The new Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio is a GMRS radio built for sustained mountain missions and intra-group communications.
Rocky Talkie Releases its 5 Watt Radio which includes some key features that might interest backcountry skiers/riders.
Backcountry radio communication (colloquially known as “comms”) had a new entrant to the scene in late 2019: Rocky Talkie. In little time, the Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio generated some buzz. Simple to use, rugged, and fitted with a shiny (and legit) carabiner, it was no surprise the climbing and backcountry communities quickly adopted the radios to bolster interparty comms. There was a time when BCA, Motorola, and a handful of knockoffs dominated the market. Several years after its launch, Rocky Talkie has become a significant player in the outdoor communications scene.
The company is in the infancy of launching its second major product, the 5 Watt Radio. Yes, 5 Watt Radio. So let’s be literal—the 5 Watt Radio is a more powerful (and heavier because we know our readers) version of the Mountain Radio. With this new iteration of a Rocky Talkie, there is more— more power (5 watts compared to 2 Watts), more range, more weatherproofing, more Li-Ion battery life, more mass, and more options. This radio still uses FRS channels and is compatible with FRS radios that folks you ski with might already own.
Two key options/features may pique the interest of those still looking for more than their Mountain Radio or equivalent offers. The 5 Watt Radio includes access to 11 weather channels and dual-channel monitoring (which Rocky Talkie calls Dual Channel Watch).
The upper red button is the toggle switch between channel A and B for dual channel monitoring.
This is a first look, so we’ll touch upon this feature lightly, even though it has heavy duty potential. Dual-channel monitoring means users can set the 5 Watt Radio to receive and send comms on two channels. You can toggle between the two channels on the main body or use the accessory (waterproof) hand mic’s A/B channel toggle button.
This feature is handy when touring in high density zones where agreed upon “community” channels are used. For example, zones around Telluride, Snoqualmie Pass, and portions of the Wasatch near Salt Lake (LCC, BCC, and PC) have designated community radio channels. Such group-to-group channels make it a bit easier to get a handle on how many groups are potentially accessing the same zone or even the same run.
Dual channel monitoring allows someone using the 5 Watt Radio to maintain clear communications within their respective group while monitoring radio traffic simultaneously on the defined community channel. On radios without dual-monitoring capabilities, one must choose a single channel to monitor and manually toggle between the channels to talk or receive comms. In other words, while you are monitoring inter-group comms, it is impossible to monitor group-to-group comms, which might put you in a compromised position in some situations and zones.
Just FYI, BCA will release a new Link Mini radio (a FRS 2 Watt radio) with dual channel monitoring as well. We hope to get this unit in our hands as soon as it is released.
What’s in the box? The 17cm antenna is included for those who pre-order.
What’s in the Box?
- One radio with a shatterproof screen
- Steel Gator Clip (it’s burly)
- Metal-reinforced back-up leash
- Lithium-ion battery (replaceable) and USB-C charger
- 7.5cm antenna (pre-installed)
- 17cm Long Antenna (included as a free bonus for pre-orders)
We are using the handheld mic, too, which is an add-on accessory. Also, if you are keen on the Rocky Talkie carabiner mount, which is standard on the Mountain Radio, that can be purchased separately (for $15) as the unit comes with a gator clip.
A basic size comparison between the Mountain Radio (left) and the larger 5 Watt Radio (right).
The 5 Watt Radio comes with a steel gator clip that weighs 28g—it is removable.
The optional waterproof handheld mic coming in at 158g.
The M3 waterproof connector on the handheld mic and the interface on the radio body. I installed the mic connector using a Phillips head screwdriver, which I gently tightened (felt more secure than hand tightening).
The interface between the radio body and the handheld mic. The connector is a M3 waterproof connector.
The pin interface between the BCA Link Two Way Radio and the BCA companion handheld mic. This specific radio is a few years old.
The A/B channel toggle button on the handheld mic for dual channel monitoring. The mic unit (and the radio body too) are IP67 certified (1 Meter Submersion) for water/weather proofing. And yes, a burly 360-degree rotating gator clip for security.
GMRS Radios and a License
Really, we’re not trying to scare you away, but you’ll also need an easy-to-secure license to use the 5 Watt Radio as it is a GMRS radio (General Mobile Radio Service). A license is required to use a GMRS radio in the U.S., while some GMRS radios can be operated license-free in Canada.)
Karma is what it is—here in the US, a license will cost $35, and it lasts 10 years and allows family members to be bundled on the same license without an extra fee. Rocky Talkie has a blog post on the topic, but we’ll fill you in when the license is secured. Evidently, it’s an easy process and requires no test. Back to the karma: certain rules are meant to be broken, but, for me, I’m opting for the license.
Ok. A first look, it is—glad to answer your questions. Still, we’ll certainly be going deeper in the full review and speaking with the founder of Rocky Talkie to get more insight into their design process and the functionality of the new 5 Watt Radio.
Pricing
Price: $165 for the unit.
Price for Add-ons:
Waterproof Hand Mic $65
Carabiner Loop Attachment + Carabiner $15
Spare Batteries are listed on the site but are sold out.
Weights
5 Watt Radio w/ Gator Clip: 268g
5 Watt Radio stripped down: 240g
Gator Clip (which is removable): 28g
Mountain Radio stripped down (no carabiner or spiral cord): 162g
5 Watt Radio handheld mic: 158g
5 Watt Radio (w/gator clip) and handheld mic: 426g
Saw this pop up in a targeted social media ad, and planned to investigate further. Thanks for posting this at the perfect time. The dual channel monitoring is less important here in the backwoods of Montana where we don’t (yet) have communal, agreed-upon channels. But I could see a not-too-distant future where that becomes a reality in our backcountry, as it already is in CO and UT, and that feature is a nice touch in that scenario.
I’ve been using my cheap Motorola FRS (eats through batteries sooooo fast) to date, but this year may the the season to spring for a new shiny toy.
Thanks again
Great review. I’m particularly intrigued by this radio for its robust speaker mic, which seems to screw and lock its attachment point with the radio body. I’ve had too many speaker mics either break or come unplugged during ski tours. Is there consensus on the GRMS license requirement if one is only transmitting over FRS channels?
OphirG8Keeper—thanks for reading. The handheld mic—I’ll add some images to the story to provide a visual. But the mic is robust. It does screw and lock on like a BCA handheld mic, yet the pin patterns are different. Rest assured, at some point, we’ll be dunking the radio and mic in a tub too. FWIW, I also used a real-deal screwdriver to tighten the mic onto the unit rather than hand tighten—we’ll see how this holds up. As far as use of a 5W GMRS radio on FRS channels might be up for debate. But as I read it, it is the wattage bump (from 2 to 5) that makes a license a requirement. That said, we don’t want to mislead folks about anything at THR (even the statement that any snow is good snow—it’s true, it’s just that some snow is better than other types of snow.) So if someone has other information, please chime in. In the meantime, I have passed on this question to folks at Rocky Talkie.
Thanks for adding photos of handheld mic Jason! I appreciate the clarification about the GMRS requirements–makes sense to me.
Me again: confirmed from Rocky Talkie, it’s the higher power (5W) that triggers the license requirement (here in the U.S.) for GMRS, even when using the same frequency channels as the 2W radios.
The GRMS “license” should really just be called registration. I did it. It’s online, you just fill in the info, click on agree and pay the fee. Done.
That is true.
I just meant to say, it’s super easy and quick.
Boy, so the weight weenie question is:
28g gator clip, or ~25g carabiner+ ~20?g attachment ?
Obviously the carabiner option is heavier, so WW rules say pick the clip.
But, it’s multipurpose gear…, so WW rules say pick the carabiner…
You ask a good question, in particular, regarding the EMI issue and no on/off power switch on the handheld mic. Maybe the carabiner allows for more options to secure the main radio unit on the pack’s exterior (or someplace to quick access it internally) if one chooses to use the handheld mic. Just trying to think of quick/efficient ways to power down the unit during a search when using the handheld mic.
Aesthetics would say chose the speaker mic–much cleaner!