Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro Navionics+

The Dragonfly 5 Pro is one of the older Raymarine units that have been discontinued a while ago. However, it may still be available at certain retailers, in different bundles (with or without transducer, or with different maps). In this post, we’re going to address the Raymarine part number E70293-NAG, the one that includes the CPT-DVS transducer and the Navionics+ charts.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 5″ in diagonal, color TFT, 800H x 480V pixel matrix, 15:9 aspect ratio, optically bonded and with LED backlight
• Sonar: Internal Dual-Channel CHIRP sonar module (with CHIRP standard sonar, and CHIRP DownVision)
• Depth Capability:
  • 600 ft. (183 m) for CHIRP DownVision
  • 900 ft (275 m) for standard CHIRP Sonar
• Frequency and Coverage:
  • DownVision: 320-380 kHz / 1.4° fore to aft and 60° side-to-side
  • Standard: 170-230 kHz / 25°
• Transducer: Transom CPT-DVS
• Power Input: 10.8 V DC to 15.6 V DC
• GPS: 72 Channel, 10 Hz, Internal
• Maps: Navionics+
• Waypoints / Tracks: 3,000 ; 15.
• Raymarine Wi-Fish App
• MicroSD card slot: x1

GPS and navigation

As we’ve mentioned above, this is the Raymarine Dragonfly unit part number E70293-NAG, the one that comes with the CPT-DVS transducer, and the Navionics+ charts. This particular chart bundle, the Navionics+, covers North American waters, in other words, US 1XG Hawaii and Alaska, Bahamas, Canadian 2XG coast, all the Great Lakes details, plus 18,000 US Inland Lakes (approx. 2,500 lakes containing 1 ft contour) as well as all Canadian lakes found on the HotMaps Canada product.

The unit includes a powerful, quick, and accurate 72-channel internal GPS. It also offers the possibility to save waypoints and tracks, having a capacity of 3,000 waypoints, and 15 tracks with 10,000 points each. Waypoints can also be categorized, the unit being able to store 100 waypoint groups, with up to 3,000 waypoints per group. But evidently, if one group has 3,000 (which is the maximum amount for one unit), you won’t be able to save other waypoints in another group. Saved waypoints and tracks can be imported and exported via microSD card.

Sonar and transducer

As we’ve mentioned above, this unit comes with the CPT-DVS transom mount transducer, to be more specific, the part number R70374. It can operate at two frequency ranges, 320-380 kHz for CHIRP

DownVision, and 170-230 kHz for Standard 2D CHIRP. For DownVision, the sonar beam is shaped like a fan, with a 1.4° fore to aft, but 60° side to side. It produces sharp and clear target returns, close to the clarity of a photo, making it easier to identify bottom structures, or vegetation, in other words, spots where fish may be located. DownVision is more effective at lower depths and at lower vessel speeds.

On the other hand, the 2D CHIRP sonar, uses a 200 kHz frequency, with a relatively narrow beam of approx. 25°, which makes it much easier to detect fish arches. Overall, the CHIRP technology in both types of sonar, provide imaging with less clutter and with a better target separation. It’s also more effective in deeper waters. The CHIRP bandwidth is automatically optimized in order to supply a better bottom lock and detection of moving targets. Speaking of depth, this unit is capable of correctly scanning waters up to 600 ft. (183 m) in DownVision, and up to 900 ft. (275 m) in 2D.

The transducer supplied with the unit includes a water temperature sensor. Therefore, the unit can display the temperature of the superior water column. Also, the transducer comes with a 20 ft (6 m) of cable.

A few other aspects regarding the sonar of this unit should be mentioned here. For starters, the

sonar feed scrolls from right to left. The scroll speed can be adjusted. By default, it’s set to 100%, but it can be downgraded to 10%. Pause and zoom are also included functions but the unit does not have a snapshot function.

The unit features a similar function to the Selective Fish ID in Humminbird HELIX units or the Fish Symbol ID in Garmin echoMAP units. It’s called Target Depth ID and it’s a function that displays the depths of targets onscreen. The strength of targets which display a depth ID is related to the Fish sensitivity setting, accessible from the Alarms menu. However, this function does not assign fish icons to targets.

A-Scope is a function also present most units regardless of brand. It’s a vertical flasher mode, which can be viewed next to the sonar, a function that indicates the most recent sonar feed. Last but not least, contrast and target sensitivity can be adjusted manually, but they also feature automatic modes.

Control unit features

Maybe one of the most important features of this unit is its built-in Wi-Fi module. This feature allows you to stream 2D or DownVision sonar data on your phone or tablet, via the Raymarine Wi-Fish app. It also gives you the possibility to view the DownVision sonar on the unit’s display and the 2D CHIRP sonar on your tablet/phone, or vice-versa. And evidently, with a bigger tablet, you will get the opportunity to observe your sonar feed on a bigger screen. The Wi-Fish app is also compatible with the Dragonfly 4 Pro unit.

The Dragonfly 5 Pro features a 5″ diagonal display, with a pixel matrix of 800 x 480 WVGA, and 15:9 aspect ratio. The display is LED-backlit and optically bonded, delivering a sharp contrast, bright colors, and excellent visibility from any angle. Due to the optical bonding, it’s guaranteed not to fog up. The unit is also IPX6 and IPX7 waterproof, which means it can safely take splashes of water, and even immersions.

The unit requires a 12V battery, the box including a 4.9 ft (1.5 m) of power cable. It comes with a pivot-ball type mount, which promotes an easy rotation and angling. The back of the unit features one microSD card slot, for map upgrades and data transfer.

Upgrade Possibilities

First of all, the software of the unit is upgradable. Second of all, there are various types of RAM mounts that you can choose for it. But the most important upgrades that you can have for this unit are various map packs.

The Dragonfly 5 Pro from Raymarine is compatible with LightHouse Charts, SonarChart, C-MAP by Jeppesen and Navionics Gold and HotMaps.

Drawbacks

Up to this point, we’ve pretty much described all the pluses regarding this unit. Therefore, it wouldn’t be fair to leave out some of its minuses. To start with, this unit is not NMEA capable, therefore you won’t be able to connect it via NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000. It does not support AIS. Also, it doesn’t have a sonar recording function, such as similar other units in terms of specs, i.e. the Humminbird HELIX 7 DI GPS, or the Garmin echoMAP 54dv.

Final Word

Even though this unit lacks some of the features found in various other 5-inch units from other manufacturers, it compensates with a powerful sonar, using CHIRP for both classic and down view imaging. On top of that, it also features Wi-Fi connectivity, and you can benefit from a wider view, if connected to a bigger tablet. All in all, it’s a unit with an excellent price/quality ratio, with a rating between 4.5 and 5 stars on various fishing websites.