GMRS! Retevis RA-87 40-watt GMRS Mobile Radio
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- Retevis has a new GMRS Radio for the mobile GMRS user, the RA-87. Today we take a look at the menu system and power outputs of this radio.
Link - bit.ly/3Dxef8M
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Mail: 2150 W. Northwest Highway STE114-1163, Grapevine TX 76051
Thanks for watching!
#Hamradio #retevis #gmrs
YES, needs a removable face, that is what I was thinking during your entire video. Even in my Ford E-Series van, I don't want that entire radio up front, I like mounting my radios to the bulkhead and just having the heads up front.
Jason check out the Alinco DR-438T 45 Watt Land Mobile Radio. 400-470MHZ part 90 certified. Regularly $249.95 now on sale for $199.99 at HRO new as of 11/06/23. Uses RT Systems for programing software $49. A lot of the GMRS club members here in Phoenix use the older Kenwood and Motorola Part 90 certified commercial radios for GMRS. Some of those older radios as this Alinco DR-438T can be used on 70 centimeters also for those who are ham licensed also.
I do like the fact that it puts out the power that it advertised.
Your background music is the best.
Thanks
Maybe good for a base or RV. Any antenna recommendations for those applications?
I just recently purchased the RA87 and I am only getting 30watts on high power with a 30amp power supply. My brother purchased a unit too, along with the retevis power supply, and is only getting 18watts on high power. We both purchased the radios because previous reviews stated that retevis was responsive to warranty claims. I have emailed them back and forth for weeks and still no resolution. They continue to tell me to make sure the radio is on high and that I have a proper power supply. I even made a video to show them the problem. FYI I’m running an Ed Fong GMRS antenna with LMR 400 and have an SWR of 1.01. Still not getting full power on high and retevis is no help.
This is terrible. I wanted this radio too, but I’m glad I checked the reviews. I was afraid it wasn’t getting 40+ watts. Glad you confirm that. Any update?
The only update I can give you is that the radio is still in my possession because dealing with Retevis is nuts. After over a dozen emails, that are hard to even read due to the language barrier, they finally said they would allow me to ship it to their US warehouse address which I found was just a house in a neighborhood somewhere in California. I also was going to have to spend my own money to return it with no guarantee that they would reimburse the shipping or even refund my money for the radio. Also sometimes they would go almost a whole week before responding to my emails. I just chalked it up to a $180 loss and through the radio in a drawer. Maybe I can use it for parts some day. My brother managed to get them to refund him $100 and they told him to keep his radio which is almost unusable for our needs since it wouldn’t transmit more than 18watts even when we applied over 15 volts to it. We later purchased a set of Wouxan kg1000g mobiles and they’re great! Also buying them from an buytwowayradios.com means that we have some US support. I know that was long winded, but hope that helps.
I tested 4 radios and all put out around 28-30 watts, none near 40 watts. Yes my power supply was more than sufficient it is definitely the radios. Retevis is aware of the problem but for whatever reason is unwilling or unable to fix it. There are certainly reports that the radios put out 40 watts (or sometimes more), but I noticed those examples were when the radios first came out. Retevis made some changes to some features (for example on the 50watt channels, the early radios had multiple power settings while the newer ones only high/low. The manual still references the multiple power settings) and I'm wondering if mods had to be made to make the GMRS version FCC compliant and the in process the power output was somehow throttled? Nonetheless, 18 watts is ridiculous.
In their program software on Windows 11, you see the channel line up to the left. Above there is a Left & Right button to program each side. My question is if you want the same tones on each side do you have to program the right side all over again when you're done on the left side. Be nice if it had a clone button for the right side, and maybe it does. I'm just wondering if you know? Thanks! I never have seen this type of programming, for example on the Wouxun KG-1000 you program one page and it's on both the A and B sides.
Just picked one up on Amazon 149.95. Hope i like it...
I have this as a repeater setup and both units together use 7amps and only putout 23-28 watts that’s using a 30amp power supply
Per your recommendation I have ordered one of these Rigs. The Website says 10-15 days to arrive. I liked the idea of being able to hear two channels at once but then I got to thinking, what happens when both sides are active? Is it just a bunch of noise with both sides squawking away? And what if you are transmitting? I would hope the secondary audio would mute? I can't find anything on the Internet to answer this. Did you use this rig where you could possibly answer this? Thanks.
The secondary audio does mute when you TX, that's standard for all dual receiver radios. And if both sides have audio at the same time, you just turn one side down
Nice looking radio. And powerful.
I'm an Amateur Extra and thought about getting a GMRS radio. However, in my area (Cedar Creek Lake), there are no GMRS repeaters. Is there a benefit to having a GMRS license too? I have multiple dual band mobile ham radios and 2 triband Kenwood HTs.
GMRS is nice when traveling on road trips, so if that's something you do, I'd advise it. Also there's a couple of good repeaters in Dallas, depending on how often you get over there
Jason I get the question if I have Moto HTS for sale at a hamfest. "Do these talk to each other?" I always say Yep! So you don't have to! Some get the joke most not.
Lol
Was really hoping the FUN button was something else
Kinda new to this, trying to understand how i would use this on a long drive if i had to program a repeater ?
Would love to know more
You'd just need to know the CTCSS tone of the repeater
I like to know how many farrs a GMRS radio can squirt electricities, so I watch Randy's channel.
Which GMRS radio do you actually run in your rig?
already got one...
Thanks to your video, I just ordered this radio...
Enjoy it
Hi, could you please make a short video about H.R.4006 - the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, to help bring attention to this issue of importance? Thanks, KC3AEZ
I'd like to know what your recommendation is for GRMS antenna for your mobile?
Nice radio. Only problem is , no GMRS Rpt's in the area. Chicken Band is still big around here.
So buy two of these radios and build your own repeater. 😜
At $175 this radio makes sense, it iis just silly at $300.00
Channels 1-7 in GMRS are limited to 5w by FCC guidelines, so it's a no-brainer as to why the radio, which strives to be type-approved, won't let you change the power for 1-7. Then 8-14 are not permitted to be transmitted on from a mobile unit, only handheld (again, FCC guidelines), and must be 500mw or less. Channels 15-22 can be up to 50w per FCC guidelines. So the only channels you can change the power on should be 15-22.
Although you're testing the output power connected to an antenna, are you able to power test this radio under load and get a reasonably accurate reading?
Under a load?
@@HamRadio2 Using a dummy load
@@soundbwoikilla764 oh it was on a dummy load in this video
@@HamRadio2 Thx, my radios (2) are producing ~30 watts on high and I'm being told that that the output cannot be tested with a dummy load.
Whoever is telling you that is incorrect. A power meter goes in between your radio and the antenna. A dummy load acts as an antenna with 50-ohm impedance so that the SWR is correct. This allows for the radio to output optimal power because the impedance and SWR matching is correct
I believe the reason why they chose not to make the face detachable is because this radio was actually designed to use in a dual setup with a second radio as a repeater
Channels 1-7 are limited to 5 watts, which is probably why you can't change the power. 8-14 are limited to 0.5 watts. I would be surprised if that radio even let you talk on them. Channels 15-22 should be the only ones you can change power.
All! GMRS radios need those damn Midland channels included because Midland owners don't know what a frequency is or what a CTCSS is much less a shift.
That's actually a GMRS thing, not just Midland owners
Hhahahahaha@@HamRadio2
I would like to know the distance of this radio
Is it normal for this radio to make a loud pop through the speaker when you turn it on?
Mine made a very loud pop when I turned the power supply on, then another one when I turned the radio on.
No I don't think that's normal
@@HamRadio2 They've already sent a replacement out before I sent this one back, so that gets them a thumbs up from me.
@@HamRadio2 The new radio also does this same pop when power is applied, but there were issues with the first radio that I didn't fully realize until getting the replacement. One thing I was happly to see was the power output increase. The first radio output 35w max, where this one does 50w on hi and 30w on mid power. The audio going out was somewhat muffled before, but this one is clear. The data knob had an area were if felt tight as I turned it, but the data knob on the new radio is smooth.
No memories for saving modified channels. Disappointing!
It does appear that, like the Wouxun KG1000G, it has the capability to connect with another RA-87 to act as a repeater.
FWIW, max power on Ch 1-7 for GMRS is 5-watts so if the radio doesn't put out less than 5-watts there's not much sense for changing the power output down there.
Can it be modified for ham
Need to review the Rugged Raduos G1 water proof GMRS radio.
You mean the over priced beofeng radios?
@@pewtuber243 i don't think a good is a baoefang
@@halledwardbnot sure what you mean. But typically rugged is just rebranded Chinese radios or older kenwoods/vertex
@@pewtuber243 Yes, that's true. But They have the G1 and it's waterrproof, which is needed more for me and some others. But who makes the G1 actually, I know its not Rugged, their just a marketer, and I think 300 is insane.
Loaded the SW. three ranges available (same or 3 different radios?!) Look like this one is wide open 400-480 Mhz There are so many cheaper wide open dual band radios that are Part 90 I don't think I'll pay double plus for this one. Just not for me.
I wanna see the db40-d from radioddity
Funny how the menu table in the manual refers to pages that don't exist.
Purchased 2 of these radio for $147 per unit.
This particular radio will talk with any other radio that is within one string length of it. 😅
If you happen to live rural, Retevis will always come back to you after completing the purchase, and try to charge you anywhere from $50 to $75 for the "free shipping".....if you complain, the person at the other end in China will tell you they will split the shipping and pay for it out of their own personal wages. All this crap ships from China and there are no US distributors, so don't expect a quick ship or accurate tracking of the order.
Shortest video I ever seen him make on a new radio. Maybe because it was so hot in his shack. He was literally sweating bullets.
Lol, I had just mowed my lawn
hello ham radio 2.0.. how to contact you..
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