Raymarine Dragonfly 5 DVS Sonar

The Dragonfly-5DVS is one of the fish finders that have been discontinued by Raymarine. It may still be available at certain retailers in various bundles (with or without transducer). It’s a sonar-only unit, offering Standard CHIRP and DownVision CHIRP sonar. For reference, this is the Raymarine part number E70306, the one that includes the CPT-DVS transducer.

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: CHIRP 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: No
• Maps: No
• Waypoints / Tracks: No
• Wi-Fi: No
• MicroSD card slot: No

Control unit features and functions

As we’ve mentioned above, this is the Raymarine part number E70306. Its control unit is pretty similar to the other Dragonfly 5 units, but as opposed to the Dragonfly 5 Pro unit, it does not feature the built-in Wi-Fi module. Therefore, with this unit, you won’t be able to control your sonar feed via the Wi-Fish app, from your phone or tablet.

However, the unit features a really decent display, optically bonded, which means it delivers a really sharp contrast, images on-screen are easy to read and view from all angles, all-weather viewable; the screen won’t blur out due to various factors. It features a WVGA color display, with a 5″ diagonal, 15:9 aspect ratio, and an 800 x 480 pixel resolution.

The unit features IPX6 and IPX7 waterproofing, meaning that it can survive incidental water exposure and even immersion up to 1 m and up to 30 min. in freshwater. However, when it comes to saltwater, it’s best that you wipe any droplets from it, and especially from it’s back, to prevent it to reach the connectors. Even with all its waterproofing, saltwater can still corrode any metallic part that it can reach.

The box comes with the ball and socket, tilt swivel mount, which gives you the possibility to attach it and operate it on surfaces with various angles. It requires a 12V battery but the battery is not included. However, it does come with a 4.9 ft (1.5 m) of power cable.

Sonar and transducer

The Dragonfly 5DVS features a dual-channel sonar, with CHIRP standard and CHIRP DownVision. The standard CHIRP sonar uses a conical beam, rather narrow, with an angle of 25°, operating at a frequency of 170-230 kHz. This type of sonar is great for observing fish targets and has a depth capability of 900 ft (275 m).

The DownVision sonar uses a fan-like beam, more like the beam used by a scanner. It has a side-to-side angle of 60°, but in fore to aft it’s only 1.4°. For DownVision, each pulse is modulated over 320-380 kHz, being reliable at depths up to 600 ft. (183 m). One of the best aspects of DV sonar is the photo-like clarity of the images. That’s the main reason this type of sonar is great for analyzing structure, vegetation, the shape and composition of the bottom, and distinguishing fish from structure.

Due to the fact that both types of sonar offered by this unit, use CHIRP, you’ll get a superior target separation, a better bottom lock, less clutter, and more detail. The sonar feed scrolls from right to left, and the scrolls speed can be adjusted. Zoom and pause functions are available, however, you cannot record sonar or save snapshots. Therefore, in case you’re looking for a budget unit with down view sonar and with sonar recording, Garmin echoMAP 44dv may be another unit to look at. However, this doesn’t have the nice, wider screen of the Dragonfly 5.

Two other sonar-related functions to mention here are the A-Scope and Target Depth ID. A-Scope is a vertical flasher function that indicates the most recent sonar echo. It’s actually a pretty useful function which lets you know when you’ve just passed over a fish. The Target Depth ID is a function that displays the depths of targets on the screen. The strength of targets which display a depth ID is related to the Fish sensitivity setting, accessible from the Alarms menu.

Last but not least, this unit does come with a transducer that supports both types of sonar. The transducer supplied with the control unit is the CPT-DVS transducer (part number R70374), which comes with a transom mount and 20′ (6m) of cable. The transducer also incorporates a temperature sensor, enabling the control unit to indicate water temperature.

Drawbacks

There are a few minuses regarding this unit, that you should be aware of. First of all, it doesn’t have any NMEA connectors. Second of all, Wi-Fi would have been nice to have, as it gives you the possibility to control and view sonar on a bigger screen, in case you have a tablet. It doesn’t offer the possibility to record sonar. Also, the box does not contain a unit cover.

Bottom Line

As a final conclusion, the Dragonfly 5 DVS is a simple fish finder, but offering some of the finest sonar technologies, CHIRP sonar, and CHIRP DownVision. For a small unit, it’s quite a powerful fish finder. Even though it lacks several functions and features that similar other units from different other brands do have, it does compensate through its excellent sonar and sharp imaging. It’s great for any small boat or kayak and comes for a decent price/quality ratio.