The Rocky Talkie features a shatterproof and easy-to-read screen. Rocky Talkie is a relatively new entrant into the backcountry two-way radio scene.
“Rocky Talkie” is, if nothing, a catchy phrase. And if you imagine the name foretells a review of a plasticky, gimmicky, cheap handheld radio, stop reading. These radios are at once compact and robust: A toy it is not.
For now, Rocky Talkie is a single product Colorado-based company. They sell the $95.00 eponymous Rocky Talkie – a radio in the FRS class of handheld two-way radios. Like all FRS radios including the industry-standard BCA Link 2.0 or ubiquitous Motorolas, you don’t need a license to operate the Rockie Talkie.
The basic stats present a simple handheld unit with five buttons, a minimal antenna, a legit Mammut carabiner, a burly backup leash in the event you drop it, and a savvy rubberized impact-proof case. The complete industrial design package weighs 220g and is 16.2 x 5.9 x 2.7 cm.
The BCA Link 2.0, by comparison, is a two-piece unit featuring a main body and attached speaker/mic and weighs approximately 340 grams. (We’ll have a review of the Link 2.0 in the next few weeks.)
The Mammut biner sits snugly in the molded loop. The blue rubberized case is removable.
The backside of the unit: biner, loop, and backup leash.
The backup leash is secured on both ends with small clips.
Beyond exploring basic functionality, my first question is, will the Rocky Talkie flop around when attached to a backpack’s shoulder strap, and the downhill portion of the day ensues? Most FRS radios connect to a backpack shoulder strap with a spring-loaded clip, and they seem hardy enough and are time-tested. Rocky Talkies, on the other hand, a unit designed initially for climbers, secures with the Mammut biner. That biner clips through the removable (not sure who would do that) rubberized case via a molded loop. The biner interfaces snuggly with the molded loop. In other words, the radio does not flop around when swinging it by the biner. When attached to a backpack with only the Mammut biner, that’s a different story.
As I type this, I’m standing with a Blue Ice Kume 30 pack on – to be reviewed soon – trying to configure a way to keep the radio from bouncing.
With the radio secured via the orange biner and the backup leash clipped to the opposite shoulder strap, no radio flop. I’ll be trying this setup with puffier clothes in the long-term review.
Creating no-bounce security is an easy fix. I have the Mammut biner clipped to the right shoulder strap, though the hydration guide, with the backup leash extending across my chest and securing to the left shoulder strap’s webbing. The fit is comfortably snug, with little, if any, radio bounce when hopping up and down. I can imagine several iterations of attaching the backup leash and eliminating any potential bounce; this is one solution.
I’ve got another fundamental question, is the transmission button operable with a big Alaska-worthy mitten. Check that box. I run cold – I pretty much stash mittens in my ski pack until the summer solstice. Wearing the Outdoor research Alti Gore-Tex mitts, think big, bulky, and toasty, engaging the transmission button is easy. If you are in doubt, the radio burps a loud beep when the transmission button is released, confirming that you are transmitting.
In terms of build, the front boasts, according to Rocky Talkie, a shatterproof screen. (We won’t be testing the shatterproof-worthiness.) The headphone jack and USB-C charging ports are weather sealed. As far as waterproofness, like the BCA Link 2.0, the Rocky Talkies are IP56 certified, meaning the electronics are protected from dust and “powerful water jets”; they are not submersible.
When you power up the Rocky Talkie, you get 2W of transmission power – the maximum for FRS radios. Two watts is similar to the power of a BCA Link 2.0. Reducing power to 0.5 Watts is easy and allows for longer battery life but weaker transmissions. The menu of channels, 128 deep, mostly default to high power transmissions. A user can, however, override a channel’s low or high power default. An H or L on the screen indicates whether the radio is using 2W or 0.5W.
All the basics here in this handheld two-way radio from Rocky Talkie: 2 watts of power, 128 channels, weather and shock proof. We have more in our long-term review on range and basic functionality.
The deeper dive into channels looks like this: Channels 1-22 occupy the allowable FRS frequencies, with no privacy codes. (You can, however, add privacy codes to channels 1-22 on the fly.)
If you and your partner are using Rocky Talkies, finding a private channel is easy. Channels 23-128 are preset with privacy codes, allowing quick connectivity on a private channel.
The Rocky Talkies feature a channel scan button. This allows skiers to determine if groups are in the same ski zone and are using channels 1-22 to communicate. If the radio does not pick up any active channels, this does not guarantee your group has the zone to itself.
Most groups, however, arrive with a mix of radio brands. Rocky Talkies interface with BCA, Motorola, and other FRS radios. Radio manufacturers recommended you check their respective tech manuals to determine channel compatibility.
For compatibility between BCAs and Rocky Talkies, you must use channels 1-22. Once you have selected a channel, add a privacy code, the 121 privacy codes are standard between the two brands. After completing that two-step process, you have a sure-fire way to allow inter-brand radio communication.
A rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers the Rocky Talkie. The battery is easily replaceable. However, according to Rocky Talkie, you must reach out to customer support to discuss replacement options. In our long-term review, we’ll have more information on battery life and transmission range in specific types of mountainous terrain. For now, with a Rocky Talkie set, I can communicate clearly with my neighbor, about three city blocks away, as we banter about potential snow up high and his tragic love affair with his hometown Portland Trailblazers.
Unlike the BCA Link 2.0, Rocky Talkies do not offer access to a weather channel. And the headphone jack takes a two-pin K1 connector.
Top view of the Rocky Talkie and the scan/lock switch and red power button. These units can transmit at 2W or 0.5W.
These compact radios come with a two-year warranty and retail for $95 per unit, and $190 for a pair.
One last note: like the other popular FRS setups, these are two-way radios. They are not devices intended to call for emergency help – the ranges are likely ineffectual in rugged terrain, or specific emergency channels are unmonitored. You’ll still need an inReach type device for that.
More to come.
Jason Albert comes to WildSnow from Bend, Oregon. After growing up on the East Coast, he migrated from Montana to Colorado and settled in Oregon. Simple pleasures are quiet and long days touring. His gray hair might stem from his first Grand Traverse in 2000 when rented leather boots and 210cm skis were not the speed weapons he had hoped for. Jason survived the transition from free-heel kool-aid drinker to faster and lighter (think AT), and safer, are better.
11 comments
Can you elaborate on how the scan function works? There’s no documentation in the Rocky Talkie user manual. Specifically what happens if you try to transmit while in scan mode? Do you transmit on a pre-selected channel or whatever channel the scan function is listening to at the time?
Hey Greg, here’s the word from Rocky Talkie, and I have confirmed with our radios. “Pressing any button while in SCAN mode will cancel the SCAN and stop on the channel that the radio was currently scanning. In other words, if you press the PTT button while channel 16 is being scanned, it’ll stop scanning and begin transmitting on channel 16.”
Thanks.
Thanks for the followup! At least there is some sort of scan function, even if its functionality is limited.
Do you know anywhere that sells Rocky Talkies in the UK? Can only find US outlets online and they’re currently unavailable on the UK Amazon?
Here’s what the RT site says: “As a small company we are working hard to expand our regions of sale, however due to radio frequency regulations we are currently unable to sell our radios outside of the USA and Canada. We don’t have any firm timelines to begin selling outside of those countries but please stay tuned!”
I used a pair all last season. And also used them with some other types, likely BCAs. Worked great and were a very helpful addition to the kit. Want some of my other regular partners to pick one up!
The only issue I had was that one seemed to lose battery pretty quick on cold days. I pinged RT and they sent me a free new battery which was super easy to swap out and works great. Great customer service.
Cool but I just don’t see how these are any better than a decent pair of Motorola radios at half the price? What sets these apart, how are they better and why do they cost twice as much?
Good question Jesse. We own a pair of Motorola T-600s. They transmit at either 0.5 or 2W. But power transmission depends on triggering either the upper or lower end of the PTT. That’s tough for me to do with my ski gloves or mittens on. (Not so bad with a thin liner glove). And when on a channel that is low power by default, the T-600 does not allow a power override. You are stuck transmitting on that channel at 0.5W. Again, not a big deal, but a difference for some. The T-600 also comes with a plastic clip as an attachment. I can see it potentially breaking in cold cold weather when under stress. I’m also uncertain how secure the plastic clip would be in a deep-snow high-speed fall. The BCA Link 2.0 has a solid aluminum clip on the mic/speaker, and the RT has the secure biner and backup leash. I cannot, for now, speak to the battery life of the RT unit. However, our T-600s (rechargeable with option for backup AA) had ok battery life. Not bad, but I kept my eyes on it.
I have 3 Midland GTX1000’s. I used to have 4. I had it clipped to my bag and after sliding down in a mini-avalanche the plastic clip dislodged from the pack and I watched as it slid away into an oblivian. The ability to securely clip via legit carabiner with another leash clipped elsewhere helps ensure that it does not dislodge and disappear into a white oblivion, and should I drop it while climbing the leash will prevent it from falling while multi-pitch climbing.
Looking forward to the BCA article as the idea of a separate mike and earpiece is interesting, but reviews say the their attachment plug is a very weak spot ans deal breaker as it disables the unit.
We tried to use them with Motorola radios and could not get R T to talk back .They could hear us ,but could not respond on same channel.
We tried different channel still didn’t help.
Maybe we did something wrong?
Did like the carabiner
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