So, now you know exactly what you get when you purchase one of these radios, but the question is,
HOW DO THEY WORK in the mountains?
The Short Answer:
Pretty Damn Well!
Prior to getting the BC Link radios I had been evaluating the
Scalia G9 Rider, and while that is a nice unit for trail riders, it absolutely fails for Mountain Riders. And this is where the BC Link steps in.
The BC Link operates on the more powerful FRS (0.5 watt) and GMRS (
1 watt) frequencies.
For the last 6 weeks or so I have been able to ride every weekend with BOTH of these radios running side by side, and DISTANCE and TERRAIN are what separates them. When you are in close proximity to your other rider, pretty much any radio will do. But as the distance increases, the trees get thicker or the mountain comes between you and the rest of your crew, then the test of a radio really begins!
While 1 Watt may not seem like a whole lot of power I am here to tell you, its HUGE in comparison to what the competition offers. 1 Watt can really reach out and keep you in constant clear contact with your buddies as you are shredding the pow and loose sight of each other from time to time.
ALSO.
This radio allows for the ENTIRE group to be tuned in and able to talk/listen to each other. There is no functional limit to the number of riders that can be on the same frequency as you are all sharing in the conversation.
Most people I know have never used a radio for conversation while riding, and really don't know what they are missing out on. Being able to reach out and talk to your buddy who just nailed a great jump or got stuck on the side of the mountain is great. But when you get separated from the group AND get stuck out of your mind, then this little radio is full blown life saver for calling in the Calvary (
even if the Cavalry is going to BUST YOUR CHOPS hard the whole time they are coming to help you!)
I found the radio to be quite easy to use and very friendly.
The Smart Mike has a little wheel on it marked A-E, these are channels that YOU get to choose and program in from a set of available frequencies the radio supports (More freqs may be coming in the next year or two). The programing is FAST and SIMPLE and clearly explained in both the User Guide and the Owner's Manual.
Most users will likely place the radio in their backpack and attach the smart mic to a shoulder strap.
One curious thing I did notice is that you absolutely
Do NOT want to clip the mic on the same side as your Avalanche Bag Deployment Handle!
I made that mistake once and quickly found out that I could not safely operate my Avalanche bag without grabbing a handful of Smart Mic at the same time.
Also, with a helmet on, you will want to position the Smart Mic HIGH up on your shoulder where the speaker is closest to your ear and where you can turn your head and get your mouth as close to the microphone as possible.
Another item I noticed is that you need to exercise "some" care when handling the Smart Mic so as NOT to accidentally change the frequency setting wheel. Once at Togwotee I couldn't figure out why no one would respond to me, only to find out that I had rotated the wheel one letter and was off freq from the rest of my group. There is a good indent on that wheel, so it isn't that its going to turn easily. I must have gone for the volume-On/Off wheel and grabbed the Freq wheel by accident.
Battery wise I found the radio to easily last a FULL WEEKEND's use and not deplete the battery. In fact I would guess it will last comfortably over a many days of riding unless you are just "Chewing the Rag" and transmitting all the time. In my case i was able to use the radio over several weekends on a single charge with no issues!
