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Having trouble making the first hole in the console. It's like defacing a piece of art. As i begin to make a hole for the 8' whip antenna, i have to consider the whip on the console won't work with the bimini top. So now i'm looking at a folding down t top. Big bucks but it works for the console rod rack, antenna, and seat rod holders. So it's spend, spend, spend.

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You have options for mounting the antenna somewhere other than the console. I prefer the antenna to be mounted on the aft starboard side rail area using a stainless steel rail mount. You can then run the wire through the rig tunnel to the console where the radio unit can be installed. Here is a link to a rail mount.
http://www.wholesalemarine.com/shakes...7Aodp2kAtw

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Consider a Bimi tee Top. Not very expensive at all. It does not fold, but it does lift off and I have one for lights, antenna etc.

www.bimiteetop.com 888 251 5911

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Depending on your usage area you might not need a VHF. If you are within cell phone range that's all you need. I personally have a rail mount with a 4' digital antenna but have yet to use the VHF in 3 years.

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A hand held VHF might be an idea. No wires, no antenna, no extra holes in the console and you have your bimini.

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Thanks for all the good options. I'm an old school fisherman so any thing that get's in the way of fighting a fish has got to go . I'm bound to trip, tangle, or tumble on anything around me.So I'm looking for clear space. T top is better suited for me if i can still utilize the front console fishing pole rack. Have to consider the whip railing mount. even with the special t top i'm looking at it's a close call.Plus it's over a grand for the top. but it does allow for rods up front and off the seat holders to work. I'm trying do everything at one time, and get it all right the first time.I think that might be a pipe dream.

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If you are a boater anywhere there is boat traffic I advise you ALWAYS HAVE a VHF and with a small Whaler a hand held should suffice but don't count on your cell phone unless you are traveling the canals in Venice or Amsterdam.

How often do you have a dropped phone call or bad reception?????? You don't want that to happen to you in an emergency.

Now if you are on your 10 acre local lake okay a VHF is not needed and most likely your phone won't work either as you are in the boondocks anyway.

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One of many benefits of the rail mounted VHF antenna fitting is that it has a ratchet action. The ratchet makes it easy to lower the antenna flush with the gunwale, out of the way, when fishing.

My 1986 Montauk 17 had a console mounted VHF antenna and I disliked it because it impeded with movement around the console when fishing, and made use of the console stainless hand rail difficult. I was not able to lower the antenna even though it had a ratchet because the console rail stanchions got in the way.

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I have not yet been able to figure out what model Whaler "bottomline" owns. But I agree with "weatherly", and cannot think of one center console Whaler where a console mounted antenna makes any sense. Because the radio is in/on the console, it at first seems like a good idea, but it is not if any sun/skin cancer protection is required.

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It obviously depends on what boat we're talking about and where you plan to use it but so far the best solution for me on my 17 Montauk is the rail / ratchet mount pictured above with a stainless whip antenna mounted on the crook of the console. It's not in the way of anything there and even with the Bimini up I can still use the antenna although I can only raise it to a 45 degree angle before it hits the canvas but it still works just fine.

A fixed mount VHF with DSC and connected to your chart plotter is probably the most important safety gear to have in a boat and the first thing I'd go to in an emergency, EPIRB is next.

Handhelds VHF's are a joke for reception but it's a good thing to have in a ditch bag if needed.

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A VHF antenna should be mounted at least 3 feet away from the radio, so transmission will not interfere with the radio's reception. Bottomline mentioned he wants to install an 8 foot antenna. The higher the antenna, the better the antenna's range and performance.

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I had already bought a standard horizon explorer gps gx1700 vhf class d with the dsc transceiver. Put's the coastguard on your exact location.Catalina run's can get a little shakey at times. Although i'm not going on any foul weather days. I also bouhgt a d-55 ritchie compass, and a garmin echomap 50dv with US coastal charts. i feel like i'm loaded for bear,at least that's what my wallet tells me.Looks like Wranglers taylor made bimi tee top is the way to go. west marine sells a fabric top for it at $67.00. I have a friend that makes drapes, that can cut slots in the fabric for the 8' whip antenna and the forward console fishing rods to slip through.and if the frame of the tee top can clamp to the console hand rails with disconnect pins then my worries would be over.Wait and see after i talk with the guy from taylor made.

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Don't know how the Bimini tee top works but I can tell you I have a tee top on my 1984 Montauk 17. On the plus side it provides shade without the side restrictions of a Bimini and its got rod holders, nav light, VHF antenna and a flood light. On the negative side is the room it takes alongside the center console because you can't lean toward the center of the boat going forward so you have to hold on to keep from falling out of the boat. I have an E-TEC 90 on my boat. Others with the same setup have a top speed of 40 to 42 mph but as the bow rises that 20 +-sq. ft. top starts catching air and I only get 39 mph. I can't store the boat in my garage because of the top so I have to spend $300 a year for shrink wrap and storage. All in all I love the tee top but it was there when I bought the boat. If the boat were original I wouldn't spend the money.

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I'm going to talk to the taylor made people and see if the connections to the console can utilize the factory railing with railing clamps to the tee top with pull pins to release the top from the console. It's smilar to the montauk shadow t top at another site, but $500 or $ 600 dollars cheeper.

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And they would make it in stainless for strength.

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Finally I figured out the placement of the electronics and compass. I know this should be an easy task, but it's not. For me it's a nightmare shell game. I had to ask my neighbor what he thought. Left to right, vhf, garmin gps/plotter/sounder,compass. I'm going to have to look at this lineup, and it has to be perfect for me. If it isn't perfect I'll never be happy. Anal,anal, anal, what can I do.

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Got the bimini tee top Wrangler suggested. In 4.5'x6' as suggested by the owner at bimini tee top.He said that it was a better fit for the Montauk and would clamp to the existing console handrail. He talked me out of stainless, $230.00 more.He said the aluminum was more forgiving, easier to handle, and a better choice in his opinion.Happy with my decession to go with the aluminum. thanks again Wrangler

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Not doubting what you're saying but hat doesn't make sense to me. You can't transmit and send at the same time so why would that matter and obviously hand held units don't have that issue.

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Interference symptoms, aka "radio squeal", can occur when a transmitter radio is located too close to a receiving antenna.

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I just purchased a RayMarine Auto Pilot for my boat. The EV Sensor Core can be installed below deck. However, must be a minimum of 2 feet away of a "audio device" (the further the better) because the audio waves interfere with the EV Sensor Core. I picked a spot away from all (antennae, radio, etc...) to install it. I would guess the "squeal" Weatherly speaks of is somehow linked.

gchuba

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Changed my mind. what's new, went with the stainless steel. whalers have so much stainless railing, I couldn't mix the metals. Better looking too, no black fittings either like on the aluminum. Beefed up the center railing post, larger bolts and backing material that's screwed into the wood support on the inside of the console. The backing material I use is plastic cutting board you can get at the grocery store.Put the trailer guides on , didn't want to tear a transducer on a trailer rail putting it on the trailer. when I get the bimini tee top I'll have to adapt a rail mount hinge on the forward part of the console hand railing. the other mounts to the console to the back side area.

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A little human interest story about Raymarine. Ray Jefferson, the founder of Ray Marine was my neighbor. He lived two doors down from my house when I was a kid. I remember that he was a Kaiser-Frazer automobile dealer back in the 1940's. I guess he dabbled in marine electronics on the side. When K/F went bankrupt in the late '40's he started selling marine ship to shore radios under the name (RAY JEFF). He had the first TV in the neighborhood, way before anyone else. He would leave his front window blinds up in the summer evenings, and the window open so us kids could look in and watch TV. He never let us in his house though. We were about 7-10 years old then. I don't remember him as very friendly though, later on, I never bought his stuff, although it was high quality.

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getting closer to finishing this Whaler.got the vhf gps/sounder/chart plotter,rear bait tank switch mounted.Replaced the running lights switch, and waiting for the bait tank to come in so I can plumb that. Mounted the bait pump on the transom and ran power back to the chrome access cover on the starboard side for the running lights. drilled a hole in the cover and put a waterproof switch there.

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Are you going to share some photographs of your completed BW17 Montauk rig?

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Yes I am going share some photos with you. I just got the bait tank yesterday from fedex. It's a 13 gallon kodiak oval bait tank that I'm going to mount on a poly something base. I'll be mounting it on the teak bench in the rear of the boat.Might plumb a bait tank feed/wash down set up.Waiting for the bimini tee top to come. Then I can finish for now, and take some pictures. I don't remember outfitting a boat that required so much thought involved in preping for fishing. Must be getting old.

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The convertible version of my montauk is almost there. I have laid out the most practical, sensible,best use of space configuration I can come up with. I have tweeked, (modified) everything in My head and hands on till i'm blue in the face. I;m looking for the perfect boat till it makes me sick. Someone talks to me and I'm listening and something about the boat pops into My head on how to make it work.I've actually lost weight from not eating to do one last thing on the boat.Can;t wait for it to be done, and hate that it might be done, and I'll have nothing to work on.

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Just finished installing the on-board charger. I went with an 8amp 2-bank because of it's size and weight. I mounted unit on some backing and secured it to the center console plywood for the center grab rail mount. It worked out great with the waterproof plug in connector. tied up some loose wires under the console.Remember it takes 5 minutes to remove the seat and tank to get under the console. Make your life easier and remove them

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Took a maiden voyage around the harbor and around the break water.My mechanic suggested i do this because of the length of time the boat wasn't running.It sat for about 6 years.It ran better the more time i put on the engine. Bait tank worked great, along with all the electronics.