Retevis RA89 Ham Radio, Dual Band Handheld Radio, IP68 Waterproof Two Way Radio, 2500mAh USB-C Rechargeable, Chirp, Flashlight, Long Range Walkie Talkies for Hunting, Emergency Rescue, Survival

If you're looking for a top-quality alternative to the ubiquitous Baofeng HT's (notably the UV5R's and their variants), give this radio a chance. Sturdy and generally well made, it finds and hold frequency well and works well for Amateur Radio Operators looking for something to keep in your bag, talk to local Hams or (like me) use it with a Digirig (or similar interface) to do digital communications.The only downside? They provide a lovely manual that describes a plethora of functions and features BUT NOT HOW TO USE MOST OF THEM! I spent more time on the Internet trying to find information than I should have. Using the manual to figure out the best way to setup Winlink Extress was a nightmare. Luckily for me, the person who recommended the radio to me had done it and helped me figure it out.Anyway, if you can find one, it's a great HT.

I have a couple other Retevis portables, and I'm rather "picky" when it comes to one. Having said that, this one, the RA89 is the best one yet... 10 watts, dual band, 95% Front Panel programmable, easy to program via the keypad, USB "C" charging option, FM broadcast. And its "unlockable"... theres severalvideos on the web showing how. The only thing missing is a dedicated "bank" for NOAA weather channels & alert. ● Now if Retevis wanted to make a "dream" radio all they'd have to do is add 1.25m (220mhz), 6m (50mhz), GPS, Aviation Rx. One version Analog & another with DMR.

This is a fun radio to use, it's buil like a tank. Pretty heavy duty and when you pick it up you know it's not a toy. Came with everything you need to make it work...programming cable charging craddle, usb-c cable, antenna. It's not super hard to figure it out how to use it or program it from the panel. I love the feauture that turns off the background noise, works wonders. Be carefull with the alarm mode, you can't change that on the radio or in the CPS, no option to make the alarm local, it will broadcast all over. I like that you can charge it via USB-C. Easy to program and re-program if you need a wider range of frequencies. Photos state works with chirp and when you look closely it says in the future...we shall see about that, lots of nice radios are still not in chirp and they been on the market very long time. CPS program is horrible, worst I ever used, it will work in a pinch but it's bad really bad. So far I like that radio, pretty powerfull for a HT. I'll be waiting for more firmwre updates to make this radio great.

Sounds good. Good SWR with rubber duck antenna. Lightweight but feels good in thr hand.Easy to field program.

The RA89 is a darn good radio for the price. It seems to have the proper filtering in place to prevent the out of band spurious emissions that most of the other radios have in this class. The battery is easily charged via USB-C and it comes with a cradle that also has a USB-C input. As of the most recent CHIRP-NEXT build this radio is in beta and the programming software works fairly well. You don't get the ability to configure the radio yet, but you can upload/download programming frequencies. I've been using this for digital modes (VaraFM/Packet with a TNC) and it works as expected. The only thing I wish Retevis would do is offer extra batteries to have a backup. It's not going to replace a top tier radio, but it certainly beats the pants off of a Beofang.

I have several CCR’s built by this company and others. It’s the best of them all. In particular, it does not have an annoying popping sound when opening and closing squelch on receive, as experienced on other radios. It’s also well built and comes with a programming cable which is compatible with Windows 7 & 10. Current firmware allows for expanded transmit frequencies. I’m not planning to upgrade this firmware since future firmware versions may not allow the expanded frequencies.

I've never purchased a radio that had so many problems right out of the box. The mic/speaker jack connection, which is also used for programming, was so loose that the PC wouldn't even recognize the radio. If you held the radio sideways, the cable literally fell out of the jack. The speaker was very distorted, so audio was terrible. The speaker/mic jacks are under a panel that requires a screwdriver to gain access, which is pretty inconvenient if you're trying to add the mic in a hurry. The USB-C access port on the battery has a flimsy plug that has no connector to attach it to the radio. Once you remove it, you need to hang onto it to keep it from getting lost. Since I couldn't get the USB connection to work, I finally resorted to trying to program the radio through the keyboard. If you think the radio is a disappointment, wait until you see the documentation! I finally just gave up, put it back in the box, and returned it. Trying to get this thing working was a huge waste of about five hours of my life!

The Retevis RA89 is a rugged radio featuring a USB-C charging option in addition to the desk cradle. I was able to communicate with distant stations that my Yaesu FT60R NV & Baofeng FT8HP stations would not reach. Although the basic antenna provided decent coverage, the RA89 really shines with a Signal Stick or Nagoya 1/4 wave antenna. The kit included a programming cable which worked well with Chirp software. Although the lower opening may seem too large, a firm press will seat a programming or external microphone cable correctly. Retevis also offers an RA79 which is a smaller version that also works well. These rugged radios with USB-C charging have become my everyday carry radios for voice & packet (when coupled with a Mobilinkd TNC4).