Manually Programming the Retevis RT85 - Front Panel

The Retevis RT85 is a compact, dual-band analog handheld transceiver (HT) that delivers up to 5W of power across the 2m (144–148 MHz) and 70cm (430–450 MHz) amateur radio bands. Whether you're out in the field or setting up your radio at home, knowing how to manually program frequencies, repeater offsets, and tones directly from the front panel is an essential skill 🛠️.

This guide breaks down step-by-step keypad workflows for fundamental ham radio operations without needing a computer or programming cable!

📻 Keypad & Navigation Quick Reference

Before diving into programming, let's review the main control keys on your RT85 front panel:

• [ F ] (Function / Enter): Press to open the main menu or confirm a parameter selection.
• [ ▲ ] / [ ▼ ]: Navigate up or down through menu items, frequencies, or stored channels.
• [ A/B ]: Toggles operating focus between Upper (A) and Lower (B) display lines, or acts as an Exit / Back button when inside menus.
• [ # CH ]: Short press switches between VFO (Frequency) and MR/CH (Memory Channel) modes. Long press enters FM Radio mode.
• [ * Lock ]: Toggles CTCSS/DCS options inside menu settings. Long press locks/unlocks the keypad.
• [ Side Key 1 / Flashlight ]: Short press turns on the LED light. Long press transmits a 1750Hz burst tone for repeater access.

⚙️ Step 1: Basic VFO Settings (Step, Bandwidth & Power)

Always configure your fundamental audio and tuning parameters in VFO Mode before entering your operating frequency.

1. Switch to VFO Mode

Press the [ # CH ] button until frequency numbers appear on the display without a small channel number on the far right.

2. Set Frequency Step (STEP — Menu 27)

Set how far the frequency moves each time you press the arrow keys. (Common North American Ham default: 5.00K or 6.25K for VHF, 12.5K or 25K for UHF).

1. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 7 ] (Display shows STEP).
2. Press [ F ] to select.
3. Use [ ▲ ] / [ ▼ ] to pick your step size (e.g., 5K, 6.25K, 12.5K, 25K).
4. Press [ F ] to save, then [ A/B ] to exit.

3. Set Channel Bandwidth (N/W — Menu 28)

Most amateur repeater systems use Wideband (25 kHz).

1. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 8 ] (Display shows N/W).
2. Press [ F ] to select.
3. Select WIDE (25kHz) or NARROW (12.5kHz).
4. Press [ F ] to confirm, then [ A/B ] to exit.

4. Set Transmit Power (POW — Menu 4)

1. Press [ F ] + [ 4 ] (Display shows POW).
2. Press [ F ] to select.
3. Choose HIGH (5W) for maximum reach, or LOW (0.5W) to preserve battery power.
4. Press [ F ] to confirm, then [ A/B ] to exit.

🟢 Step 2: Programming a Simplex Frequency

Simplex communications happen directly radio-to-radio on a single frequency without repeaters.

📡 Step 3: Programming a Repeater Channel

Repeater stations use split frequencies (Offset Direction & Magnitude) along with sub-audible access tones (CTCSS/DCS).

1. Enter the Receive Frequency

In VFO Mode, type 1 4 6 9 4 0.

2. Set CTCSS Transmit Tone (T-CDC — Menu 25)

1. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 5 ] (Display shows T-CDC).
2. Press [ F ] to enter.
3. Press [ * Lock ] to toggle tone modes until numerical CTCSS tones (e.g., 67.0) appear on screen.
4. Use [ ▲ ] / [ ▼ ] to scroll to 100.0 Hz.
5. Press [ F ] to confirm, then [ A/B ] to exit.

Note: If the repeater also requires a receive tone, use Menu 23 (C-CDC) to set both RX/TX tones simultaneously.

3. Set Repeater Offset Direction (S-D — Menu 26)

1. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 6 ] (Display shows S-D).
2. Press [ F ] to select.
3. Select - (Minus Shift) for standard 2m negative offset.
4. Press [ F ] to confirm, then [ A/B ] to exit.

4. Set Offset Frequency Magnitude (OFFSET — Menu 22)

1. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 2 ] (Display shows OFFSET).
2. Press [ F ] to edit.
3. Key in 00.600 MHz using the keypad (or 05.000 for standard 70cm repeaters).
4. Press [ F ] to save, then [ A/B ] to exit.

💾 Step 4: Saving a Frequency to Memory Channel

Once you have dialed in your frequency, tones, offset, and power settings in VFO mode, follow these steps to store them in one of the 200 memory slots:

1. With your configured frequency on screen in VFO mode, **press and hold [ F ]** until the channel number digits start blinking at the top right of the LCD screen.
2. Use the [ ▲ ] / [ ▼ ] keys (or enter digits directly) to select your target channel number (e.g., 05).
   Note: If a channel number blinks continuously, it means that memory slot is already occupied.
3. Press [ # CH ] to store the channel. The LCD will transition to Memory (MR) mode displaying your newly stored channel!

Deleting a Memory Channel

1. While in VFO mode, **press and hold [ F ]** until the channel digits blink at top right.
2. Select the channel number you wish to clear using [ ▲ ] / [ ▼ ].
3. Press [ * Lock ] to delete the channel memory.

🔍 Advanced Features for Amateur Operators

Scanning for Tones (SEEK 67.0 / SEEK D023N — Menus 29 & 30)

If you encounter an active repeater or station but don't know the required tone:

1. Tune to the frequency in VFO mode.
2. Press [ F ] + [ 2 ] [ 9 ] for CTCSS Tone Search or [ 3 ] [ 0 ] for DCS Code Search.
3. Press [ F ] to initiate scanning. The radio will cycle through sub-audible tones and lock onto the incoming tone automatically.
4. Press PTT to halt tone scanning at any time.

1750Hz Tone Burst (European Repeater Access)

To access repeaters requiring a tone burst, press and hold [ Side Key 1 ] for 2 seconds while transmitting. The radio will superimpose a 1750Hz audio tone onto your carrier signal.

📋 RT85 Essential Menu Quick Chart