I WAS JUST TALKING WITH MY FIANCEE ABOUT INSTALLING A SMALL UNIT IN HER VEHICLE. I AM GLAD I RAN ACROSS THIS VIDEO THIS MORING, THIS COULD BE THE RADIO WE WERE SPEAKING OF LOL. GREAT VIDEO AS ALWAYS.
hope you see this first be for you do that you need a license to talk on G M R S I know becouse I have same radio plus there pl tones to put into the radio be fore you can talk too nay repeter
I'm in Az , belong to swcrs. A group of around 150 , with repeaters connected that work the states of Az, NM and Colorado. Retevis has upped their game . I have a RA87. I like their products. They are starting to catch up to Wouxun.
@@FarpointFarms I believe you can monitor this group or talk with this group if you join , with a zello walkie talkie. I think it works with internet or cell phone service.
I have a Jeep Gladiator and it has zero room on the dash for a radio. I would be grateful if you can tell me if the mic cord is long enough to reach for easy use from under the seat.
I'd like to see this compared to the midland mxt275 or 575 for functionality. See how the features compare and get your opinion on the feel of one hand operation between the two.
HOLD THE PHONE there is a license in vold be fore you can move on up here in the g m r s world you need to be licensed just like ham radio becouse most of everyone up has two license with both bam and gmrs please cross that bridge first
@@donalderickson-si8ww the GMRS license does absolutely NOTHING other than force you to navigate the FCC dumpster fire website, remove $35 from your wallet and receive a GMRS call sign....ooooo, Do you recognize how many thousands of users NEVER get a GMRS license when installing these things in UTVs, etc? Nobody in our UTV club ever got a GMRS license or even knew they "needed' one
I know nothing about radios. But I do have a few CB radios. When you did the scan i saw it only go up to 22. So this doesn't have all 40 channels? Or maybe its not even a CB radio.
@@FarpointFarms More than likely they are on FRS radios, frequency compatible with GMRS, which don't require an FCC license. You never hear these road crews using their call signs.
I gotta say, your the only guy that has this radio. If you wait a month to review it, everyone else will have already done so. Take it out and do some range tests with it, and comment on its features. Looking at this compared to the midland 275 and the baofeng 20V2. That Baofeng only pulls down 14 watts, even though it claims to be a 20 watt radio. How about this one?
Ok, you have me confused, (though not hard to do, I am old) intro and you tube says your in NC, website says Maltby, Washington. Please explain. OBTW I also have a small homestead in the foothills of Wilkes County NC.
I thought about getting this but I ordered the RA25 instead because there where no reviews on it. But I've got more then 1 vehicle so I can always get another
Yes. You have to apply to the FCC and pay a $35.00 fee. If you are a ham or otherwise already have a FRN number, that is one chore in the licensing process you do not need to do. If not, you will first need to obtain a FRN number through the FCC site, then move ahead with your application process.
I have the TH-6800. It's waterproof alright but so far the front end is horrible. No discretion. GMRS channels from 15 to 22 are solid RX while I'm in town on the second radio. The first radio would stop TXing after a couple of key ups but at least it had some discretion lol. I'm going to keep cycling them though Amazon until I get one that does what radios do. Makes sure when you get back to testing you run the RA-86 in a bucket of water for 30 minutes 😂😂
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a licensed radio service that uses channels around 462 MHz and 467 MHz. The most common use of GMRS channels is for short-distance, two-way voice communications using hand-held radios, mobile radios and repeater systems.
This radio comes with preset Privacy Codes. You must 1st learn to blow them away. Retevis always does this. Not a problem if talking between multiple Retevis radios. Is a problem if you want to talk out of network.
@@FarpointFarms I've have a Retevis RA25. It can be jailbroken. Receive and transmit 140-170 MHZ and 430 to 470 Mhz. Best to set it up with a programing spreadsheet. In 6 months I have spent 150 hours and 10 bottles of wine perfecting the spreadsheet. My other bad habit is breaking the encoding on FRS radios. Story kind of goes like this. Caregiver calls the Sherriff department and complains some man is talking to Johnny on his FRS radio. Sherriff department calls me and tells me to quit it.
TK Skagen: Check out the "President Randy" hand held or mobile installation model. 40 channel 4 watt. Well built. Been into CB over 4 decades as an operator and tinkerer/technician.
ok on the new radio which I have never herd of there one thing you cant use it on till you send in 35.00 dollars too the f c c before you can talk I know now this becouse I own one but you did not read the book cover to cover first
G'day from Australia, if you get a chance Google my radio up, gme xrs 370c. UHF CB radio Aussie spec. Has extended frequencies 400-520Mhz rx only.. Great radio. Australian made.. No much Aussie made stuff around anymore.. 👍 HooRoo.
You could do worst. If you live in a footprint of a repeater you could get by with a handheld. If you live any distance from a repeater you really do need the power to reach it and to sound good. Learn to set the tones and get a small external speaker. If you have no repeaters in your area you need to bring friends into the hobby with you or you will be lonely. Those little antennas do work well. Do realize 462-467MHz is line of sight communications. Low ground will kill you and any hills between you your intended communicating subject will not happen.
Probably comes off the same assembly line as the Midland MXT275 for half the price....just like the Retevis RT97s and the Midland equivalent. The only thing I hate about Retevis is the crap manuals they provide, and the fact that if you live in what they determine to be a rural address, they will try to charge you $50-$75 for the "Free Shipping" that you receive at the time you placed the order online. All this crap ships from China and their tracking info leaves a lot to be desired.
Lately, I've been having a harder and harder time with manuals from all the radio makers. Maybe they are trying to save money by making the print much smaller.
You need to deactivate the ctc tones ,or you will only get respond from other with the same ctc tone activated on the specific channel ,everyone with a gmrs radio in range will hear you
CTCC tones don't actually keep people from hearing you unless the person on the other side sets them up that way. Everyone can hear you, anyway. For all of about four blocks at four watts. This is a 20 watt radio. You can tell by the cigarette lighter plug. They might hear you (simplex) at a mile and a half, but unless they have a similar setup and radio, you won't hear them. That little antenna will have the effect of raising your antenna by the height of the vehicle, before that tiny base lets the wind blow it off. Minus, of course, the coax loss. Better to move to a mountain top and get a decent megaphone. I'm sure it's a good radio, but that's the nature of GMRS.
@@HarryHamsterChannel Where I live there is a GMRS repeater on a mountain about 30 miles away that I can easily hit I can use that and easily talk to people 40 miles away with only a 5 watt hand held radio. Even without the repeater we can talk for several miles if one of the radios is at elevation. You are underestimating the range and not considering other important factors. There are so many repeaters around here that I can reach people several miles away wherever I go.
Apparently you didn't watch the range test videos I did with GMRS and CB radio. Ranges are much longer than you are stating here and that is in very sharp mountain terrain.
That annoying static. I talked on CB radio for 3 decades. But cb radio is denying out, at least it is in my area. But GMRS is booming 💥 here in N.C. I hate it.. I like CB
@@FarpointFarms The north eastern staes were very strong to australia this morning our time . the only state we never hear is vermont . seem to go straight over it or land short every time
I WAS JUST TALKING WITH MY FIANCEE ABOUT INSTALLING A SMALL UNIT IN HER VEHICLE. I AM GLAD I RAN ACROSS THIS VIDEO THIS MORING, THIS COULD BE THE RADIO WE WERE SPEAKING OF LOL. GREAT VIDEO AS ALWAYS.
Glad I could help
hope you see this first be for you do that you need a license to talk on G M R S I know becouse I have same radio
plus there pl tones to put into the radio be fore you can talk too nay repeter
Great option for compact vehicles with limited interior space to mount radio equipment.
Exactly- does not take up anyspace at all
DO not do any thing before you recive a license from the F.C.C. becouse one I owen one codes where in stalled
too talk to repeters
I'm in Az , belong to swcrs. A group of around 150 , with repeaters connected that work the states of Az, NM and Colorado. Retevis has upped their game . I have a RA87. I like their products. They are starting to catch up to Wouxun.
Cool!
@@FarpointFarms I believe you can monitor this group or talk with this group if you join , with a zello walkie talkie. I think it works with internet or cell phone service.
That is a stretch to say they are starting to catch up with Wouxun unless you mean they are gaining a few meters after being lapped 4 times.
I just got my GMRS licence in early January 2023. I have a b tech v 2 radio. It is a handheld unit.
Cool!
I'm thinking this looks like it would mount pretty easily to a motorcycle, too.
It could be- Just be careful using it while riding
@@FarpointFarms I figure it would be something I would stop the bike for.
You will get a ticket if the wrong officer see you holding it. Even CB's have wireless microphones nowadays to keep you legal. '73
@@melissasmess2773 what? Lol
Thats like saying i cant talk to the passenger and drive with one hand..
Makes 0 sense.
I have a Jeep Gladiator and it has zero room on the dash for a radio. I would be grateful if you can tell me if the mic cord is long enough to reach for easy use from under the seat.
It is!
@@FarpointFarms Thanks
Got mine today. I wonder what the 4 discs are that have som 3m backing paper on them?
No idea, but mine came with them too!
It's for sticking to things that aren't magnetic to mount the antenna to
Similar to Midlands MXT275, which I have. The retevis is cheaper and has 5 watts more. Good buy.
It's a great deal for this type of radio.
I'd like to see this compared to the midland mxt275 or 575 for functionality. See how the features compare and get your opinion on the feel of one hand operation between the two.
I'll see what I can do!
HOLD THE PHONE there is a license in vold be fore you can move on up here in the g m r s world
you need to be licensed just like ham radio becouse most of everyone up has two license with both bam
and gmrs please cross that bridge first
@@donalderickson-si8ww the GMRS license does absolutely NOTHING other than force you to navigate the FCC dumpster fire website, remove $35 from your wallet and receive a GMRS call sign....ooooo, Do you recognize how many thousands of users NEVER get a GMRS license when installing these things in UTVs, etc? Nobody in our UTV club ever got a GMRS license or even knew they "needed' one
Looking good. Ironman in Alabama 73s
Nice little rig!
Very cool!
Thanks!
How many r's are in Retevis? How do you set the PL tones and transmit frequencies in the "repeater channels"?
2 R's one is invisible, not silent, but invisible.
I know nothing about radios. But I do have a few CB radios. When you did the scan i saw it only go up to 22. So this doesn't have all 40 channels? Or maybe its not even a CB radio.
This isn't a CB, its GMRS. They are similar, but operate on different bands. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
What channels do you hear work traffic on? Business band channels 1,2,&3 are used by gmrs ch 16,18,&20 .
Channel 3 is the only channel here that I ever hear anything on.
@@FarpointFarms More than likely they are on FRS radios, frequency compatible with GMRS, which don't require an FCC license. You never hear these road crews using their call signs.
Is this a narrow band transmitter or the preferred Wide Band? Thanks and welcome to GMRS. '73
It is listed as doing both
I gotta say, your the only guy that has this radio. If you wait a month to review it, everyone else will have already done so. Take it out and do some range tests with it, and comment on its features. Looking at this compared to the midland 275 and the baofeng 20V2. That Baofeng only pulls down 14 watts, even though it claims to be a 20 watt radio. How about this one?
This is 20 Watts.
Ok, you have me confused, (though not hard to do, I am old) intro and you tube says your in NC, website says Maltby, Washington. Please explain. OBTW I also have a small homestead in the foothills of Wilkes County NC.
Wrong website. It's www.farpointfarms.com NOT www.farpointfarm.com
@@FarpointFarms Thank you.
I thought about getting this but I ordered the RA25 instead because there where no reviews on it. But I've got more then 1 vehicle so I can always get another
I really like mine!
@@FarpointFarms are you able to program in vfo modes for scanning?
Best intro.
thanks
It looks awesome, anyone know if Retevis might put out a 50 watt version? Be nice to see an alternative to Midlands overpriced version.
I am not aware of any. Sorry!
FYI cobras classic radios on there site are now dual am/fm
Only a year late to the party!
@@FarpointFarms yep 👍🏼 old classic with fm so not really much of an update
Nice unit. How many watts? I’m waiting for better weather to install my MXT 275 in my truck.
It is 20watts- I hope the weather will be in your favor
Can you turn the CTSDCS codes off?
Yes.
Can these communicate to any retevis unit
Yes.
Nice looking set. Do you need a special license for GMRS?
Yes. You have to apply to the FCC and pay a $35.00 fee. If you are a ham or otherwise already have a FRN number, that is one chore in the licensing process you do not need to do. If not, you will first need to obtain a FRN number through the FCC site, then move ahead with your application process.
Thank you for the nice in depth answer.
Where's the install video?
Still working on it.
I have the TH-6800. It's waterproof alright but so far the front end is horrible. No discretion. GMRS channels from 15 to 22 are solid RX while I'm in town on the second radio. The first radio would stop TXing after a couple of key ups but at least it had some discretion lol. I'm going to keep cycling them though Amazon until I get one that does what radios do.
Makes sure when you get back to testing you run the RA-86 in a bucket of water for 30 minutes 😂😂
Do you need a license to operate? If so, where can i obtain one
Yes and no- Technically you do for gmrs but not everyone gets one-They are pretty cheap if you want to get one.
What’s the name of the license. Sorry for the questions. I’m new to this
What does GMRS stand for?
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a licensed radio service that uses channels around 462 MHz and 467 MHz. The most common use of GMRS channels is for short-distance, two-way voice communications using hand-held radios, mobile radios and repeater systems.
@@FarpointFarms thanks!
I got a wouxun mobile that I really like. Otherwise this would be very appealing.
RIght on!
What is the range on this radio
That depends on the area. Here in the mountains, 15 miles is average max range.
Thanks for the great job you do on your channel
This radio comes with preset Privacy Codes. You must 1st learn to blow them away. Retevis always does this. Not a problem if talking between multiple Retevis radios. Is a problem if you want to talk out of network.
I had an issue with it, and realized that was the issue!
@@FarpointFarms I've have a Retevis RA25. It can be jailbroken. Receive and transmit 140-170 MHZ and 430 to 470 Mhz. Best to set it up with a programing spreadsheet. In 6 months I have spent 150 hours and 10 bottles of wine perfecting the spreadsheet. My other bad habit is breaking the encoding on FRS radios. Story kind of goes like this. Caregiver calls the Sherriff department and complains some man is talking to Johnny on his FRS radio. Sherriff department calls me and tells me to quit it.
Again, is there a "Portable CB" that you would recommend for an Emergency Situation?
TK Skagen: Check out the "President Randy" hand held or mobile installation model. 40 channel 4 watt. Well built. Been into CB over 4 decades as an operator and tinkerer/technician.
What he said- The Randy is a great CB option
Did you ever try your Randy on your A-99?
Not Retrievis, but Retevis.
The second R is invisible. Not silent, but invisible.
@@FarpointFarms Re-Te-Vis, not "retrieve us". Thanks!
ok on the new radio which I have never herd of there one thing you cant use it on till
you send in 35.00 dollars too the f c c before you can talk I know now this becouse I own one but you did not
read the book cover to cover first
Not sure I understand the question, but yes, here in the states you need a GMRS license to transmit.
Negan. The walking dead. Looks and sounds alike!!
Just be happy that I am much nicer than him.
G'day from Australia, if you get a chance Google my radio up, gme xrs 370c. UHF CB radio Aussie spec. Has extended frequencies 400-520Mhz rx only.. Great radio. Australian made.. No much Aussie made stuff around anymore.. 👍 HooRoo.
Cool!
Would this radio be good choice for a newbie? Still trying to decide.
You could do worst. If you live in a footprint of a repeater you could get by with a handheld. If you live any distance from a repeater you really do need the power to reach it and to sound good. Learn to set the tones and get a small external speaker. If you have no repeaters in your area you need to bring friends into the hobby with you or you will be lonely. Those little antennas do work well. Do realize 462-467MHz is line of sight communications. Low ground will kill you and any hills between you your intended communicating subject will not happen.
@@2148aa Hmm, now I,m thinking this hobby might not work for me..
I,m in Florida.. low ground everywhere. I guess i,m out of luck
That would depend on your needs. CB is going to be a much better hobby to get into cheaply. GMRS is a little more complicated.
Probably comes off the same assembly line as the Midland MXT275 for half the price....just like the Retevis RT97s and the Midland equivalent. The only thing I hate about Retevis is the crap manuals they provide, and the fact that if you live in what they determine to be a rural address, they will try to charge you $50-$75 for the "Free Shipping" that you receive at the time you placed the order online. All this crap ships from China and their tracking info leaves a lot to be desired.
Lately, I've been having a harder and harder time with manuals from all the radio makers. Maybe they are trying to save money by making the print much smaller.
You need to deactivate the ctc tones ,or you will only get respond from other with the same ctc tone activated on the specific channel ,everyone with a gmrs radio in range will hear you
CTCC tones don't actually keep people from hearing you unless the person on the other side sets them up that way. Everyone can hear you, anyway. For all of about four blocks at four watts.
This is a 20 watt radio. You can tell by the cigarette lighter plug. They might hear you (simplex) at a mile and a half, but unless they have a similar setup and radio, you won't hear them. That little antenna will have the effect of raising your antenna by the height of the vehicle, before that tiny base lets the wind blow it off. Minus, of course, the coax loss.
Better to move to a mountain top and get a decent megaphone. I'm sure it's a good radio, but that's the nature of GMRS.
@@HarryHamsterChannel Where I live there is a GMRS repeater on a mountain about 30 miles away that I can easily hit I can use that and easily talk to people 40 miles away with only a 5 watt hand held radio. Even without the repeater we can talk for several miles if one of the radios is at elevation. You are underestimating the range and not considering other important factors. There are so many repeaters around here that I can reach people several miles away wherever I go.
Apparently you didn't watch the range test videos I did with GMRS and CB radio. Ranges are much longer than you are stating here and that is in very sharp mountain terrain.
GMRS .... no ionosphere bounce! It will never compete with CB or Ham
I agree with that.
That annoying static. I talked on CB radio for 3 decades. But cb radio is denying out, at least it is in my area. But GMRS is booming 💥 here in N.C. I hate it.. I like CB
i just heard an eric in Maine talking to australia . !!!! was that you ?
Not me- But thanks for asking- Hearing someone from Maine in Australia is impressive
@@FarpointFarms The north eastern staes were very strong to australia this morning our time . the only state we never hear is vermont . seem to go straight over it or land short every time