troubleshooting your drone, better than nothing.

The interface is similar to the PC version.

The traces available to select is quite limited. You can also select Gyro_scaled (and other debug mode) if available.

You can also use Spectrum analyzer, however only the frequency graph, NO OTHER graph such as frequency vs throttle.

You can give that a try, there’s a sample blackbox log inside the app.