2013 Honda Ridgeline custom console

I've had this Ridgeline for more than four years now but I finally decided exactly what radios I wanted to install and how. No one makes a console that would fit in this particular vehicle despite having a column mounted gear selector. So, I set out to make my own which I did using 1/2" birch plywood, some aluminum angle and flat bars, some thin carpeting (found it in my company's shop that was leftover from a mobile command post trailer), and Jotto faceplates. It's all bolted together and tied directly into the dash so is very solid and won't go anywhere. At least I don't believe so! I removed the factory "tray" that normally occupies that space.

There's a dashmount 50 W VHF Motorola XTL 5000 that I use for 2 m analog and P25 plus some out of band RX-only. Next is a dashmount 40 W UHF R1 (403-470) Motorola XPR 4550 that I use for 70 cm analog and DMR plus some of my work frequencies (I work for a Motorola dealer). Below that is a dual USB outlet. All are powered by a Blue Sea Systems split fuse block that provides 12 V, ground, and ignition switched 12 V. The block is mounted inside the console. Main power consists of 8 AWG wire directly to the battery for plus and a factory ground point for negative. I used a proper fuse tap to provide switched power.

Antennas are Larsen NMOQC quarter waves on NMOs drilled into the center of the roof. UHF in front, VHF towards the rear. As a radio technician and installer, it's the best way to go! Pardon the dust on the roof, I'll clean it off eventually.

Speakers are bolted to the underside of the passenger seat. I don't have any problems hearing traffic, even at highway speeds. I took that picture before placing the plastic trim back but the cables are completely hidden/protected.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how everything came out.

Very nice setup!! Everything looks so clean and neat!


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Looks good.
Nice to see a properly done install with -real- antennas.
I don't think I've seen many professional installs in these vehicles. Yours turned out great.

I noticed each corner by the heads have tabs for covers. A very good idea if that is what it was intended for.

Thanks for the kind words! I didn't want to cut any corners or make something that I wouldn't be proud of.

LosRio said:

I noticed each corner by the heads have tabs for covers. A very good idea if that is what it was intended for.

Click to expand...

It's hard to tell from the photos unfortunately, because RR lowered the resolution when I uploaded them but those are the bolt heads holding the Jotto faceplates to the lid that are hidden on the underside. I have one of those so called microfiber cloths that I use for cleaning up dust in the interior that I place over the radios when I want them out of the sun/covered. Tabs for covers would've been great though!

Very well done and professional looking.

That's Sharp! I really like that. Nicely done.

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Looks great.

From a fellow Ham and Ridgeline owner.

I just pulled the cup holder all the way forward, used the large storage area for the cables
and the Rig Runner.

I had the Jotto console from my Crown Vic install a long time ago and had my son-in-law cut off the
bottom cross support and I was able to squeeze it a bit and it dropped down in the hole about 3" and
is wedged in there real tight. I'll bolt it down so it doesn't go anywhere in case I brake real hard.

I can still use the cup holders, the 12v accessory plugs, environmental controls and when I rest my
arm on the center lid my reach is just perfect to manipulate the controls on the radios.

I'll post the rest of the install later.

Interesting. Would definitely like to see the rest of yours. The only ability I lost was to be able to use the internal storage of the factory console but I'm OK with that.

Very nice and professional install. I love seeing it when it is done from scratch. That is putting your full expertise to play and letting us see just how it is done. Glad to see the mounted antennas. Looks good 100%

Showing us how it is supposed to be done, very good

Very nicely done install! The custom built console looks great. I enjoy seeing radio install threads with vehicles that aren't the typical Ford or GM pickups/SUVs/full size sedans usually posted here. Hopefully this finds some other Ridgeline owners out there as well.

KG4INW said:

Interesting. Would definitely like to see the rest of yours. The only ability I lost was to be able to use the internal storage of the factory console but I'm OK with that.

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Looks good! If you are able to drop those radios down just a bit, the console cover would be able to slide forward, over the radios. That is how I installed several radios in my Ridgeline.

- John AC4JK

firetaz834 said:

Very nice and professional install. I love seeing it when it is done from scratch. That is putting your full expertise to play and letting us see just how it is done. Glad to see the mounted antennas. Looks good 100%

Showing us how it is supposed to be done, very good

Click to expand...

Thank you!

call_sign_null said:

Very nicely done install! The custom built console looks great. I enjoy seeing radio install threads with vehicles that aren't the typical Ford or GM pickups/SUVs/full size sedans usually posted here. Hopefully this finds some other Ridgeline owners out there as well.

Click to expand...

Thanks! We have a few customers with CRVs and Odysseys so I've installed in several Hondas but my personal Ridgeline is so far the first.

chief21 said:

Looks good! If you are able to drop those radios down just a bit, the console cover would be able to slide forward, over the radios. That is how I installed several radios in my Ridgeline.

- John AC4JK

Click to expand...

I'd be interested in seeing that. I did think about doing just that but really didn't want the radios so low and not as easily in reach or visible. Everything I kept in there I was able to move elsewhere.

As promised, these are the antenna pics.

On my previous Nissan Frontier install, look here.

https://forums.radioreference.com/p.../175050-2000-nissan-frontier-4x4-install.html

I did it right but, on the Ridgeline I didn't really want to mess with the side airbags so went another route.

I had my son-in-law weld some square tubing, then template the side tie downs so the makeshift mounts
would fit inside the original hole then bolted the two together. The antenna cable is run on the inside. I used rg174 so it's easier to fish thru the tubing. It also didn't pinch at all when I took off the back plate and put it back after routing the cable.

In the front you'll notice I used the very top bolt that is just at the base of the windshield to mount an L bracket. They've been there for two years and haven't come loose any. With the hard and rubber boot over the mount, it looks pretty clean.

Maybe later I'll get froggy and drill holes but, for now the setup works just fine. The rg174 coax has had no bad effects on performance and the SWRs are all below 2. Even on 10m.

Hood shot you see the 900 mhz antenna which is on the passenger side and on the driver side is the 2m/440 dual band antenna same setup.

From the back to the left is a dual band commercial antenna used for MURS & GMRS. In the center is a 10m antenna, brand is Francis. Had never heard of them but works great. On the right is a 220 antenna.

I hope all this makes sense. I know it's a far cry from my Frontier install.