Technical Specifications

Know Your Radio

Radio Range

Range depends heavily on terrain. Large obstacles like buildings, hills, or mountains absorb or reflect radio waves. Line-of-sight with your partner will give you the best range.

Alpine

Typically 1.5 – 8 km. Fewer trees and higher vantage points allow long-distance transmission. Radio waves can reflect off nearby mountains, though this creates variance.

Rolling Hills & Forests

Expect 1 – 5 km. Trees reduce signal, but low rolling hills are often the bigger culprit — even a 10 m hill can block signal in some cases.

Rivers

Typically 1 – 5 km. Canyon walls can actually improve range by reflecting signals around bends. River banks with low hills reduce range.

Urban

Max ~1.5 km. Buildings block signal effectively, and radio chatter and electrical interference add further challenges.

Line-of-Sight

Unobstructed radio waves regularly exceed 55 km in testing.

Waterproofing

The IP56 rating protects electronics from rain and snow. In extremely wet conditions, use the Waterproof Hand Mic while stowing the radio inside a pack.

After a wet day, allow the radio to dry at room temperature before long-term storage.

Power ON / OFF

Hold the red power button for 2 seconds to power on. You'll hear a double beep and the current battery percentage will display for 2 seconds.

To power off, press and hold the power button for 2 seconds.

Lock / Unlock Your Radio

Hold the channel flipper forward for 2 seconds to unlock. The padlock icon will disappear.

To lock, hold the channel flipper forward for 2 seconds again. The lock icon will appear. When locked, you can still adjust volume and transmit — but cannot change channels.

Select a Channel

The Mountain Radio has 128 channels. Channels 1–22 have no preset privacy codes. Channels 23–128 repeat the same 22 frequencies with preassigned privacy codes.

Make sure the radio is unlocked, then toggle the channel flipper forward or backward to select a channel.

Transmit

Press the large orange and black PTT button on the left-hand side of the radio to transmit.

The microphone is on the front of the radio, inside the speaker cavity. Hold the radio 10–20 cm from your mouth for optimal audio quality.

High / Low Power Channels

Transmission power varies by channel:

• Channels 1–7 and 15–22 (High Power): Full 2 watts. Indicated by H on the display. 5 bars shown while transmitting.
• Channels 8–14 (Low Power): Limited to 0.5 watts. Indicated by L on the display. 2 bars shown while transmitting.

These patterns repeat through channel 128. Incoming signal strength is shown by the bars at the bottom of the screen.

Set a Privacy Code

Privacy codes filter incoming transmissions — you'll only hear radios using the same channel and code. Useful at busy ski resorts or crowded areas.

Codes 1–38 are CTCSS (shown as CT). Codes 39–121 are DCS. Both work the same way in practice.

To Set a Privacy Code

1. Make sure the radio is unlocked.
2. Press the Volume Minus (−) button until CT or DCS flashes on screen (~2 seconds).
3. Use the channel flipper to select a code (121 codes available).
4. Press any button to save. Lock your radio to prevent accidental changes.

Scan Mode

Scan mode cycles through the first 22 channels until radio activity is detected — useful for finding other radio users nearby.

To Activate Scan Mode

1. Make sure the radio is unlocked.
2. Hold the channel flipper toward the back of the radio for 2 seconds.
3. The radio will scan channels 1–22 until activity is detected.
4. Once a transmission is detected, scanning pauses.
5. After 3 seconds of inactivity, scanning resumes.
6. Press any button to stop scanning.

Any active privacy codes remain in effect while scanning. To hear all transmissions, disable privacy codes on channels 1–22.

Charge Your Radio

Compatible with nearly all USB-C chargers (phone chargers, power banks, solar chargers, etc.). Requires at least 5V 1A output.

To Charge

1. Power off the radio for fastest charging.
2. Plug the USB-C cable into the port under the cover on the bottom of the radio. A red LED will appear.
3. When fully charged, the LED changes from red to green.

Make sure the radio is dry before charging on the go.

Check Battery Percentage

Battery percentage displays briefly every time you power on. To check at any time, press the power button once while in use.

Below 10%, the radio enters power saving mode — you can receive transmissions but cannot transmit.

Installing / Removing the Battery

The battery is removable and held in place with a sprung battery release.

To Remove

1. Power off the radio.
2. Remove the protective thermoplastic case (a plastic spoon or bicycle tire lever may help).
3. Press the battery release button and slide the battery down and out.

To Reinstall

1. Insert the new battery in line with the tracks and slide up until it clicks.
2. Place the radio back into the case, antenna first.
3. Use a spoon or tire lever to slide the case over the feet.
4. Ensure the radio is fully seated.
5. Power on to confirm successful installation.

TX Beep

The TX beep plays a tone confirming you've successfully pressed the PTT button. It's enabled by default and shown as a bell icon on the display. Only audible on the transmitting radio.

To Turn Off the TX Beep

1. Start with the radio powered off.
2. Hold the PTT button and Power button simultaneously for 2 seconds until the radio powers on. The bell icon will disappear.

Repeat the steps above to turn it back on.

Headset / Hand Mic Compatibility

The Mountain Radio uses a K1 style connector (dual pin 3.5 mm – 2.5 mm).

To Install a K1 Accessory

1. Open the port cover from the upper edge.
2. Plug in a compatible accessory and ensure it is fully seated.
3. Press the cover back when the accessory is removed.

Keep the port cover on when accessories aren't in use to protect against corrosion.

Connecting to Other Radios

The Mountain Radio is compatible with most FRS radios. Match the channel and privacy code (also called a sub-channel) to pair. Channels 1–22 use standardized FCC-designated frequencies shared across FRS radios.

Frequency Charts — Channels 1–128

Scroll table horizontally if needed.

Privacy Code Reference

CTCSS Codes (1–38)

DCS Codes (39–121)