Your Opinons on Fish Finders

This battery works pretty well and has enough capacity for the larger units.
Aukey 18000mah Multi-voltage (5v 12v 16v 19v)External Battery with Quick Charge for iPhone 6S 6S Plus 6 Samsung Galaxy Google Nexus LG HTC Motorola and many other USB Powered Mobile Devices(Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBI1GQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_inxFwbNNSPJYT

Noah, this battery in on it's way to me.  Are you using it?  If so, does the included charger work well or should I be looking for an aftermarket charger to speed things up?

Yup. It does include a charger that seems to work good.

Thank you.

Pulled the trigger on the Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro with the Nav+. 
Way more unit than I am used to, but what the heck? 

Kicked around prices all over the net and narrowed it down to 3 companies. One had the best price not including shipping, second had slogan to "price match" and free shipping, and third company I have purchased several times from without issue.  Their price was good but also required shipping. 

Now, company one has the best price but has the silliest "terms and conditions" clause that really made me want to avoid shopping there in the event something was wrong with my order.  I would basically have to pay for shipping back to get a replacement, and pay for shipping yet again.

Second company NEVER responded to any of my price match requests using their online price match form.  Followed up with a few "what's going on?" questions using their "Contact Us" online form. With no response still, I moved on to see if I could call them.  I could not find a single phone number on their website.  Ok then!  Screw this company, and delete them from my memory. 

Third company it is!  I logged on checked my product page and noticed that the price had dropped $40 and now they are offering free shipping on 3-8 day ground.  Deal!  Here's my card, boom bam click, we're done!  Turns out with this change of price and free shipping, came withing $20 of the first company, and beat the second company.  And the third company has been a pleasure to buy from in the past.  Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Once it lands at my door (and I have a day free), I plan to run a serious of tests on battery consumption using my go to 12v 7ah, and 8ah batteries. Maybe borrow hdpwipmonkey's battery as well to test.  All this to validate what battery will fit the bill for this unit. 

SCORE!  I like when things fall into proper order in the universe.

Would you let me know what you think of your Dragonfly?  And how much work it takes to install the transducer?

SCORE!  I like when things fall into proper order in the universe.

Would you let me know what you think of your Dragonfly?  And how much work it takes to install the transducer?

I plan to install the goofy looking 'ducer the same way I have always installed them.  I make a pocket out of 2-3" closed cell foam that fits the 'ducer snugly.  The bottom of the foam is shaped to fit the hull just in front of the drive well, or sail mast on the Hobie. This is glued to the hull with copious amounts of Marine Goop and weighted down with a few bricks or other heavy object for 12+ hours. On the end of the foam inside the pocket closest to where the 'ducer cable end will be, I cut a small notch in the foam to allow me to "burp" air bubbles out from under the 'ducer after adding water to the pocket and slipping the 'ducer into place.  I just pump the 'ducer up and down in the water slowly to "burp" it. 

I've never had any issue with shoot thru, and have read on several forums that the Dragonfly shoots through the hull just fine as long as it is sitting in a water bath, and not just glued down to the hull.  We'll see just how well this works once installed and tested.

I've owned several Dragonfly's.  My first was a Dragonfly 6, I got about 2 years ago.  My go to yak then was a 2012 Revo 13.  I installed the transducer with a water bath method midship.  I used close cell foam, gooped it and lined it with electrical putty to make there is no water leakage.  I placed it below and left of the center hatch since there is a flat area here.   

Subsequently the Dragonfly 7 was released.  I pulled the trigger on the 7 since I was very happy with my first unit.  I also upgraded to 2015 Revo 13.  The transducer fits nicely inside the built in transducer pocket.  The plastic posts on the transducer cover needs to be shaved off.  I also own an 2012 AI and purchased and installed a separate transducer for it.

With regards to batteries, I powered the Dragonfly 6 with a 12v 9a deep cycle AGM battery.  The key is to use a charger that can that charge the battery to full voltage (14 to 15 volts).

When I started using the D7, a good buddy talked me into switching to LiPo batteries.  I now use 10000mah LiPo's which is widely used by the radio control crowd.  I started using the LiPo back in May 2015, till now everything is working great.  Dragonfly 7 power consumption is 8 W at full brightness.  Battery capacity rating is 10ah / .67 results to 14.9 hours battery life.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=60292.0

 

Did you see that they just released the Dragonfly 7 Pro, and discontinued the Dragonfly 6 and Dragonfly 7?
http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=11198

The mounts and buttons on the Dragonfly 7 Pro are the same as the 4 and 5 Pro units with the ball, instead of base that the old Dragonfly 6 and 7 (non Pro) have.   

With the ball mount setup, you can unscrew the factory ball system from the back of the head unit and install a Ram ball kit. 

http://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-B-202-379-M616

Did you see that they just released the Dragonfly 7 Pro, and discontinued the Dragonfly 6 and Dragonfly 7?
http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=11198

The mounts and buttons on the Dragonfly 7 Pro are the same as the 4 and 5 Pro units with the ball, instead of base that the old Dragonfly 6 and 7 (non Pro) have.   

With the ball mount setup, you can unscrew the factory ball system from the back of the head unit and install a Ram ball kit. 

http://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-B-202-379-M616

Yes I've seen and demo'd the Pro units at my local Bass Pro Shop.  The joystick has been replaced with a button and the menu has been simplified so navigating around just got easier.  Looking at the new feature list of the new Pro series and if I was shopping for a new unit, I would still get the old generation D7.  The large screen makes my time OTW more enjoyable and I can see more detail without squinting my eyes. 
There should some good deals coming.

I've been studying the LiFePo batteries - not those for RC use - and it seems that the manufacturers say that running the batteries down slowly, like a finder would do, voids the warranty on the battery.

I'd be uncomfortable with that limitation on a battery as expensive as these can be.

Is it different for the batteries used by RC-ers?  It's an interesting technology, and I'm trying to understand them.

I plan to install the goofy looking 'ducer the same way I have always installed them.

[SNIPPED]

Okay.  I thought you might do something Ben Franklin-y because of the interesting shape.  Thanks.

Fish finders are great! Especially in larger, deeper, fisheries. Helps prevent you from wasting a bunch of time casting to nothing. But one must remember; fish finders don't make fish bite...

That said. I recommend using the Deeper fish finder by Friday Lab. It comes with a transducer that reads-out on your smartphone screen wirelessly!! So no drilling or cutting needed! Very easy to read, and accurate up to 130'FT (See pic).

With the ball mount setup, you can unscrew the factory ball system from the back of the head unit and install a Ram ball kit. 

Sweet. That's a super clean setup.

Pulled the trigger on the Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro with the Nav+. 
Way more unit than I am used to, but what the heck? 

Kicked around prices all over the net and narrowed it down to 3 companies. One had the best price not including shipping, second had slogan to "price match" and free shipping, and third company I have purchased several times from without issue.  Their price was good but also required shipping. 

Now, company one has the best price but has the silliest "terms and conditions" clause that really made me want to avoid shopping there in the event something was wrong with my order.  I would basically have to pay for shipping back to get a replacement, and pay for shipping yet again.

Second company NEVER responded to any of my price match requests using their online price match form.  Followed up with a few "what's going on?" questions using their "Contact Us" online form. With no response still, I moved on to see if I could call them.  I could not find a single phone number on their website.  Ok then!  Screw this company, and delete them from my memory. 

Third company it is!  I logged on checked my product page and noticed that the price had dropped $40 and now they are offering free shipping on 3-8 day ground.  Deal!  Here's my card, boom bam click, we're done!  Turns out with this change of price and free shipping, came withing $20 of the first company, and beat the second company.  And the third company has been a pleasure to buy from in the past.  Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Once it lands at my door (and I have a day free), I plan to run a serious of tests on battery consumption using my go to 12v 7ah, and 8ah batteries. Maybe borrow hdpwipmonkey's battery as well to test.  All this to validate what battery will fit the bill for this unit.

Don't forget your rebate: 
http://www.defender.com/pdf/Raymarine_Dragonfly_2016_Rebate.pdf

Purchase a new Dragonfly-5 PRO or the all-new Dragonfly-7 PRO during the Dragonfly Deals Sales Event and save big!
Change your underwater view and catch more fish with wide-spectrum CHIRP DownVision™ technology. Dragonfly PRO
models come packed with features including dual-channel CHIRP sonar, built-in GPS and mapping, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity
so you can stream live sonar right to your Smartphone or tablet using the free Raymarine Wi-Fish mobile app.
• $100 Mail-in rebate savings on Dragonfly-5 PRO Systems
• $150 Mail-in rebate savings on Dragonfly-7 PRO Systems
Note: No other Raymarine Dragonfly models are eligible for this promotion.

Don't forget your rebate: 
http://www.defender.com/pdf/Raymarine_Dragonfly_2016_Rebate.pdf

Purchase a new Dragonfly-5 PRO or the all-new Dragonfly-7 PRO during the Dragonfly Deals Sales Event and save big!
Change your underwater view and catch more fish with wide-spectrum CHIRP DownVision™ technology. Dragonfly PRO
models come packed with features including dual-channel CHIRP sonar, built-in GPS and mapping, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity
so you can stream live sonar right to your Smartphone or tablet using the free Raymarine Wi-Fish mobile app.
• $100 Mail-in rebate savings on Dragonfly-5 PRO Systems
• $150 Mail-in rebate savings on Dragonfly-7 PRO Systems
Note: No other Raymarine Dragonfly models are eligible for this promotion.

Just keeps getting better! 

I read the eligibility requirements and it's good from Jan 4th to April something.  I held out until the 7th to make my purchase due to waiting on word  for a price match (which never happened).  Then the online store I did order from dropped their price ~$40 from the previous week, and also offered free ground shipping. 

Now I get to reclaim another $100.  So glad that I am not an impulse buyer shopping retail. 

Once it lands at my door (and I have a day free), I plan to run a serious of tests on battery consumption using my go to 12v 7ah, and 8ah batteries. Maybe borrow hdpwipmonkey's battery as well to test.  All this to validate what battery will fit the bill for this unit.

A bit curious about your "series of tests" that you're using for battery consumption with fish finders.  I have a new battery setup that I'm testing out with my Elite 4 HDI - been through a couple multi-day tests, but interested in how others test for expected battery life.

Thanks,
Sam