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andrewph
Oct 5, 2004, 9:28 PM
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I've heard allot of people say walkie talkies are good for communication between climber and belayer on longer routes.
And you know there are always things you need to ask or point out without the whole crag hearing like "how do you do a clove hitch again" or "check out the girl over there".
Anyway my question is how many of you actually use them? Are they really beneficial? I always imagine the sound to be so poor and staticy that it’s not worth it. But what are your experiences.
Also what make/ model do you have if you've got one. or what would you recommend. Bearing in mind that I like most others have price issues as well..
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crimpandgo
Oct 5, 2004, 9:32 PM
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In reply to: I've heard allot of people say walkie talkies are good for communication between climber and belayer on longer routes. And you know there are always things you need to ask or point out without the whole crag hearing like "how do you do a clove hitch again" or "check out the girl over there". Anyway my question is how many of you actually use them? Are they really beneficial ? I always imagine the sound to be so poor and staticy that it’s not worth it. But what are your experiences. Also what make/ model do you have if you've got one. or what would you recommend. Bearing in mind that I like most others have price issues as well..
On the contrary, the sound and reception are exceptional and the communication is very beneficial during windy conditions.
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savedbymynuts
Oct 5, 2004, 9:42 PM
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I use them on long routes and prefer to leave them open all day... I bought a rechargeable so discharging them completely is an advantage for me.
My first model was a cobra and I bought set of two Motorola’s later because the on of button on the cobra is to easy to accidentally open in a back pack by mistake.
The on off on a Motorola is on the volume control that has to be rotated.
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rcaret
Oct 5, 2004, 10:09 PM
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I use them ,Some of them with hands free adapters make it nice to talk and still be able to use both hand to climb , On windy days or next to the falls in Yosemite it's nice to be able to know what your partner is saying .
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sarcat
Oct 5, 2004, 10:13 PM
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I have them. Have used them. Motorola F289's I believe. Check out the new Garmin Rinos. They have radios, GPSs and can even show you where your partner is in relation to you and on a map (which may not be all that useful in a vertical situation).
Only once have the conditins been to where they saved our butts. Wind and snow came in, we could still talk as if we were 12" apart. Very clear sound and small.
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chronicle
Oct 5, 2004, 10:18 PM
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I've used them, and they were very beneficial. Especially on routes around corners, or where it's very windy. The recpetion has always been great. I have it clipped to my chest since i'm usually carrying a camelback or day pack on multipitch lines. I can easily reach down, push the large "talk" button, and the reception is always clear.
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tgreene
Oct 5, 2004, 10:23 PM
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I use them on long routes as well, and have a set of (3) highend Uniden GMRS for better reception, range and frequency selections. Mine also double as NOAA weather radios and have built in thermometers as well as a number of other nifty features. :D
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andrewph
Oct 5, 2004, 10:24 PM
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Thanks Peps for the info. i've just been looking at a few diferent ones on the web and the seem allot cheaper then i had expected.
from your experiances do you think its worth paying the few extra $$ for a ones that come from a brand you know you can trust, or do you think any Joe Soap can make a quality two way radio.
by 'any joe soap' i dont mean me or a friend i just mean some electronics company that isnt like a high street name.
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chronicle
Oct 5, 2004, 10:27 PM
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The ones I use cost $20. They aren't a name brand, don't have all the nifty features. They do however have the weather bands, and have multiple channels. They work fine at full rope lengths and much farther. Although I would like to have one with all the nifty features on it! :wink:
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jenfu
Oct 5, 2004, 10:27 PM
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I use them at the Gunks where many routes have huge roofs. There is no chance of hearing your partner over these roofs. We use to use rope tug signals but radios work so much better. I don't use any hands-free setup since I use them mainly after I finish leading a pitch to communicate all the "off belay, on belay" stuff. Make sure you get radios with subchannels since they fill up quick at crowded places like the Gunks.
Hope this helps.
-JenFu
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sarcat
Oct 5, 2004, 10:28 PM
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I've delt with the Emerson and the Cobra and chose Motorola over them. I think it's worth the extra $$.
coylec: I've only seen the Garmin's in use in the hills of UT where line of sight was perfect. I'll keep your comment in mind if I ever think I want Garmin.
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omenbringer
Oct 5, 2004, 10:39 PM
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In reply to: I use them on long routes as well, and have a set of (3) highend Uniden GMRS for better reception, range and frequency selections. Mine also double as NOAA weather radios and have built in thermometers as well as a number of other nifty features. |
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omerdimsum
Oct 5, 2004, 10:40 PM
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I'd like to hear forum feedback, from more experienced climbers, on reasons they do / do not use walkie-talkies.
I'm not sure what's worse, climbers yelling on routes (while everyone else is subjected to their aggravated vocal commands -- except the intended person) or climbers acting like truck-drivers with CB radio's (while everyone else is subjected to the mosquito-like buzz of live walkie-talkies.
I could maybe see newbies using them to guarantee safety and redundancy.
And enhanced communications have trad, alpine or big-wall applications.
However, with more advanced climbers, other communication methods are less obtrusive upon my day in the mountains. Examples include using 3-5 long hard tugs on the rope to signify on belay/off belay.
Input?
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savedbymynuts
Oct 5, 2004, 10:58 PM
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I think it's a good tool nothing more nothing less, you should not have to rely on it. You can't rely on rope tugging when there is a lot of rope drag. Last climb my partner was happy to know that I was not pulling but it was the rope that was creating all the drag. There is no rope signal for that...
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cologman
Oct 5, 2004, 11:42 PM
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I like them for certain situations. Noisy environments, The Black Canyon, are a prime example of where I like them. Some of my partners wouldn't be caught dead using them and thats alright too. I just see technology having its place and enhancing the experience.
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hemp22
Oct 6, 2004, 12:05 AM
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I think they're beneficial in just about any condition where the climber and belayer won't be able to see and/or hear each other: Full-rope-length pitches, roof or corner pitches, very windy conditions, or when other noise is nearby (highway, train tracks, etc).
One good example of when they came in very handy for me recently is on Canary in Leavenworth. Climbed from the first belay ledge all the way to the top in a full 60-meter pitch (there's a 2nd belay ledge to stop at if you don't have a long rope). It also gets very windy there up on Upper Castle Rock, and there are lots of trucks zooming buy on the highway down below, so hearing a partner 60m away was just impossible. the walkie-talkies were *very* nice to have.
All that being said though, I usually only remember to bring them if I know we'll be climbing something that fits that description: multi-pitch with long or wandering pitches. If I forget them, we just resort to the "4 Hard Tugs" method...
My walkie talkies are Motorolas - their cheapest model - and they come with ear pieces so you can leave the actual radio in your pocket or pack. The sound has always been great at up to 60 meters (as long as you remember to recharge them), and i've had them last me a full 6-hour day...
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joe
Oct 6, 2004, 12:07 AM
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WHITE RAT, WHITE RAT.. DO YOU READ ME?
THIS IS GREEN LEADER. I HAVE REACHED THE BELAY.
REPEAT.. I HAVE REACHED THE BELAY.
OVER.
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crotch
Oct 6, 2004, 12:32 AM
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GREEN LEADER.
CODE NAME BURNT BRONSORN HERE.
COPY REACHING BELAY.
SITUATION serious. 1 OF 2 ANCHOR RURPS IS SLIPPING.
STANDBY WHILE I HAMMER A BEAK IN WITH MY GONADS.
BRONSORN OUT.
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joe
Oct 6, 2004, 12:42 AM
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COPY THAT BRONZ LEADER.
WE'VE GOT A SITUATION HERE. STAY ONLINE WHILE I BATMAN UP TO YOUR POSITION.
FOR SERIOUS.
OUT.
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gamehendge
Oct 6, 2004, 12:46 AM
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Wonder twins power.....ACTIVATE....HAHAHAHAHA
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-6724891-1417753?%5Fencoding=UTF8&alt%5Fview=images&asin=B00007KJYY#images
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crotch
Oct 6, 2004, 12:50 AM
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GREEN LEADER.
CODE NAME BURNT BRONSORN HERE.
HOLD POSITION. I WILL SEND ROPE CLAMPS VIA ZIP LINE.
STANDBY.
GAMEHENGE. PLEASE HOLD OFF ON CHATTER UNTIL ANCHOR IS SECURE.
GREEN LEADER.
PREPARE FOR ZIPPING.
OUT.
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joe
Oct 6, 2004, 12:56 AM
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COPY THAT. THIS IS SERIOUS. WE HAVE A CODE BROWN IN EFFECT.
REPEAT, CODE BROWN.
SEND UP THE SNAP LINKS AND THE MOUNTAIN WEDGES.
OVER.
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tgreene
Oct 6, 2004, 12:57 AM
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Radios can be incredibly useful for climbing in teams, especially in situations when 1 party needs to contact or alert the other party of an accident or impending situation that needs the immediate attention of everyone in the group.
While at Seneca in April, 4 of us had split into pairs, and went our own seperate ways... The 1st pair had roped up immediately and began climbing, while my partner and myself were screwing around and chatting amongst ourselves. As we were finally beginning to climb, a call came out to us that the 2nd member of the other party had fallen and was in bad shape. I immediately radioed up to his partner (who was now stuck way up on a ledge) that I was untying and hauling ass over to where his partner fell.
I reached the accident site, assessed the situation, stabilized the climber, and radioed his partner... Once others had arrived and taken over, I then had to climb and clean the route, so the other climber could get down without having to leave a lot of gear behind.
Because the leader was well above and out of view of the point of impact, radios were the only form of communication that would have worked in this scenario.
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danbensen
Oct 6, 2004, 1:11 AM
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although I have a set of 2way radios I was given just for that purpose, I have never used them while climbing and never felt like I needed to either (although I'd probably be grateful if I had them on a particularly long pitch that I couldn't see my partner on). I dont know how anyone else feels on this subject, but I have never been exposed to anything more obnoxious than people using their nextel phones while climbing (or anywhere else for that matter. that "chirp" pisses me off to no end)
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