If you can obtain reliable communication through whatever top material you have, that certainly could save a lot of wiring headache. But up top I'd think you would want to securely fasten down that remote so it doesn't eventually go free-range. FWIW, I use a cabled remote (Simrad ) at the lower station and love it's versatility particularly for trolling , but am glad to have the wired permanent dash mount on the tower console so it stays put.