I’m a big fan of reducing the amount of drilled holes on my kayak. When I was looking for a transducer arm, I was glad to see a bunch of them that simply used gear track mounts. In particular, Mad Frog Gear’s “Liberator” platform stuck out. It’s a really simple way to mount the arm, the fish finder, or both. Since my Native Slayer already had an electronics bay, I simply needed the arm itself. The Micro Liberator fit that bill. It includes a mounting plate for the gear track, the transducer arm, and necessary hardware.
PROS
- Multiple pivot points. Allows multiple storage locations when the fish finder is not in use.
- Easy installation (if you happen to use the whole arm length — see below).
- One of the cheapest options.
- Low profile. Could mount right next to your seat, without nailing it while paddling.
CONS
- Weak plastic. See one of the photos for a close-up of the bubbles from sub-par injection molding. Although this doesn’t need to be over-engineered, the arm is far more flexible than it probably should be.
- Non-adjustable arm length. If you need it to be shorter, you have to shorten the length by cutting it.
- Non-locking pivot points. Although getting caught in weeds is inherent with any arm, this one is particularly annoying. Each pivot point is simply a bolt + nut + washer, so weeds can easily move it. Even fast-paced paddling or current can swing it out a bit. Easy enough to deal with if it’s mounted close, but I tend to keep things out of the way, so it’s annoying to have to get up and adjust it.
- No integrated wire management. Have to zip tie the transducer wire to the arm.
Alternatives
Although the Micro Liberator is “good enough” for now, I’ll probably replace it soonish. When I do, it’ll probably be this guy:
The RAM transducer arm is a lot stiffer, and the pivot point locks down with a nut. Overall, the build quality is far superior and will stand up to worse abuse. I’ve talked to numerous owners and haven’t heard a single complaint.