Rocky Talkie 5-Watt Backcountry GMRS Radio

New comms for our overland and backcountry adventures! We've been big fans of the Rocky Talkie FRS Mountain Radios for a long time, so when their new 5 Watt GMRS Radios came out in early 2024, upgrading was a no brainer. These modern handheld two-way radios are ruggedly simple, versatile, and offer great battery life in adverse conditions with impressive range.
This video serves as a product introduction, and is not sponsored or paid promotion. I paid full price and Rocky Talkie has no idea I made this video. I enjoy making videos about great gear that I think you'll like!
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[@brucel399]

I'm glad you finally got your GMRS licensee. I was telling you about 4-5 years ago that it would be helpful when traveling. In my opinion you should get a mobile radio for at least Orangie with a permanent antenna. It can extend the range of your signal. Plus as you pointed out they are repeater friendly. The are several repeater groups in that area. CHEERS from Colorado

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

the problum is the trick frame kill your signel becouse even 5 watts still wont do it you need a antenna outside or better yet get a moble for each unit then you will reach farther between you check out RUGGED radio thay carie a 45 watt moble

[@Expeditionmarc]

Thanks for sharing im considering a set of portable GMRS for my adventurs. Cheers

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

don't forget your F C C license for 35.00 dollars

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

and a five watt radio requires a license from the F C C for 35.00 dollars for 10 years

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

and my walkie talkie will be right up there with your any day.

[@bigpeeler]

Great video. Very informative. Over and out.

[@UncleT0ny]

putting an external connection on your jeep would really help maximize distance. that's what ive done with my ham radio

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

I use a mag on a file cabanit for my mag mount at 12 floors it's grate

[@svnbit8408]

Brother how many miles are on that Rubicon? I haven't watched ya in years

[@venture4wd]

212k

[@Tyler-xh2sg]

@@venture4wd What major repairs have you had? I've love a Rubicon. But I only hear horror stories about their reliabilities and costly repairs at much less than 100k miles.

[@JD.12]

@@Tyler-xh2sgyou can see one of his videos from a few years back where he needed to get orangie towed for the first time, luckily he had just gotten the revel, so he was still venturing forward. I have a tacoma long bed with a truck camper at 45k miles currently, other than oil changes, tire rotation , i was in sandy condition at one point so had service clear the lines and that helped bring it back to idle normally. Jeeps are great , wish i had a diesel option on the tacoma for the torque but a friend recently got a diesel jeep and some pump or something had issues and turns out there was a recall on just the diesel ones. Love jeep, im sure yours will be fine with standard service. All i do on my truck is Penzoil Ultra Platinum with the OEM filter at every 5k miles. Best of luck

[@ipaddlemyowncanoe.7441]

Hey that's great little radio. I'm just wondering do they sell them in Canada or will they work up here? I don't know anything about them but yeah they look good especially for you guys out there in the middle of nowhere. 👍👍🙂🇨🇦

[@stefanmaddock5516]

Unless they have a setting to utilise mobile phone (cell) masts they'll work anywhere! But even then, I imagine US radios will work in Canada. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume NA has the same 'cell' infrastructure?! You should get at least 5km from 5w.

[@ManjunathHegde-l8g]

Thanks for guidance

[@Perry3377]

cool product.... safe travels.

[@W2IRT]

There is an issue for this radio that casual users should be aware of. If you're just using them for your own group, where everybody has the same model radio it's not a problem. But if other people have different model GMRS radios, interoperability could be a big problem if you want to use the CTCSS/DCS privacy codes (which aren't really private; they just prevent you from hearing other users that are not using your tone). The codes that this company uses for CTCSS/DCS are NOT the same as Midland, although there is some crossover, and not the same as the industry-standard. So if I have channel 16 code 55 set on a Midland and you have channel 16 code 55 set on a Rocky Talkie they won't hear each other. What I'm NOT sure of is whether these tones are set by default or completely optional out of the box. If they are set as a default, and everybody in your traveling party has different models of GMRS radio, it will be a major issue. Instead, I would recommend the Wouxon line of GMRS radios. They use industry-standard CTCSS/DCS tone nomenclature, and are 100% easily interoperable with every other GMRS radio. And they're about the same money, or less. - WRJB851 and also ham since 1979 who worked for years in a 2-way service shop.

[@mikepierson3097]

😂

[@FriendlyManitoban]

Good info.

[@H.pylori]

Thanks....good information to consider.

[@terrymbone]

Thanks for the heads up. This is useful. It would be confusing but a translation table could be created. My issue is that these radios are three times the price of a midland radio. The repeater capability is a nice feature.

[@W2IRT]

@@terrymboneAlthough the PL/DPL table is in the manual, it doesn't translate to Midland, and both Midland (and a few others) and this one assign their own numbers to industry-standard tone squelch codes. So if you own a Baofeng, Wouxon, or anything else that uses the real codes (CTCSS 156.7, DCS 032, etc) you're going to be out of luck. My personal recommendation is to NOT use a tone. Leave the squelch open and just find another channel if the one you selected is busy.

[@spritenews5358]

Great content. Very helpful!

[@daniellong2543]

Of course it works when you are on a mountain top!

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

we like the cop's use radio towers and we have 6 covering 6 city's and three county's

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

mine works fine I am at 200 ft I walk and talk.

[@oldmanmtb1443]

Why is a license require?

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

I operate at 45 watts and ALL radio's working on five watts or more if you did not have a license how would I call you you have a phone number so people can call you that's why.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

and your REGESTERED with the F C C as we all are.

[@toddhoffmaster6057]

$165 each - not a pair. That is very expensive for a handheld gmrs radio that only has 5 watts.

[@SomewhereInTheVectorSpace]

My RA89 by Retevis is 10 watts and fully waterproof for 100😳.

[@bearlycamping]

@@SomewhereInTheVectorSpace is that radio good for communicating with the logging trucks? Thanks

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

five watts is standerd for hand held's I run a 45 watt base station on six repeaters covering three county's each has a 60 watt repeater

[@EssenceofPureFlavor]

Almost no handhelds have more power than that.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

with my three hand held'a at $150 each and base went for $ 250. you pay for the good stuff mine are all off road gear.

[@michaelmorgan4417]

Just like every FRS radio no true 5 watt just get a pofong

[@michaelmorgan4417]

30$ each

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

my FRS / G M R S cost 150.00 each and my base sold for $ 250. thay are from RUGGED radios and thay sell all the extra's and ship to you from there store and thay have a tec in house.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

that is baofang which is a ham radio cross over.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

the radio's he is pushing are one watt for F R S and on the G M R S side same radio is 5 watts and I through in a 45 watt base station