Which Mad Frog Liberator

I see that Hook1 has three sizes of the Mad Frog Liberator transducer arms. Which one did y'all use on the PA? I'm using a RAM 107 B arm to hold the Humminbird 587ci HD DI head unit and wanted to try the liberator transducer arm but wanted to make sure I got the right one.

Also, did you bolt your RAM mount to the Liberators mounting plate and through the black mounting boards of the PA so that it's essentially all one bracket? That seems to make the most sense to me but without the parts in hand I'm not sure if it'll work that way.

Updated with pictures below

I'm considering purchasing the Micro Liberator and just using the Transducer Deployment Arm mounted directly to the PAs mounting board. Then just RAM mounting the head unit next to the arm. I'm not looking for a removable system for my rig.

Of course with that stuff in the way I won't be able to store my paddle inboard of the midship carry handle. I bought a Native paddle holder and I'm considering using well nuts and mounting it on the outside of the hull just below the midship carry handle so that it's still readily accessible. That's a later project though. I use the paddle quite a bit for moving around and sight fishing reds in the shallow but I'm thinking of replacing the paddle with a Super Stick push pole and I need to see if it will fit in the Native paddle holder before I go drilling and mounting it. Then I would just store the paddle in the hull as an emergency back up.

I mounted my new Humminbird 385ci DI using the Liberator Mini. I was concerned that the full size, as atavuss pointed out, would have way more space than I needed. Opposite of having too much space, the mounting base for the Humminbird doesn't fit cleanly on the Mini platform, so I angled mine and attached it with only three of the four screws. It's still really solid. I have the Liberator mounted on a Scotty Fishder Post Bracket #272. I wanted my rig to be removable, so I attach it to the sideboard in a Scotty flushmount. I keep my battery in the hull just behind the center hatch and connect to the fishfinder with a deck outlet I installed. I followed atavuss' lead and coiled the power and transducer lines under the base. I used my rig for he first time a week ago and it worked great. I'll post pictures later today.

TDK

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Anonymous - "The gods do not subtract from the alloted span of men's lives the hours spent fishing."

Mounted mine to a section of gear trac. Removable if need be.

I dont have a liberator board, but have my 597ci di on a ram mount on the side board.....but I bolted my TDA right to an existing screw hole on the sideboards...just used a longer screw

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That's what I was considering doing as well Thrashie. I just don't need the mounting plate as my head unit will be on a RAM mount. I ordered the Liberator Mini since I planned on discarding the plate anyway.

Have any of you cut the top bar on the TDA to fit your boat. I'm assuming that's why it has so many bolt holes drilled into it. The video on the Mad Frog Liberator site has a top bar that's only like four inches long so I assume they shortened it to fit the boat. Seems like you would want it as close to the hull as possible to prevent hang ups.

Hopefully the postal service will deliver all my toys before this weekend so I can get the install completed in time to fish!

nope, mine came that way, didn't need to cut anything.

and keep in mind, wilderness systems sells this stuff too, i got mine wilderness systems "labeled"...if ya'll have a dealer nearby, they might have these in stock. (and u can get the arm only without having to pay extra for a plate u may or may not use)

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=wilderness+systems+transducer&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&safe=on&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2774244836695077857&sa=X&ei=rVjGT9v5Go2y8QTd9bi_Bg&ved=0CIYBEPMCMAI

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2019 Hobie Outback Slate Blue
2018 Hobie Compass Seagrass Green
2012 Hobie Pro Angler w/MD180 Papaya Orange

ex 2012 Hobie Tandem Island
ex 2011 Hobie Pro Angler
ex 2011 Hobie Adventure Island
ex 2010 Hobie Adventure Island

didn't the bung to RAM mount work out for you??

if you're looking to go over the side as an alternative, grab yourself some aluminium bar in 25mm x 3mm from a Lowes or Home Depot, and make one up to your specific needs - costs a heap less than the Mad Frog gear, and you can make it all a specific depth and mounting style...

Grab a bit of bar, mount it flat on your platform of choice, then bend it over the side of your yak, bolt the transducer on the end, or you can get clever, and put a bolt in the middle, so it pivots up so you don't have any concerns about grounding when you come to shore....

I have a Mad Frog arm on my wifes yak, but I reckon the over the aluminium option works better, and will last longer...

The bung to RAM adapter works great. I'm going to end up with a boat done both ways. My current PA 14 will be done with the Liberator arm over the side and my next PA14 or PA12 (haven't decided which yet but will be purchased in the spring) will have the bung to RAM adapter on it probably with a Side Imaging head unit.

I need a second boat for my wife/oldest son to use and will eventually get a third for my younger son. Thank goodness the third boat is still a long ways off!! Not sure I'm ready to be an official Admiral of my own private plastic Navy quite yet!!!

Those of you that have the liberator - what are the advantages and disadvantages compared to the ram transducer mount. We want an arm for our yak but the liberator appears somewhat inflexible.

How easy is it to detach for transporting yak?
Can you lengthen the arm to go deeper on the nano model? It looks pretty shallow.
What do you like/not like about it?

Thanks!

I use the largest Liberator with the longest transducer arm. The Liberator is mounted to a Scotty FF mount which in turn is inserted in a Scotty clamp on rod holder mount on the side rail. I have four of the Scotty clamp on mounts (2 on each side rail). I am using a 7 amp 12 volt sealed battery in a waterproof plastic box to power the FF. I currently use a 597 Humminbird FF/GPS/down imaging unit.
The entire Liberator/transducer arm/FF is quickly and easily removed for transport, no holes drilled anywhere for installation, FF is easily reached to change settings, FF is easily viewed since it is right next to the seat, never found the unit to be in the way when fighting fish.
Sometimes the transducer arm will end up with weeds on it, transducer arm has to be flipped up in shallow water.