Rocky Talkies Etiquette

Dan Nguyenwrote:

The point is: Let's assume people are using them. How should people be using them to keep the outdoor experience pleasant for everyone around?

Use them in the gym all you want, but not in my backyard. I recently read on Truth Social that Rocky Talkie usage outdoors is causing birds to fly into windmills, and are dying at an alarming rate.

I don’t care how useful it might be, it just looks dorky AF.

The man-bun dork factor is off the charts.

I can’t imagine being upset about Rocky talkies being a reasonable thing to be upset about, considering it’s just partners talking to each other? No way is it louder than them screaming at each other.

Anyone who says there is some sort etiquette problem with radios has views that can be summed up as “proper climbing etiquette is to not ever climb at or near a route I am climbing when I am climbing it or when I might consider wanting to climb it. And if you absolutely must, you must do it in the exact way I would do it, with the added exception that under no circumstance must you perform any action that will cause you to be visible or audible to me.”

You can utilize privacy codes with Rockie Talkies (and surely other radios) so that you only hear your partners' radios on the channel you're on, so long as you all have the same channel and privacy code set.

I will absolutely die on the hill that radios are worlds better than hearing people scream back and forth and fail to hear each other the first, second, or even third attempt.

Search for "privacy codes" to learn how to use them: https://rockytalkie.com/pages/faq

curt86irocwrote:

if you have to ask this, you shouldn't be using them...

Not asking for me. I have my own opinions but as a thread creator, trying to keep my opinions out of it and let other people speak.

But thanks for the constructive post, Pal!

Dan Nguyenwrote:

Not asking for me. I have my own opinions but as a thread creator, trying to keep my opinions out of it and let other people speak.

But thanks for the constructive post, Pal!

oh, i didn't realize we were in the presence of the almighty thread creator. my apologies...

curt86irocwrote:

oh, i didn't realize we were in the presence of the almighty thread creator. my apologies...

The hero we needed but didnt ask for   

I use them when I'm rope soloing, otherwise, we use text message

Is this thread only for etiquette about "Rocky Talkies"(TM) or about 2 way radios in general? 

We ought to be talking about the etiquette of non-walkie talkie users. Yelling all over the crag. But that would be off-topic.

I would say to keep conversations with your partner to a minimum - just normal climbing commands. Don't use them to chit-chat with your partner on route.

I  recently started using Rockie Talkies because my hearing is deteriorating.  Between the selection of channels and the activation of privacy codes, I've never experienced interference from other sources.  I'm guessing a lot of people use the devices out of the box with the default channel and no privacy codes, so there might be an over-concentration on that channel.

I've heaped lots of scorn on radios over the years, most of which now seems to have been wrong-headed.  Radios are far better than many folks at a popular crag screaming the same set of belay signals, and are far better than rope signals in a significant number of cases.  Sure, they are extra gadgets that most parties---including me for half a century---can do just fine without, but they make many things a lot smoother and easier and help to quiet down crowded crags.  If even the slightest glitches in the climbing progression occur, the ability to communicate easily can save a lot of time.

At least two folks with no hearing impairment I've climbed with and made them use my radios liked them well enough to buy their own.

The HowNot2 folks have some useful info on Rockie Talkies.  https://www.hownot2.com/post/rockytalkie .

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

I use them and my immediate thought is that they're infinitely better than the unbelievable annoyance of hearing people yelling at the top of their lungs. With that said, turn down the volume so that you can hear it and that's about it. People 3 routes over shouldn't be able to hear your radio on volume 10

Exactly.

Recently had an encounter with three parties with “Mark and Sara” immediately adjacent to each other. Rockie Talkies would have been nice.

Was climbing on the Aprons of Mt Blue Sky this summer when a party of boulder bros hopped on our radio channel and were having a full conversation - never checked the channel or anything (pro tip - if you're in an area where Talkie usage is likely, someone is probably already on channel 69). I was mid lead when it started and it became so much that at one point I radioed into it asking if they could switch channels. They then asked why we couldn't switch channels. Thankfully a "Because I'm midway through a lead 600 ft off the ground and have been on this channel for 4 hours" was enough to get them to hop over without too much fuss. In general I think just check your channel before you commit to it and be a good person and you've got pretty much 100% of etiquette covered.

That being said I was at a crag in Ten Sleep one time where a party had some talkies to communicate with their friend party at another crag and they were just bullshitting on the radio the whole time and my god that was for some reason even more annoying than if they had been at the crag themselves. Probably because it was people constantly repeating jokes to ensure the other party heard it and talking over each other and just way too much stimulation. Don't be those people.

B Ywrote:

I see more and more people climbing with them on their harness at the gym, sometimes using them there. At first I was like "ah maybe they wanna see how to conveniently rack it and have easy access to it before they take it outside" But then it happened again and again. and no they are not hearing impaired 

What is there to communicate in a gym setting?

kkssssHHHH bloop CLIPPING!! 

Newt Rivermanwrote:

While climbing in RR you will pickup the guys driving rock trucks at the local mine, its annoying AF! 

I had a similar experience climbing the Flatirons in Boulder. My radios typically pick up the playground monitors at the local elementary school talking about how lunch is done and they need bathroom breaks! 

Privacy codes

Was rapping down a route in Red Rocks and came across a guy at a belay. We started to have a chat and he began to moan about having to drag his wife up the route so he could get a belay on his project at the gallery. 5 seconds later a voice says, "you know I can hear you" His face went white, he had forgotten to turn the radio off. Bloody hilarious!

B Ywrote:

I see more and more people climbing with them on their harness at the gym, sometimes using them there. At first I was like "ah maybe they wanna see how to conveniently rack it and have easy access to it before they take it outside" But then it happened again and again. and no they are not hearing impaired 

Just noticed this, yes, seems odd? Seems like you can see what your partner is doing just 20m away? To top that off most of the climbs don’t have very good rests where you can casually make calls after clipping?

Reasons could be loud climbing music, other signals?

My 2cents.
Canvas: I m using walkie talkie for MP only.
Etiquette regarding others: where I climb radios are mostly used by paragliders, as soon as we hear one talking we change the channel (I do feel radio is even more important for them than it is for us...)
Etiquette regarding your partner: don't waste time and energy talking shit on the radio, just the essential info.
I like my climbing day to be as peacefull as possible. Keep the trash talk for the belays, the way back or (even better) the beer.
Sounds pretty simple to me.