Rockie Talkies

Are Rockie Talkies worth it?  They are quite pricey, so would be keen to hear your perspective or if there are other alternatives as well.  

100%. Makes communication a non-issue. I looked into other "non-outdoor" branded radios, but the more climbing specific features like the durability and carabiner pushed me to splurge on the rockie talkies. One of my favorite bits of gear for multipitch outings.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/108258902/walkie-talkie-suggestions-please?page=2#ForumMessage-120666981

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/122749666/communicating-with-out-of-sight-partner?page=4#ForumMessage-122839163

These threads discuss Rockie Talkies.

Sure beats the hollering you get in places like the gunks when everyone can hear both partners shouting except eachother. And yeah, they hold up well, ive had mine for like 2 or 3 years now

100% worth it. Game-changer on multi pitch. Also useful for MTB and skiing. 

I got some generics from amazon tied them up with some 3mm cord and ducktape, when I went to the valley with my girlfriend and found them invaluable with her lack of experience.

I don't think they're particularly useful if you and your partner climb well together and know how you operate. If you have climbed much in the mountains or on seacliffs you'll already be very used to not being able to communicate. 

After reading the other threads, I went with the Motorola T460 and I have no regrets.  Currently available for about $120.

Rechargeable, but also takes regular batteries. Functionality was great. Very easy to attach a two mill lanyard with locking mini-s biner to the bottom brace. Back clip keeps it positioned well on a backpack strap.

I like mine a lot!  Out of the way, keeps communication simple.  Just make sure everyone knows commands if they were to stop functioning for some reason.  

Feel free to borrow mine sometime if you want. 

the company is also stellar. had an issue with a radio that was well out of warranty and they fixed it, no questions asked.

After years of heaping scorn on folks who carried walkie-talkies for ordinary climbing communication, karma came for me big time as my hearing got worse and worse with age.  I get along fine with hearing aids in ordinary situations, but it seems too easy to knock them out climbing, so I take them out when I get to the crag and now use Rockie Talkies.  I chose them because they were designed for climbing by climbers and I'd just as soon support that kind of effort rather than giving my money to one of the big companies.  Compared to other devices I've seen, they appear to be more robust (heavy rubber case and solid attachment points), but have no idea about how specifications really compare.  They work as advertised.

The karma irony continues, because I have to admit that they make a lot of things easier. This is especially true when you get into unanticipated difficulties that either slow things down or perhaps require some kind of response from the rest of the party, but it also means that certain relatively inconsequential communications become possible that would probably just not happen.  For example, a second who was far away and surely out of earshot even if my hearing was good asked whether a certain in-situ nut was mine, and I could easily reply that it was not.

At least two folks who were obliged to use my walkie-talkies have gone out and bought their own (and they have no hearing issues).

That said, I have also heard some of what---now channeling my previous scorn---can only be described as radio-mediated oversharing, in which the leader provides more commentary on the fine details of their excellent adventure than anyone needs to know.  I'm also, at least so far, adhering to ordinary conversational norms rather than embracing "radio talk."  This is because, so far, the reception has been so clear that specialized language meant to mitigate ambiguity in noisy situations just isn't necessary, and I get no kick from sounding like a commando in the midst of a battle or a police officer on a car chase.

rgold wrote:

specialized language meant to mitigate ambiguity in noisy situations just isn't necessary, and I get no kick from sounding like a commando in the midst of a battle or a police officer on a car chase.

10-4. Great review. Over and out. 

I've seen the Rocky Talkies in action a couple times now and they seem to be a good product. From the carabiner to the battery life everything is well designed. User reports from the field all seem to be positive.

Buy them if you want something that "just works" for most rope lengths. 

As others have said, if you know your partner and the route, common sense rope management will make radios or inReach devices unnecessary, it's just more stuff to carry. And, the latest cellphones have 911 satellite capabilities for emergencies.

But a little background for the nerds out there: Rocky Talkies are limited to two watts of transmit power, and they operate on the FRS (Family Radio Service) frequencies, no license required.

An upgrade would be a GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radio. These hand held radios have more than twice the power at 5 watts plus access to NOAA weather channels. The GMRS radios require a $35 FCC license,  but you don't have to take a test. You pay your money and get a call sign.

A further upgrade would be a handheld ham radio with up to 8 watts of power. The Chinese imports are as little as $19 with 5 watts. They are even smaller than the Rocky Talkies. Both the GMRS and ham radios can be used illegally without a license and frequently are, especially in the parasailing community. It's very unlikely you will get busted, especially on the GMRS frequencies.

Some friends of mine climbed the Chief with a couple who had the cheap 5 watt ham radios. They were communicating perfectly each pitch.

Depending on location, (I-90 corridor, Squamish) licensed hams have access to repeaters (similar to cell towers) that can extend your range up to 200 miles. The radios that Rangers carry in the backcountry are basically modified ham radios accessing Park Service repeaters.  

Now, about the whole ham radio license thing. Seven year old kids have passed the test. There are web based and phone apps that drill you on the questions. It's a rote memorization thing and kind of fun to see your scores go up preparing for the $15 FCC license test.

I don't want to dive into the nerdy rabbit hole of ham radio here. But it can be a fun hobby for a while. I've talked to other hams 5000 miles away with my 12 volt, 100 watt radio carried in a backpack.  Currently my radios are gathering dust. I prefer other more active hobbies, like climbing.

Great for long term relationships. 

I’m with you, RGold— I held out against comms for climbing for a long time, but the Rocky Talkies have converted me.  I think it’s primarily because they are fit for purpose for climbing, relative to other outdoor oriented two-way radios.  For one, their battery life is unbelievable— far superior to anything else I’ve used (I had pretty recent gen Motorolas before).  But you also can’t knock into the volume dial and turn it up or down while it’s on your harness, as you can w most regular Motorolas.  And the features are stripped down and focused just on what you need for climbing- no built-in clocks, thermometers, or NWS channels sucking up battery life and display space.  They’re small and durable and fairly waterproof.  They overcome many of the shortcomings that used to make radios just not worth the hassle for climbing.

Honestly, you never know how nice Rockies are…till someone is climbing a pitch/route away from you and is screaming their arse off at 9am killing the morning calm/stillness/beauty. Besides the safety and ease they add, I generally feel it makes the outdoors nicer to be in - aka - not hearing  climbing jargon being screamed. 

They're awesome. I use them for every MP, and sometimes single pitch too if it's a loud area. 

Do everybody around you a favor and use walkie talkies so none of us have to hear each other screaming up and down to each other. 

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Do everybody around you a favor and use walkie talkies so none of us have to hear each other screaming up and down to each other. 

Agreed! 

I find this thread mildly disappointing.  I was expecting another “dog thread” a la radios…what with wild posturing and dogmatic and outlandish pronouncements (“I can rope tug the complete works of Shakespeare within 5 mins to any partner in the middle of an Alaskan blizzard , etc etc).  

So far, it’s been nothing but thoughtful and polite discussion and anecdotes.  MP is slipping.   I’m cutting my lunch break short and going back to work. 

Going against the grain here.

Don't get me wrong, I have a pair and love em. Much less fuss than other radios - the right number of buttons, the right battery capacity, the right minimal screen. Yes please.

But I regularly use with partners not on Rocky Talkies, and have done so climbing parallel with other friends on other radios. There is no difference in range or sound quality that I can perceive.

My least favorite part is how they attach. I can't be the only one turned off, especially for alpine. Instead of the carabiner and steel cable nonsense I use a velcro strap onto my backpack shoulder strap (obviously, only applicable if you are wearing a backpack) and back it up with thin cord with a tiny locker elsewhere on the backpack. I'm thiiis close to slicing off the rubber loop in the back.

Getting over the cost and then "fixing" how they attach, overhyped perfection.

Mark Webster wrote:

But a little background for the nerds out there: Rocky Talkies are limited to two watts of transmit power, and they operate on the FRS (Family Radio Service) frequencies, no license required.

An upgrade would be a GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radio. These hand held radios have more than twice the power at 5 watts plus access to NOAA weather channels. The GMRS radios require a $35 FCC license,  but you don't have to take a test. You pay your money and get a call sign.

its almost like they heard you..

https://rockytalkie.com/products/5-watt-radio

Any ideas why the 5w version isn't recommended for climbing anymore? I don't think they'd have to make it less durable, right?