Is Rocky Talkie indestructible?

[@jefffoy530]

I love that you picked up the extra trash. I do that most of my adventures, time permitting, and whenever I bring the kids along we make it a family event. Humans are trash-animals and it’s sad the rubbish left out, even in remote places. I appreciate your content as usual 🙏

[@soberholic]

i keep a trash bag in my crag bag, its stupid how much ya can pick up

[@bobohunter1776]

The rivers are getting nastier and nastier. Beer cans, shoes, paddles off rafts, tires, you name it.

[@konkelkent]

My rule is usually either leave the way it was when you came, or better. never leave anything behind atleast, im not fully good, so i compromise.

[@fuehtdi]

In europe we also have the problem that the frequency band from the rockie talkie its not open for license-free use in all european countries. It would be nice to see something like a rockie talkie for the european market.

[@DrewNorthup]

That is correct. Different ITU region, different base frequency template.

[@benja_mint]

thats good to know, becuase i was thinking about getting my american friends to send me rocky talkies. but also they cost like 4x as much as cheap walkie talkies... im never sure if its worth the extra cost

[@DingleFlop]

The replaceable batteries (WHILE IT SUCKS THEY'RE A SPECIFIC NONSTANDARD SHAPE) are very VERY good for the durability of these! If you take care of them, 100% the first thing to die will be the battery! EDIT: ACTUALLY, it's even better - The USB port is on the BATTERY itself, meaning that 2 wear components are easily replaceable! This thing is awesome!

[@DingleFlop]

And about the low vs high power mode and Europe, on these devices there's some code called Firmware that isn't trivial to overwrite and change depending on your skillset. It'd be really easy to lock to low power mode in firmware and then get certified in Europe. It's the same "workaround" that phones use despite the Modems in them technically being able to transmit all SORTS of signals!

[@johngo6283]

Superb review. The durability is very impressive. Thanks for getting into the nitty-gritty button pressing stuff, that’s the part of the owners manual it most people will skip right over but it could be really important. 👍

[@jean-baptistegarant1098]

Absolutely love this kind of review. It's not just slings and carabiners that keep us safe, and it's amazing to have all that real-life field-tested knowledge. Awesome job Ryan you and your team are truly a standing pillar for data and infos in the climbing community.

[@JasonMinahan]

Whoa! I’ve had Rockies for about a year now and Iove them. I consider them a critical part of multi-pitch safety. As much as the rope. I. did. Not. Know. about that ch 1-23 thing!!!

[@niceguy191]

It's a really weird setup... I'm used to radios listing the channel, and then a "sub channel" which seems far more intuitive. You could be on channel 14-1 for example, or 22-5 etc

[@dylanh8163]

For someone who has never climbed and doesn’t really know if I will, this was still fascinating. I love that even though these are what you use and there’s a discount and you’ve spoken to the owners, you present a clear picture of anything that could be a flaw or drawback

[@matthewjswider]

Yes! In depth gear reviews! This was amazing. I already knew a few things about radios but this not only sold me on the product but it taught me a bunch. I would watch more of this.

[@thatwolfyouknow8598]

Knowing that you guys endorse these was the final bullet point that convinced me to get a pair. SO HAPPY to have had them on my latest multi-pitch adventure. I love these in-depth videos, and I always love knowing the breaking point for any and all gear. Thank you for all your hard work

[@MAV3NX]

Great layman's explanation of the FRS channel segmentation.

[@DrewNorthup]

The charge curve shown in those graphs is the standard voltage curve for Li-ion cells. Most things using Li-ion cells use a more sophisticated (but also more expensive) "state of charge" gauge for that very reason.

[@chriallen7796]

Great radio. We used them in a rescue competition inside of a battleship and they worked great. Also use them for rescuer to rescuer communication in the fire department when carrying a large FD radio is not an option.

[@JosephHHHo]

Absolutely get the extended mic... And do a pull test! Lol I use an 18 inch antenna tucked into the frame rail pocket in my pack when I hike and ski with a ham radio. The radio stays in the pack with coax to the antenna and speaker/mic coming out the hydration tube pass through. It makes it so you can hear the call at a reasonable volume and reply with minimal fidgeting.

[@Jwynne_]

I rapped into lower Yosemite falls pool with these on my and my partner’s harness they shut off but after a few days in rice it came back and works like it used too

[@jetseverschuren]

The RockyTalkie was my third pair of radio's, since living in Europe rocky's are hard to obtain (yes, frequency bands are different, I modded them to work on PMR). The first two were acceptable, but the rocky's are just so much better. I completely took them apart, and they're built like a tank. The circuit board is bolted to a surprisingly thing metal backplate (which you can see when you remove the battery), the plastic case is super sturdy (not to mention the extra rubber shell), and everything is clearly high quality. Would 100% recommend for anybody in the USA (or Canada I think). In Europe only if you really know what you're doing Edit for Ryan: The antenna is replaceable, it's just loctite'd on, a solid pair of plyers will make quick work of it. Maybe you could request a new antenna from them

[@jorget8740]

I would love to know what is the mod needed :) seem to be a great radio to have in european frequencies

[@DrewNorthup]

The antenna has to be "fixed" for FRS compliance, hence the loctite.

[@crowlsyong]

Removable battery is huge thanks

[@cnick6]

Just a point about the CTCSS and DCS codes. They are just a filtering element for the radio to unlock the speaker with a matched code. Despite the name using these codes doesn't mean your conversation is private. The reviewer sort of pointed this out but just understand that these are monitorable devices. You can buy radios that use encrypted digital modes and thus are not monitorable. Retevis is a lower-cost brand than Motorola.

[@ulrichminky9495]

I am getting quite the kick out of watching you guys test the gear. I climbed in the 60s and 70s. Other than carabiners and ropes we made all our own gear. Most of the chocks were various sizes of machine nuts with the threads filed out and fitted with a piece of webbing. We had a small forge and made our own petons and rps etc. Testing was by falling on the gear. I can barely walk now but I am sure glad to see the sport be safer than it was. Cheers from the left edge of Canada. ~ulrich

[@EricA-kl7xk]

That explanation of all of the channels was super useful. I just got a pair of rocky talkies and had no idea.

[@UrbanSurvivor]

I did a range test with 8 different FRS radios and found the Rocky Talkies performed best. Got about 2.7 miles range in a dense urban environment!

[@bobbypatton4903]

I use cheap Motorola walkies. Dropped one half way up el cap, still use it today.

[@griffithd05]

I use a Rocky Talkie for backcountry splitboarding and on resort. This is the best review and explanation of the radios I've ever stumble on.

[@PYates77]

For anyone considering getting the extended hand mic - Leaving the Rocky Talkie on my gear loop and just loudly talking in its general direction has worked well enough on multipitch for times when I don't want to unclip it and bring it to my mouth.

[@DrewNorthup]

The remote mic is most likely intended for windy / high background noise situations.

[@joshuamoore1091]

Thanks a bunch for the discount bro! Just got a pair of these on order. Thanks again!

[@stoneyclimber]

This was exactly what I needed to understand the channels. Thanks!

[@tonykahler8658]

I have a set of 3 but still learned something new. Thanks for the review and tests.

[@joshhomer9550]

Awesome review! I was looking at these and will be getting some in the future.

[@timothystockman7533]

Currently FRS and GMRS share sets of channels. The first set is the 8 main GMRS channels (15 - 22) in the 462 MHz region, where GMRS radios can transmit with up to 50 watts and FRS can transmit 2 watts. The second set of channels are the so called interstitial channels (1 - 7), which are interleaved in between channels 15 - 22, where GMRS can transmit 5 watts and FRS 2 watts. So the channel spacing, with the interleaved channels, is 12.5 kHz. The third set of channels are the GMRS repeater input channels in the 467 MHz region, paired with channels 15 - 22, which cannot be used by FRS since it does not allow repeaters. The final set of channels (8 - 14) is for reserved for handheld radios, which is why GMRS mobile and base radios will not transmit on them. They are interleaved between the 467 MHz GMRS repeater input channels. Both FRS and GMRS handheld radios can transmit on these 467 MHz interstitial channels with 0.5 watt of power. So, to recap, channels 1 - 7 allow 2 watts FRS, 5 watts GMRS; channels 8 - 14 are reserved for handheld radios, 0.5 watts, and channels 15 - 22 are the main GMRS channels which may have up to 50 watt GMRS radios, however FRS with 2 watts is allowed on these channels.

[@zleclerc]

Hey Ryan, Just watched this video. I hear your complaint about having to take the radio off your harness when climbing. What I have found with my rockies is that the mic cuts out wind noise so well that i can talk pretty normally to my radio, while clipped to my waist, and it goes clearly to my partner, even in pretty windy conditions. I am interested in the mics tho for skiing cause I messed one up due to being in wet snow for extended periods of time in an Avalanche course.

[@didgitalpunk]

very nice video on these, just a small correction, it's not only a power problem for Europe, it's also a frequency problem and a removable antenna problem. (legal) walkies here need to have a fixed, non-removable antenna, use the PMR446 frequencies, and transmit at no more than .5 watts

[@DrewNorthup]

Technically the Rocky does have a permanently affixed antenna, as required by the FRS standard. (Unless you break it off…) The different ITU Region, and therefore frequency range, is most likely the largest barrier as it necessitates a separate type certificate test.

[@didgitalpunk]

@@DrewNorthup nope, it's on an SMA connector!

[@DrewNorthup]

@@didgitalpunk If it is epoxied or loctite-ed on then so far as the FCC is concerned it is "permanently attached". If it isn't permanently attached it IS NOT A LEGAL FRS RADIO. GMRS radios can have removable antennas, but not FRS. Something tells me the lawyer the Rocky Talkie people worked with already explained that to them. If they've gotten lax on the loctite that could be a huge fine they don't need, and the FCC won't bother to go after them until it is worth 5× to 10× the attorneys' fees to do so-at which point they'll be sunk.

[@didgitalpunk]

@@DrewNorthup just search "rocky talky antenna on YT, the first result (for me at least) is a video from rocky talky themselves showing how to replace the antenna. You need pliers and they don't seem to be exactly hard to remove.

[@DrewNorthup]

@@didgitalpunk I don't care what a YT video says. Quoting USA Code of Federal Regulations Title 47 §95.587(b)(1): "The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the FRS transmitter type."

[@alexstarr1589]

Love the review! The torture test was fun. I really should pick up one of these!

[@Norman_krsk]

I love my very compact baofeng t1, but it sucks energy ever in off mode. Rocky talkie 1 week in standby mode it super good enough! :)

[@climatebas]

Range for me in flatland suburbia was about a half-mile, except it was a borrowed set so now I'm wondering if they were on a low-power setting....

[@thomasmcadorey]

Thanks, I'm going to get some now!

[@50StichesSteel]

Oh yeah, Ham radio hole goes really frickin deep and very specific. It's one of those perishable skills too like map reading and land navigation. If you don't use it all the time, they start to degrade pretty rapidly. There is so many little nuisances in both those skills and is really easy to mix and match things and they can really screw you up. I really recommend anyone look up HAM radio basics before going out in the bush with these and thinking you're good.

[@DrewNorthup]

The FRS stuff tends to be fairly good, but yes if you want to know the details (or to be able to communicate when the G-Men can't make their stuff work) then Ham Radio is still alive & well. - N1XIM

[@pianobender]

Some suggestions of what gear to do next: mountain tools webolette, petzl connect dual adjust

[@angrybirder9983]

Give them some fins to make sure they always land antenna up.

[@bezzie9]

1:05 anyone else impressed that she climbs bare foot?

[@dowlewis8307]

Way cool review! I loved the break strength test on the rubber casing. Keep up the good work!!

[@johnarinehart]

Yes, I really liked the long review!

[@cmonkey525]

I can definitely say they work great skiing at Steven’s.

[@Subalpinism]

I love how he immediately broke it lmao... just ordered 3

[@pianobender]

Really love the in depth gear videos.

[@aglobippo9934]

I wonder how well it works in caves... The radio signal bouncing off walls would be good for communication during a pit rappel or ascent

[@HowNOT2]

I would totally have benefited from this in our Topless Dome project where the signal would get to the other person but hearing them yell didn’t work well with the water fall in there

[@Knot-orious]

Great video. I love how technical you get, Ryan. A lot of these KZbinrs try to dumb down their videos for the "average" intelligence viewer, but you assume everyone is intelligent, spare no expense with the education, and believe anyone can take from the video whatever they're capable of understanding.

[@CynicalIndulgence]

Unfortunately, the technical part of this video, where Ryan attempts to explain how CTCSS and DCS works, is blatantly wrong.

[@Knot-orious]

@@CynicalIndulgence That's a bit disappointing. However, I would be much more upset if I found out his information about climbing or equipment and techniques related to climbing was wrong. He has never once even remotely suggested that he is anything but a radio amateur. That doesn't mean it's okay to disseminate inccorect information, but it is a forgivable offense. I have no doubt that he believe he understood it correctly or he wouldn't have talked about it at all.

[@TrackpadProductions]

Question - what are the non-cosmetic differences between this and the Zastone ZT-Mini9? Because I know this is chargable with USB-C and uses license-free frequencies, but beyond that the hardware looks _identical._

[@John-eq8cu]

Juggling 'pins' - that's a good one. Although they might look like they came from a bowling alley, no juggler would attempt to juggle bowling pins. Theyre Clubs, Juggling clubs.

[@BryanHaddon]

Nice job with a full teardown! Looks like good quality. Im seeing an alternate universe where Ryan is tearing apart iphones in the slacksnap.

[@drkwrk5229]

Not illegal to own a high power radio in Europe, but to broadcast you need a radio amatur lisence

[@benja_mint]

can we talk about that intro where he stands fully above an anchor tied in with a static sling 😲😲 seems like a super good candidate for a factor 2 static fall. is he super confident that he wont fall, or am i missing something?

[@HowNOT2]

The edge is far enough away there that it is impossible to go over with a tether that long. Those are highline anchors which are usually set far back from the edge to allow the master point to be tied directly at the edge so the line is easier to mount.

[@Sicnus]

OMG Ryan... I think Rocky Talkie just contacted you saying you covered their product more than they ever had. ;) (THANKS!)

[@nathanielhill7595]

Hey! Have you done/could you do any research on how a crack being wet might decrease a cam's performance? Obviously in porous rock the rock strength is compromised, but in rock that remains strong in wet conditions how does the decreased friction impact the cam's performance? Just an idea and something I am curious about.

[@climberly]

I use an old flip phone while climbing. It always has service and it still works after dropping it 6 times and running it through the washer 3.

[@dragade101]

The depth is good. I dont think you need to break test everything but its an endorsement of how bomber this device is. What makes this valuable is that you are going through the use cases and letting people know what they should expect than just stating their max range of 40km but what the flat terrain should offer.

[@elmeradams8781]

Breaking gear is definitely required on this channel.

[@dragade101]

@@elmeradams8781 I hope no one thinks to connect lifesaving gear on the rubber loop. Or expect a radio to survive 20 to 40 m fall. Somethings you do not need to test.

[@elmeradams8781]

Didn't you ever watch myth busters? There was a myth that a ceiling fan decapitated a kid who jumped on the bed (never going to happen). After testing with normal fans, they had to make it happen, so they rigged up a lawn mower on the ceiling... It has to be broken, especially if it's just for entertainment 🙃.

[@dragade101]

​@@elmeradams8781 There is testing for science and testing for entertainment. I prefer Ryan doing science.

[@anthonybashur8152]

The part about privacy codes and such was always a mystery to me until now lol

[@ImperiumLibertas]

Privacy codes are such a terrible name. That's not at all what they are. It's more of a filter code than a privacy code since anyone can listen even if you use privacy tones.

[@jeffj7608]

So glad I stayed through the rest of the video. I almost left early. I bought these but didn't know about the channels. Maybe I should read the manual? Nah

[@gustavomelo4998]

Thank you for the video

[@Bilixicoast]

Cars are like farada cages. That’s why external antennas are added to vehicles

[@tehrater480]

Love the “6 metric inches away” comment at 0:50 XD I think that’s my new favorite unit of measure. How many metric inches to regular inches?

[@TheSubieFan]

I hope rockie talkie reads this but I love my walkies got two and thats directly related to Ryan.

[@LoganFarrow-bq8gd]

Is there a reason the affiliate link is down? 🙁

[@somanayr]

This was a great review. I never new about how the channels worked. I loved seeing how durable they are, and knowing about the battery life curve is super useful I do think you should have briefly disclosed up front your incentives, although it is good that you disclosed them at the end

[@iKenFlyPPG]

Automotive battery test engineer here, to this day no one has figured out how to accurately measure battery capacity with the same accuracy as the level sensor in your gas tank. Maybe there is one, but it's not commercialized.

[@Dan-gs3kg]

Welcome to electrochemistry, where you will find God, and get a healthy respect for low energy, condensed matter, and dark plasma.

[@bryankano6247]

This was great. Classic content.

[@benja_mint]

ryan, if you read your comments i would love to see a test: petzl recomends to never toprope solo on a microtraxion without backing it up. but ive never heard of a microtraxion slipping or failing... would you try and make one slip ...? maybe theyre super good enough without backup

[@HowNOT2]

There are enough accidents to support Petzl's recommendation. There is an accident report making the rounds currently about a serious accident at Donner summit of that exact scenario. I am sure there will be more statistics is the coming years. I use two devices in the hope I won't be one if them. -Bobby

[@LoganFarrow-bq8gd]

Or is the affiliate link down because I’m Canadian? 🇨🇦

[@gabrielpoulin2841]

I like the in depth videos

[@LouisSimon33]

Love the gear review! Thanks for explaining everything in such depth. Can't wait until they come up with a Bluetooth version that I can link to an ear pod so that I can climb and talk with my belay partner without having to push a button.

[@elmeradams8781]

Interesting

[@CynicalIndulgence]

FRS (and other walkie-talkie standards) is a half-duplex system - meaning you can either talk or listen, but not both at the same time. For this reason, you inevitably need to activate the radio somehow (i.e. push a button) when you want to talk. Voice-activation is possible (and exists in other walkie-talkies), but adds to the complexity of the radio (increasing price), drains battery life considerably faster on stand-by, and is by far not as reliable as a physical PTT button.

[@hassaneldahan5260]

0:54 What's a metric inch?!!

[@BlokeOnAMotorbike]

CTCSS isn't a scramble/privacy code, it's analogue squelch. DCS is digital squelch. A receiver with squelch turned OFF will hear EVERYTHING. If you want end-to-end encryption on a handheld but want it on PMR446, use TDMA voice inversion. Incidentally, the Baofeng UV-5R is a fantastic radio when it doesn't randomly die (as mine did), they are cheap as balls and you can get them on Amazon :) . Always carry a HOT SPARE.

[@blockhead3654]

Epic work

[@walterwadlow9438]

Thanks!

[@dasdaro]

Are these better than a regular Motorola?

[@randomizednamme]

Did you test the battery drain multiplier times? Sometimes a battery needs to be drained to 0 in order to calibrate. I wonder if that’s why they were dying around 25%.

[@HowNOT2]

Yea. They all have been down to zero multiple times. I often forget to turn them off and put them away in the closet haha.

[@MattyDredge]

Maybe if extreme gear sold rockie talkies, they could send them to us over in Europe 😁

[@tristanlasley8030]

If you know what kind of Battery is in these. You can find the data sheet for the battery discharge... Super science backed

[@DrewNorthup]

They are a Li-ion chemistry. Unfortunately the charge indicator is apparently voltage based instead of energy capacity based.

[@fromaflafl2198]

what is the advantage of going with a UHF radio over a VHF radio.

[@elmeradams8781]

I think one needs a license.?

[@tamoraboys4813]

useful content

[@Pneumaticcannon]

Don't transmit without the antenna on. Generally you can burn the electronics up. The antenna is a matched electrical load.

[@hamishlivo]

Does anyone know if these are legal in Australia?

[@1onfire619]

Still waiting for being able to buy these in Europe 😮‍💨

[@Profixt]

Six metric inches! Unbelieveable! :D

[@Hungry_Box]

This is cool

[@dragade101]

Bomber but use a leash on them still lol

[@Czab]

I'd buy a rocky talkie, but I live in Europe.

[@mariekeloveluuk]

Sadly not available in Europe. Otherwise I would have bought Tru you. Now just chose a walkie talkie Europe approved.

[@VidyaPuratana]

@HowNOT2 You shouldn't broadcast on a HT/Walkie talkie without antenna affixed. It will burn up the final. Just FYI

[@HowNOT2]

Yeah, not really a concern on that rockie.

[@VidyaPuratana]

@@HowNOT2 oh sure, it just went off the Cliff. I was just saying. Love the channel though. Have good day

[@m3mee2010]

Where is this?

[@jefffritz2285]

Fantastic review and nice explanation of the privacy codes/tones. That said, these are highly overpriced for the features. The lack of NOAA channels is a huge miss for any radio claiming to be for the outdoors and adventure. You are essentially paying for a "rugged" Walmart walkie-talkie. Lots of radios with more features at 1/4 the price.

[@testboga5991]

The range is only limited by the allowed transmit power, which they have no control over. Also, to get substantially more range, they'd have to like ten x the tx power.

[@chrissonnenschein6634]

How many foot・meters is 6 metric inches?

[@elmeradams8781]

Maybe .5

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

If you drive over it it would be back to the store for a new one I would never drive over one of mine to porve any thing and my radio's have no securty codes becouse mine are used by people with off road a t v's and quades so know now what grass hopper is your next move

[@djdrogs]

metric inches.......nice

[@andrewhunter6536]

You know of any good European options?

[@Fawkes42]

Wish they sold a low power version. Ah well, T62's are cheaper anyway

[@jamestripp9145]

How did this guy know I was gonna program mine to 69 privacy code 69.. buzz kill.

[@Bendersnatchling]

Watched 15 min "that's why they're not allowed in Europe". Ahhh, thank you very much 🙈

[@mickflury]

Just try not to turn radios on without an antenna plunged in. Would love to see a schematic for these to see if they have that kind of fault protection ion the board. Antennas are resistors and when they don't work or are disconnected you can fry everything.

[@leonardsalt]

0:04 are you even anchored? That does look sk- NO DON'T THROW THAT WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?

[@antifa86i35]

metric inches ? seriously ? :))