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Apologies for being a bit 'War & Peace' but I was asked a while ago by PM about the Dragonfly 7 i've got & this was my reply.
"Bought it IIRC 3 years ago to replace a Humminbird black & white fishfinder. Opted for the update to Navionics Gold which IIRC was extra & you need to download from Navionics to the card that comes with the DF. I haven't opted for further updates, mainly because it's used in one area.
I use it most as a fishfinder & in that role it's very good. Various ways of viewing including split screen side by side or one above the other both in conventional and downview. Downview does give a view & can help to make sense of a feature but not underwater camera type clarity so I use it mainly in normal mode or as split screen.
Zoom in & out by selecting depth range & as I mentioned it will track the progress of the redgill as I drop & retrieve.
On the navigation side mainly to go to features & to store locations I've found or been given by others. I haven't used it to navigate distances so only really scratched the surface of that side of it & can't give much further help
One problem may be that the boat icon on-screen is quite large & AFAIAA can't be reduced. Not an issue for me.
On main holiday - 4 weeks in Cornwall - I have the Dfly on all the time I'm out in the boat along with the VHF radio. I don't have a music radio. Bilge pump is on all the time controlled by a float switch. I use a large leisure battery charged before initial launch & then charge is maintained by the engine & I haven't yet had any battery flattening issues - although I do carry a spare battery.
Mostly fishing, so long periods of drifting with engine off followed by runs varying from a few hundred yards when over a feature to 4 or 5 miles. Trolling is by auxiliary engine not connected to charging.
I do bring the main battery ashore after two weeks & put it on a mains charger just to check & top up but the charger gives a green light pretty much straightaway so I'd say the draw is easily coped with by the engine ( Mercury Black Max 135hp V6).
I also use it on Rutland Water in their fishing hire boats for pike & zander & Pitsford Reservoir for pike. Very good indeed & without it might as well not bother going esp for zander as they hold close to features on the bottom. I've trout fished Rutland for years & know it quite well - plus a colleague was the local bobby & watched it being built - but using the Dfly in normal & downview was something of a revelation.
No charts for Rutland or Pitsford but I have maps so just line up on features/marker buoys.
Used with a 12 volt alarm battery - Yuasa NP18-12B 12v17.2Ah - which happily powers it for up to 2 days without charge. Switched on for around 10 to 12 hours per day.
I've had no issues with the controls, being a joystick & a twist knob, the latter used to scroll through the various screen configurations. It has got wet - rain & spray - & that hasn't bothered it.
There is a knack to fitting it to the base, but once you've got it it's straightforward. Bit of care inserting the power cable needed & once in is retained by twisting a knob. I believe this was altered after mine but I've had no problems. It's on a drying mooring so I take it off the boat at the end of each session.
Installation easy, just follow the instructions.
The transponder is quite long but will pop up if hit. It looks a bit flimsy but having had a helicopter winchman climb all over mine getting into the boat it's tougher than it looks!
At speed it loses the depth but on plane there isn't much of the boat in the water anyway! Off plane it's fine.
I haven't tried using it in conjunction with any other device so have no idea what's possible or not.
There's a lot on youtube & those by normal users are pretty much on the money as to the reality so well worth watching to help you compare - Raymarine's own are trying to sell it to you so take with a pinch of salt.
If I had the time again would I repeat the purchase knowing what I know now? Yes."
Note that this is the slightly older DF7. My comment about youtube stands - you'll get more of a real world opinion by actual users.
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