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mtnbowhunter

I spent several months in Baja using the D5 in saltwater on my aluminum hulled inflatable. the supplied transom mounted transducer worked great at low trolling speeds but when trolling at 5mph and above it increasing develops lack of definition or "snow", and once at planning speed it completely blacks out. I presume from propwash. numerous repositioning of the transducer did little to help the problem.
so my questions are :
- should a thru hull transducer cure this problem?
- which transducers will work fully with the D5?
- the hull is a shallow - 10Degree or so - v, no steps, so how does one install the thru hull so it is parallel to the water surface?
- will testing the location of the transducer in the water filled bag work in an aluminum hull?
- I believe, according to westmarine, that one of the dragonfly compatable transducers that had a plastic body, has been discontinued?Why???

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum mtnbowhunter,

Q1. I spent several months in Baja using the D5 in saltwater on my aluminum hulled inflatable. the supplied transom mounted transducer worked great at low trolling speeds but when trolling at 5mph and above it increasing develops lack of definition or "snow", and once at planning speed it completely blacks out. I presume from propwash. numerous repositioning of the transducer did little to help the problem.
A1. Please click here to view a FAQ addressing this subject.

Q2. Should a thru hull transducer cure this problem?
A2. Thru-hull transducers will generally provide the best overall sonar performance. Fast moving, shallow drafting hulls with low deadrise present the greatest challenges for sonar systems. Should the recommendations of the FAQ referenced in the response to Q1 not address the problem, then a thru-hull transducer may improve performance.

Q3. Which transducers will work fully with the D5?
A3. Dragonfly 5 fishfinders are compatible with any of the transducers found here. Bronze transducers should not be installed on aluminum hulls.

Q4. - the hull is a shallow - 10Degree or so - v, no steps, so how does one install the thru hull so it is parallel to the water surface?
A4. Yes. The supplied fairing block will be cut an angle matching the hull's deadrise. See the installation instructions for Dragonfly transducers posted here.

Q5. Will testing the location of the transducer in the water filled bag work in an aluminum hull?
A5. Not likely. This test may typically be performed only with solid fiberglass hulls meeting the maximum thickness specification.

mtnbowhunter

So I downloaded the info on how to install a thru Hull transducer but it mentions nothing about how to set it up to change the front to rear angle of the transducer so that the sonar shows the fish images properly
There is a lot of info on how to cut the transducer mounting bracket to make up for the V angle on a v Hull but nothing about four to aft shimming to get the correct transducer mounting

With the stern mounted transducer it's at about 11 degree angle compared to the hull to work properly on my boat
So are there shims included with a transducer to make up for that angle difference required or is that something I have to make up myself???
Also I am curious as white a thru Hull transducer cost $250 while it's turned mounted transducer only cost $90 what can there be that makes up a $200 difference?????

***Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator***

mtnbowhunter,

Q1. There is a lot of info on how to cut the transducer mounting bracket to make up for the V angle on a v Hull but nothing about four to aft shimming to get the correct transducer mounting.
A1. No fore-aft compensation / configuration settings nor shims are provided nor should be needed for thru-hull transducers featuring a fairing block. Generally speaking, these transducers are installed on inboard vessels or larger vessels where the transducer will be installed well aft where there is negligible fore-aft rise and a constant deadrise. It should additional be noted that the fore/aft angle of the transducer will vary based on vessel speed and sea conditions.