The Retevis RA89 Radio Is The Best Thing Since The Baofeng

[@ChrisDoc-kg9cf]

Settings are now available on Chirp. 4 menus- Basic, Advanced, Work Mode and FM Radio.

[@ralphnunn3]

Check out menu option 38 - RX ENC when you get a chance. It's a filter! If you have a weak station that you're trying to hear, you can flip that on, and it filters out the noise, helping you hear the weak station better. I think it's pretty cool.

[@souta95]

I set one of the programmable buttons to toggle that. It's one of my favorite parts of this radio.

[@Fromatic]

​@souta95 you put it on a toggle but is there ever a time you wouldn't want it enabled? Interested as I have one of these coming

[@clone1137]

@@Fromatic I too used a side-key to control noise cancellation. You want it active 99% of the time. However, when a signal is incredibly weak noise cancelation can make the voice too quiet so in those situations it’s nice to be able to turn it off, rare as they are. Personally it’s usually marine broadcasts on VHF that I have to turn it off for to understand them.

[@Fromatic]

@@clone1137 got you, that makes sense cheers

[@MikeN2MAK]

I almost spit my coffee out my nose when I saw you on Windows, LOL. That looks like a solid radio. Just wish they showed the nub some love and made it so it was attached. Thanks for the review.

[@stefanlevedag8072]

on Mac, simply load driver for usb2serial: brew install --cask prolific-pl2303 and there you go... took me quite a while to figure out

[@zac_in_ak]

Retevis is working on a new 10w DMR ht called the P1 it is a superhetrodyne receiver. Is that something your channel would review? Looking at it for a new work radio.

[@baronedipiemonte3990]

With Retevis there's ALWAYS something that needs to be activated/adjusted/programmed with a computer. And they don't let you know prior to purchase. I won't have anymore Retevis. I purchased the HA1G, and as it comes from the factory there are some random channels set to scan... BUT you can't add or delete scan channels without the d*mn computer. You can't add or modify Zones without the computer etc etc...

[@jaym1301]

So get a computer already. Sheesh, it's 2024 not 1970.

[@pro-noob-opa2257]

Hallo dann sind sie kein Amateur. Kaufen Sie bitte nicht solche Geräte.

[@mainetomass99]

Mine should be arriving tomorrow.

[@keathrhymer5449]

interesting the screw under the mic port is the identical to the one on the H8 tidradio

[@sekibulja-fu3bv]

Another excellent video, thank you. Does this radio have Fast copy frequency button like Baofengs, Quashengs, Radioddity and all other radios? Thanks you

[@CraigRedacted]

Picked one of these up but a few things that are annoying is that the charging nub, the mic cover, and the screw for the mic cover are going to get lost. Wish the belt clip also stuck out a little bit more, it’s basically unusable.

[@TheFood42]

It's basically the exact same radio as the TYT TH-UV98 Plus. The TYT software leaves something to be desired. By any chance, will the Retevis programming software would not work with the TYT if not using CHIRP?

[@michaelschmidt5444]

I am just getting into this radio stuff for overloading. But I am guessing that if you used this radio for the GMRS channels you would only have the GMRS main channels not the privacy channels unless you also programmed them in also. Is that true or false

[@jayzee1968]

Other than the waterproofing, how does it stack up against the new Baofang 5RM’s? 5RM is a little over 1/2 the price of this Retevis offering. Bang for the buck/software/quality that’s is. So far, the 5RM seems to make the UV5R look and feel like a toy. It’s that’s good (short of any sporadic emissions testing).

[@robertmeyer4744]

I have several Retevis HT radios. all are great and check clean on harmonics .all have USB C or micro USB . even the FRS one that takes AA/AAA battery's can charge with NiCad threw micro USB . has bult in antenna but takes K1 speaker mic. and PC program . That RA89 has SMA female on radio. like my Baofeng UV-5G . all ways check before buying antenna or BNC adapter. some of them program cables need a driver to work. I like the talk pod program cable the best. works on most K1 ports and easy plug in. 73's

[@eagledare2008]

Hi Mike , I wanted too know I have a Retevis 76P and don't have a programing cable for it ,can I use just any two pin cable or what part # is the Retevis one you got? Love your show keep up the good work brother ? An Aspiring Ham

[@ths3900]

Good review. I am surprised as you on the power.

[@MarkDeanMD]

What are the frequency ranges when unlocked? 136 to 174/400 to 520?

[@BrantleySmithNC]

RA89 or 2nd gen Tid H8?

[@pro-noob-opa2257]

Das Retevis RA89 ist super . Ich habe das und habe es mit Chirp ohne Probleme programmiert. Für das kleine Geld super Gerät. Wer da mault ist sicher kein Amateur. Das Gerät muss selber programmiert werden.

[@souta95]

I got one of these a couple months ago through Amazon Vine and absolutelyove it! It, and my Heathkit HW-24HT are my two favorite handhelds that I own.

[@ChuckBigbie]

Will this radio work on 2m and 70cm without any mods?

[@NightFlier999]

What's about armonics?

[@prowannab]

Most of what you said was trying to understand a language I don't speak. Do you,or can you make a tutorial for the complete noob? vox,tx, I have no idea what that is. Thanks

[@AliReza-zx8km]

Nice... Thanks ❤

[@bobkopf227]

I might have missed it in the video but can you adjust the time the backlight stays on before it dims?

[@hamradiotube]

Yes you can. I didn't touch on that but that's F 7 and you can adjust from always on to however many seconds you want up to about a minute I think.

[@KI7JOM]

Your menu goes to 39? "This one goes to eleven."

[@bradl2636]

That USB cover is for “water seal” I sincerely doubt that’s going to be adequate.

[@RedMurkal]

Retevis uploaded a video on this topic. They clam the rubber cover is for dust and the type-c port is water proof on its own. They also clam that using an aftermarket or different antenna will not compromise the units water seel. Personally I don't like testing that aspect to it's limit though.

[@VMGIN]

SMA or reverse SMA ?

[@RedMurkal]

I believe the antenna is sma male on the RA89.

[@nekrorakas]

anhyone knows what are the three stages of the wide-mid-narrow setting? i have a similar radio (polmar db 10 mkII-basically a tyt uv-88) and i cannot understand which setting is 12.5 which is 25 and what is the 3rd option. tnx and 73!

[@RandomWire107]

On this radio NFM = 12.5, FM=20, WFM=25

[@nekrorakas]

@@RandomWire107 tnx mate!

[@bradl2636]

Water proofing concerns aside this appears to be good value.

[@clone1137]

Retevis hasn’t really done a good job of explaining so I asked them to clarify. I emailed their customer support. The radio is IP68 rated regardless of whether or not the antenna is attached, or the USB-C dust cover is inserted. The only thing that can let water inside the radio is the screw-down cover over the mic/speaker connection.

[@clone1137]

I’ve had a GMRS license for about 5 years… it took me that long to realize that this radio is illegal to use for GMRS according to FCC (if I’m wrong please correct me).

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Yes it is illegal, as is exceeding the speed limit in your motor vehicle yet almost everyone is doing it.

[@clone1137]

@@geraldhenrickson7472 well said

[@RandomWire107]

Not illegal, only against the rules. No one will put you in jail or take your radio. There’s a difference.

[@richardgroves290]

You WILL go to jail.

[@DinsDale-tx4br]

It's more than twice the cost of a UV-5R. It ought to be bloody better at that price.

[@peterdekeles.]

$62.99 seems like a good price

[@hamradiotube]

It's not bad at all.

[@pcfreak1992]

That looks like a TYT UV-88 clone with some upgrades to me 😄

[@devonsaquariums2703]

I just came here to say that. I was like wait those buttons and screen look identical to the UV-88 so I got mine out and yep the screen is the same and the button layout is the same. Different case for sure and the keys are different but the layout is exact. I wonder if the internals are the same or if it just used the same layout and screen. UV-88 is only 5w though so something must be a little different inside

[@davidp73]

I have both radios and trust me the ra89 is quite a bit beefier. My uv 88 barely puts out 4 watts while my ra89 puts out over 10 watts.

[@DellFargus]

Retevis spelled backwards is siveter

[@HobnailJohn]

Saw the kenwood plug and immediately lost interest. I am sick and tired of manufacturers releasing "waterproof" radios that don't have waterproof accessory connectors.

[@mrRoverkane]

As someone new to radios, what’s a good waterproof connection ?

[@BobBob-il2ku]

Something multipin normally the Chinese use a Motorola style plug or proprietary multipin

[@BobBob-il2ku]

100% agree they can also do what the the hd1 did use a multipin connector then just sell a $10 kenwood 2 pin adapter everyone is happy

[@HobnailJohn]

@@mrRoverkane there's a couple options. Like BobBob mentions the commercial Motorola connectors (sometimes called multipin or blade connectors) are popular. Icom has a waterproof 2 pin, and then there's the waterproof threaded 3.5mm jack like on the Yaesu VX-6R (which itself I think is technically an old school Motorola connector from when Yaesu and Motorola had a commercial radio partnership in the Japanese manufacturered Vertex series radios). There's a bunch of different ways to do it, and it's been done for decades now. And it's been done by Retevis. So it's just really frustrating when they cheap out and slap a k plug on an otherwise IP rated radio. Because the second you open that flap and plug something into it you lose the rating.

[@mainetomass99]

What the VX6 did for waterproofing/programming cable was fantastic.

[@notsure7874]

Take that cover off, plug a speaker mic in it and chuck it in the water ... bet it's not waterproof then! The uv-9r style connector is an old Motorola design with an expired patent, why not use that so it's waterproof while in use? Also, there are ip68 USB-C connectors that don't need a cover to be waterproof - obviously this isn't one of them. Third, I would bet money that they left out the sub one penny costing pulldown resistors that would enable it to accept a standard 5v USB charge from a PD brick over a C to C cable. Every single charger I own is a PD brick, with a C to C cable. So since I have to carry a special cable just for it, and I have to have a standard flat USB-A connector on the charger end ... what's the use of a "standardized" connector when it's crippled for no good reason? Then also, it's got the same Baofeng like firmware limitations as far as I'm aware. Can you set it so it uses the two lines on the display for Channel Name, and Frequency repsectively, and when you switch to another memory location - like "Memory 94" and "RPT-21" -> "147.950" are displayed on the 2 lines? Radioddity has a couple like this, they call it SYNC ... but they can't even be bothered to copy / paste that code to their other radios firmware!

[@tartarugapunkQ]

I wanna buy this radio but 95% of tax is too much for me, gotta buy a cheaper one

[@tkflanagan4449]

👍☕

[@RickRollington]

The female sma antenna connector is an awful idea. kenwood, does it, and it's very, very flakey.

[@johnmossy3757]

Baofeng started the sma male attachments. Every radio should have stayed sma female. It’s a far superior connection.

[@RickRollington]

@johnmossy3757 I've never accidentally broken a male sma connector, I've broken a few female just by carrying it around on my belt.