Raymarine Dragonfly - through the hull?

We need to get a fish finder for our outback and we are wondering if anyone has used the RayMarine Dragonfly and mounted it successfully? Any chance anyone has been successful with through hull transducer mounting? If not, what else has worked.

We are looking for an easy to read and operate model that one can spot fish readily and has ease of use and is readable in sunlight.

Thanks.

I did a thru hull install on my Pro Angler 14. I just used duct seal compound to hold the transducer in place. It's cheap and easy. You'll find in the electrical section of the hardware store.

How do you Ike the dragonfly so far? Good readings with the thru hull install?

No a Dragonfly but I do shoot through the hull with a HB 597ciHD DI. I get great results in both DI and 2D modes (showing good bottom detail in up the 145' of water - deepest I have been).

The Dragonfly is similar to the DI mode of the HB so I am confident you would get good results. My setup is a well of duct seal that I splash water in and then place the transducer in the well. This is nice for moving between kayaks.

_________________
Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for.
--John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

I have been looking at a dragonfly as well and have a older model Hobie pro angler. i'm thinking about doing the duct seal through the hull install as well, what is the point of putting a little water in there with it?

The idea is to make a well (ring) of duct seal. The bottom of the well is the plastic bottom of of the kayak. When you fill this well with water the transducer shoots through the water, through the hull with no chance of an air bubble between the transducer and the hull. Air is compressible (water is not) and so it kills the signal.

The other way folks sometimes use duct seal is to make a blob and push the transducer into the blob. However, when doing this you risk having some small pockets of air trapped in there that will hurt the signal strength.

_________________
Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for.
--John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

the old dragonfly transducer fits, albeit not comfortably, in the hobie transducer hole... you will need to cut off the vertical riser and a bit more of the plate.

the new dragonfly transducer is about 1" longer because some genius at raymarine decided to pull the cable out the front of the transducer and hence need more clearance for the cable bend radius...