Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio Set
Rocky Talkie is a wonderful safety tool that allows you to stay in touch when you’re on the lake or in the field.
I’ve long wanted a set of walkie talkie radios, as a safety and security tool when I’m away from home. I hunt and fish by myself almost exclusively, and there have been times when I’m in the woods or on a lake and my cell phone service has not been reliable. I live in northern Wisconsin and as I drive around the state I inevitably hit spots where I simply can’t get a phone signal. I’ve long thought that a set of two-way radios would solve this issue. The Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio set has indeed done just that. Beyond being able to contact my wife should I have an emergency situation, just being able to chat is a huge convenience with the Rocky Talkies.
I started out using them a few times this fall when I was in the boat fishing. The lake I frequent is a short distance - less than 2 miles - away from home, which is well under the radio’s stated 35 mile line-of-sight range. I thought these outings would allow my wife and I to familiarize ourselves with their use and features, and would hopefully be fun to use as well. Of course they worked beautifully. There’s a video that runs through the features and operation of the Rocky Talkie, and I’ll include a link to it below. But honestly, it took us less than 60 seconds to get in the groove of how to use them. The system is intuitive and super simple. And the clarity of transmission is shockingly good. Voices come through crisp and clear, and we experienced no static whatsoever.
The Rocky Talkie handles like a sturdy, high quality unit. It feels good in the hand and the components seem practically bomb proof. I especially like the springy cord carabiner hook-up, which allows me to attach it to a belt, shoulder or pack loop, and stretch it up to talk while maintaining connection to the carabiner harness. It’s the little things like the carabiner attachment that make a big difference.
As we moved into November I strayed a little further from home for hunting and a couple final fishing trips. At around 8 to 10 miles the walkies still worked great, with no significant drop in sound quality or clarity. Now bear in mind that the area I was hunting and the distance from home is fairly flat or gently rolling land. I don’t know what the reception would be in mountainous terrain. One time I was out and it was raining, and my unit got wet from the rain. It functioned just as it had before it got wet. The specs indicate that the Rocky Talkie is waterproof to about 3 feet if submerged. I don’t know about that, but I’m guessing it’s probably accurate based on how the unit performed in a steady rain. One of the most impressive features, in my opinion, is the battery life. Battery life is just nuts, lasting several days, with moderate use, before recharging. That is peace of mind right there!
Another nice thing about the 5 Watt radio is that it’s really quite simple, and doesn’t have a lot of unnecessary features. It’s basically idiot-proof. The weather channel feature is pretty sweet too, giving you plenty of advance notice of impending weather conditions. You also have the option of replacing the regular antennae with a longer 17cm antennae, which comes with the unit, should you need to improve reception. I didn’t need to, as I have yet to venture more than 10 or 12 miles from home, but I’m sure it will come in handy as I increase my hunting distance from home. I think the real utility of these units, however, will be when hunting or fishing and camping in the backcountry, and you want to stay connected to your base camp or camp site while out in the field or on the lake. In that regard, I see the Rocky Talkie as practically indispensible.
The Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio with the extended antennae attached.
