Compact & Slim 2W Walkie-Talkie | Retevis RT22

Unboxing, review and PMR446 programming of the compact Retevis RT22 walkie talkie. This is not a range test.
• Buy on Amazon - geni.us/rt622 (PMR446 variant for EU and UK)
• Buy on Amazon - geni.us/rt22 (FRS variant for US)
This video is split into 3 parts.
1. Unboxing and first impressions - 0:45
2. Programming the radio to be legal in the UK - 6:10
3. Short review and one major flaw - 11:43
The Retevis RT22 is a 2W walkie-talkie which is sold in the UK but can't be used legally without either a licence or possibly without complete reprogramming. It appears to use FRS frequencies, but with a default bandwidth of 25kHz, I'm not even sure it's correct for use in the US either.
It's a very nice sturdy and slimline design. There are much smaller radios out there, but many of them are either more expensive or offer either no speaker or fairly poor quality audio due to a small speaker.
** This video worked out much longer than expected so no complaints in the comments about that, please. You have been warned.

[@WolfQuantum]

I have a pair of these in the U.S.. Being Amatuer and GMRS licensed I reprogrammed them with CHIRP for my uses. These have happily surprised me. They've proven to be pretty nice little radios. Flip phone size, good battery life, you can use the little earbud/mikes with them. The wife and I use them shopping and it's proven easier to just chat back and forth across a large store, or if one is in the parking lot, than texting/calling with the cell phones. Fun to use and work very well. I really like these little radios.

[@Stephanie-Antrum]

Can you explain how to program the chirp?

[@WolfQuantum]

@@Stephanie-Antrum Retevis made some internal changes to the firmware I gather. So the newer radios need a module applied to get it to read. I did the work around, but I have found the free downloadable software works great. This is the link. www.retevis.com/resources_center/software/RT22-programming-software.zip Using CHIRP I could only get one radio to read and write after the workaround before I got an error. I needed to clone 10 radios so I went with the linked program to do it. I just set up a frequency list for a small group of folks using the software and then cloned all 10 radios. Just make sure when you hit download to radio (with the factory software) you click OK to get it rolling. I once was waiting and waiting for it to load. I thought the OK was to acknowledge when it had completed. Nope, a last click to get it going.

[@phillipsmiley5930]

@@Stephanie-Antrum chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home follow the instructions, getting USB data cable drivers to work is the hardest bit

[@tdcattech]

Buy on Amazon - geni.us/rt622 (PMR446 variant for EU and UK) or geni.us/rt22 (FRS variant for US) --- Support the channel by using this affiliate link. Thank you!!

[@tikibar4me]

Thank you for the great video! One comment: try transmitting from that Motorola radio to your R22 again, but FIRST, adjust the R22's squelch through the software to a level of 4 or 5. That fixed the issue for me...CHEERS!

[@tikibar4me]

Just curious...did that work for you as well?

[@Gfk.flocking_for_omi]

Love these walkie-talkies

[@rangoiron-lizeard6731]

Thank you so much for sharing I used a frequency too tired into my baofang radio make them both work together..

[@michaelloughlin734]

These look nice and compact....similar antannaes to my hytera pd365lf pmr 446 radios for the small sized antannae these are very good surprisingly for transmit and receive signals....

[@0150r]

If you have a ham license, you can use them with UHF repeaters and get comms throughout the entire city. Great for large festivals/amusement parks/etc where FRS radios might not get you the range you need and a full-on ham radio would get you weird looks or even not allowed through secuirty.

[@jaycee7594]

Great video mate. I have the Zeadio version of this radio. Despite having a fixed antenna I have managed to open a repeater over 70 miles away from the top of a hill. Excellent radio for PMR and the amateur 70cm band. I got mine for a fiver would you believe. Bargain. Battery life is pretty good BTW. Cheers 73

[@jasonyahir8189]

InstaBlaster...

[@joseGonzalez-sz4yr]

I have Zastone ZT-X6 clone. Excellent rx audio and sensitivity. In Galicia (Spain) there are many mountains and it is very easy to communicate at 20km without obstacles.

[@GeorgeKessaris]

Hi. How does the range compare between this one and the rt24 (mainly due to the huge size difference of their antennas)? They are very close in price, so I would assume the electronics should be quite close too. Does the squelch noise problem also appear when using the rt22 with other retevis radios (eg with the rt24 you mentioned), or is it only when using with the Motorolla?

[@1billiedale]

I have a pair of rt 22's in camo. Looks great and are perfect for hiking and camping.

[@wisteela]

I'd forgotten about the camo version.

[@cinspain08]

have you had any experience with the no agent get-22 they’re about the same price but look a little better , i know you don’t get too much for that sort of money but i need 8 units for an airsoft team , and youre the best reviewer on these items , thanks

[@Bootyhunter1971]

I have these and battery life is phenomenal. These radios are incredible. Have the best audio of any portable I've used and I've used many Motorola's kenwood icon uniden cobra Midland and all other major brands. The range is also just incredible especially considering the tiny fixed antenna. I got a set thinking they would be good for close range use with low expectations but these work as well as balfengs with the longer antenna and the small form factor makes them easier to carry and use and more palatable for the wife so she actually will carry and use one as well. Great radios. Ps you can program repeaters in these as well, ham and gmrs repeaters can be used with these radios.

[@tdcattech]

Nice review. Good to hear positive stuff as well as the bad things.

[@NGMonocrom]

Even that open-faced belt-clip is from the old cellphone days! Carried a Motorola flip-phone on such a clip back when I was a teenager. After the 2nd time my cellphone took a tumble because those clips have horrendous retention, I bought a belt case for it with an enclosed clear plastic front. Rest of the case and the built-in clip on the case were imitation leather. That 2nd tumble, I thought my phone fell in-between the gap of the subway train I was climbing onto. For a second, thought I lost my phone, until a stranger stood up behind me and handed it back to me. For the RT22, I know Nite-Ize makes a clip that you can stick on the back of a flat Smartphone. Forgot what it's called though. But I know it works on other light-weight items that have a flat surface. Also, not giving Nite-Ize free advertising. I despise the company! Many years back, they bought Inova. Then immediately released a statement that they would *not* honor Inova's excellent warranty policy for that company's flashlights. As for me, I'll stick with my bulkier and very orange Retevis RT45P set of Walkie-Talkies.

[@hakimchannel]

thanks friend, i wanted to learn before i buy from ebay, do you know if there is any walkie talkie which does not require pushing a button to talk? i mean it is always on, like being on a phone call, thank you

[@tdcattech]

Radios of this type are generally half duplex. They usually have a Vox feature which allows automatic transmission when you talk but full duplex would be a very different beast. 🙂

[@daanl9230]

TDCatTech Can you do a review on the Kenwood TK-3601D or 3401D? And compare these with the Motorola? The Kenwood are license free and are by far the most commonly used in professional environment. Kenwood has dpmr 446 on the 3401d for 5 years now and the 3601d is a newer version which is smaller. The Motorola is fairly new.

[@tdcattech]

Would love to but I can’t justify buying the radios at the moment. The 3401D looks like a great radio. Simple and robust.

[@bigboyz3912]

I'm using them at default setting and it seems that the range isn't that great for distance beyond 400m in build up areas. Any suggestion?

[@davidbrennan5]

We use them at work to communicate in a large building. They do ok for what they are. The usb charger they come with is very cheap, I threw it away and used a better quality one. If you clip them to your side the volume knob can get bumped down easily. The speaker grill can get packed with dirt and debris over time. The range is not great maybe a half mile on a good day.

[@0150r]

I found that having a tone squelch on the Retevis radios helps avoid the squelch tail when using other radios. I put a 67hz tone (TSQL) on the RT22 and set my motorola talkabout to a 'privacy' code of 1 and it helps fix the issue. Still isn't perfect, but it's a lot better. Might be able to get it even better with the digital squelch codes, but I haven't had good luck getting them to line up. EDIT: You should use TSQL for this, not "tone" in chirp.

[@tdcattech]

Good advice! Thank you.

[@ToddHa]

STE or Squelch Tail Elimination is a nice feature if you chose to turn off CTCSS/DCS. STE usually is embedded in the CTCSS/DCS tone if you chose to use it. But with it turned off, you risk some radios not using/having STE. Even the BF-T1 radios have an STE mode you can turn ON and OFF. Some radios use different STE configs. The Signalling tone that turns off the speaker before the RF carrier drops.

[@ToddHa]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYHcn5ykrsuqiZI

[@tdcattech]

Nice additional info. Thank you.

[@ToddHa]

This YoutTuber calls it: 'Squelch Crash'. But, in the USA,, we call it: 'Squelch Tail'. Things have gotten better over the years as more and more radios have the STE or Squelch Tail Elimination feature. For most radios, it is Automatic. But older ones do not have it. And even different radio types use a different signalling code. Some of my newer radio do not use the same Trigger Code to turn off the speaker. Here is a KZbinr talking about 'Squelch Crash', or 'Squelch Tail' on the Retevis RT27 PMR446 versions. I have several of the RT27 FRS models myself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJrHmKuVhMp6abc

[@tackleberry1266]

i'd like to know what you think about the Radioddity PR-T5 Radios. They are REALLY small and like 20 bucks for a pair.

[@wisteela]

That's rather worrying given they are FRS even though they are marked as the EU model on the box. My RT667 was set to wide instead of narrow too. Slightly odd.

[@MladenMijatov]

That auto-squelch sounds like DCS instead of CTCSS. Granted Motorola is always perfect but is that really a surprise considering it's at least $150 radio?

[@sherryp0528]

Nice video

[@marciopiresoutdoors]

Hello! I have the RT622 model. To get 0.5w TX power, should I program in low or high mode?

[@4Sandrix]

I'm a complete noob but, how does your recommended programming setup affect the signal range and battery life? I know the difference between UHF and VHF but I was wondering if setting up the lowest possible freq. on UHF would save me some battery life.

[@thomasanreise3107]

Is there not a way to adjust the squelch when using them?

[@lecommenter9165]

When I dial in the channel 1 Frequency into my Baofeng,It doesnt receive or transmit anything from the r22. Why is that?

[@RtheUse]

Can anyone help me?? I have a set of 10 Retevis 27 walkies but I don’t know how to sync them so they all work together. I bought them in sets of 5 and they will only work with the set they’re from...

[@roccomoretto9835]

Can the Retevis mix tones, for example dpl for input and analog for output?

[@markjoseph5061]

Does this walkie talkie works while driving with my friends? We got 2.cars.

[@georgespeck8761]

I live in the USA, I bought a two pack of those radios

[@redjohn20001]

Just wondering if the squelch issue goes away if you program in the ctcss. I have a couple of Baofeng 16 channel radios programmed channel 1 ctcss 1, channel 2 ctcss2 etc keeping them compatible with other pmr 446 radios and also keeping out other random radio reception.

[@tdcattech]

I had programmed CTCSS when testing these but the problem with the squelch tail remains. I know radios use certain other tones to help eliminate this but my main question is why the Retevis have a problem receiving the Motorola but not the other way round.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Liquid tape®. applied around the halves. Will work. also a zip lock® sandwich bag. Usualy carried in my kit bag. 24/7.

[@WaschyNumber1]

Hello Is the battery the same like the Nokia bl-5c battery's? 🤔

[@shubacadasilva3193]

Anyone else noticed that if you activate "channel lock" it is turned to off if you turn off then turn on the radio? The radio "forgets" the option is on between power cycles.

[@michaelwhitestonephotograp7849]

Yes. A bit annoying.

[@shubacadasilva3193]

As anyone else noticed a difference in audio level between radios? Like if one of them has the mic mufled , so the audio comes out a bit lower on the other one ? Maybe I was not very lucky with my batch...

[@GeorgeKessaris]

Yes, one of mine has exactly the same issue... it sounds as if it is muffled. I initially thought that the speaker was faulty, but the channel announcements come out loud and clear... so it must be the mic on the other one.

[@ahmad_samadi0000]

Hello sir, all videos are nice and very useful, I appreciate 👍 meanwhile if possible please make a video for Mitex Radios (DMR) the range and quality. Thank you ❤

[@tdcattech]

Thanks. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the Mitex radios at all. I've looked them up online and they seem like they are positioning themselves in the 'business radio' segment (5W, license required but mainly the price!) but I'm not sure how good they are as I'm not familiar with the brand. I'm going to do some digging because I'm curious to know how respected these radios are.

[@ahmad_samadi0000]

@@tdcattech Thanks for the reply. Ok if you found something please kindly share.

[@Waynethepainsmurf]

Thanks for that review. I have just purchased 2 rt619 retevis radios. They look similar to yours but have push buttons. I have a programming cable and want to change channels from 9 to 16 as they have cctss and or dcs. Do you have a link so I can get on the retevis program site like you just did? Would like to see a range test on these like your other pmr distance test. Keep these videos coming. Thanks. Wayne.

[@tdcattech]

Did you contact Retevis about your RT647 radios?

[@Waynethepainsmurf]

TDCatTech hi. Thanks tdcat yes I did and they came 2 days after. They asked me to take a pic and put on your page. I’m only on a very old ipad and i couldn’t put pic on. But I did do a mention on there thanking them. Thanks again. Brilliant videos. Regards. Wayne

[@DanBeauvoir-uo7yc]

anyone has this older software? the new software wont let change the frequencies

[@munja2111]

can you use Baofeng programing cable?

[@astco413]

If you noticed you bought the usa version just saying

[@TheChico868]

Gosh Motorola make good solid radios. I wish they made a good GMRS 5watt Radio. Same build quality.

[@pigtv3759]

This is possible to program ham and pmr freqvencies this is same radio.

[@phillipsmiley5930]

Yes but it wouldnt be legal

[@strongestkarate]

How does it compare to Baofeng GT22?

[@James101]

If someone was to use one 446 but on high power would they get in trouble? In my experience 0.5 watts in the real world (not just on a hill) does not get far so it's likely 2 watts wont make much of an impact either? Thanks

[@tdcattech]

Very unlikely but that’s not me recommending you do so. There are many, many more people out there using PMR446 radios on higher power than 0.5W. I’ve used higher power for testing and experiments but when I use radios with the family & kids 0.5W works fine.

[@direxxion]

Retevis to Baofeng any problems?

[@MonarchPoolPlaster]

They use these at work. If I buy a couple on Amazon, will they be compatible with the ones at my job without any modifications?

[@tdcattech]

Impossible to say without knowing what your work have done with them. They may have changed them from factory settings.

[@abhishekyou2995]

Can they be programmed without the programming cable? When i try to read, it gives me an error saying no connection found

[@tdcattech]

No. You’ll need the cable. Are you sure you’ve set up your COM port correctly?

[@ONS1696]

please which model I need for ship cruise in Europe I need your help thank you

[@phillipsmiley5930]

I would go for the new baofeng BF-U9, user programable for all the world's licence free UHF bands with the BF-U9 / BF-T8 PC software, connects to PC with a Baofeng UV-3R Mk1 data lead

[@abhimanyukharote8077]

Please do comparison with Baofeng GT 22

[@tdcattech]

Looks like the same radio to me. Different badge and slightly different housing but it looks like it would be identical for all intents and purposes.

[@justicejones5025]

These radios look very similar to the Baofeng GT-22.

[@robertramirez3051]

How far do they work

[@bobdobbs1051]

rt 22 software will not let me program frequencies (field is greyed out) any ideas? is it no longer possible to change frequencies for rt22?

[@phillipsmiley5930]

Try Chirp chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

[@sheabrown]

You can edit the text file that the program generates

[@epexlinux]

Is there anything to listen to on frequency's 400-470mhz that is not PMR?

[@tdcattech]

If you mean PMR446, yes, there can be quite a bit but it does depend on where you live. If you're in a city, business radio traffic can be quite interesting. However, this kind of comes of under the category of PMR.

[@toddjenest3212]

Do you have the link to the RT22 software you downloaded?

[@phillipsmiley5930]

Chirp does RT22 and many others chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

[@emaniebo]

I’ve lost it at ‘it’s illegal to use in the UK.’

[@BeRealChamp]

Can you tell me the diffrence between the rt19 and the rt22?

[@tdcattech]

Not much from what I can see. Just a slightly difference design. Same spec and similar size. Take your pick! Retevis have tons of variants which barely differ.

[@jamesy0072000]

Hi where do I get the program you used for the reprogramming please

[@tdcattech]

You can download it from the Retevis website. Any probs, let me know and I can send you a link.

[@Stephanie-Antrum]

@@tdcattech Hi could I kindly get the link from you. I search for software, programming software and nothing came up

[@phillipsmiley5930]

Chirp does the RT22 and many more chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

[@tn5526]

How effective are these inside concrete buildings with multiple floors?

[@tdcattech]

A few floors should be fine (like a multi-storey car park) but no more than that. If you’re talking about a high rise building, you’ll need more power or lower frequencies.

[@michaelp741]

Works for about a half of a hospital.

[@jasond9327]

What's the difference between the rt22 and rt622?

[@tdcattech]

The 622 is configured for the EU PMR446 standard whereas the 22 uses the US FRS standard. If you Google that, you’ll find out more 👍🏻

[@4kvideo545]

Would work in whole Resort?

[@thoughtsfromaidiot5928]

..... how big is the resort, tall buildings, construction of buildings I mean you really need to provide more details than just asking will cover entire resort..

[@strongestkarate]

How does it compare to H777?

[@phillipsmiley5930]

Easier to get batteries for the 777 / 888

[@bstee8119]

How can I set this up on Mac?

[@tdcattech]

Not sure you can but Chirp supports macOS so it might be possible using that - chirp.danplanet.com/

[@TheChico868]

I wish this was 22 channels.

[@phillipsmiley5930]

check out the Baofeng BF-U9, user programmable with a UV3R data lead, and BF-T8 or BF-U9 PC software for any countries UHF FRS/GMRS/PMR446, 409, 477 etc up to 99ch

[@charliemorton616]

May I kindly get a copy of that file please if I drop you my email

[@darylcroker6502]

Range?

[@tdcattech]

Same as any other PMR446 radio. 5km+ line of sight. 1km in open terrain and 100-200m in a built up area.

[@Operator92]

Mini USB in 2019?? Really? -.-

[@tdcattech]

In defence of Retevis, these have been around for a good few years now so it was more common in 2016. I don't mind though. It's only used for charging and it's a nice sturdy connector. It does look a bit dated.

[@245aurora]

just get a uv 5r u wont be caught :D

[@xoox870]

AKA as "Shenzhen Retevis Technology Co." AKA as ""Shenzhen Chang Taiwei Electronic Co, LTD" AKA cheap chinese junk