Retevis RT73 20W Mini DMR Mobile Ham Radio (GPS/APRS-TX)

Radio works great some flaws. The radio could have some improvements but works for what I need it for. Some of the features I wish it had was better scanning features, volume resets when power back up, and no way to program the alpha tag manually. Works great in the ham bands.

The receive audio and mic gain transmit are decent. The radio is compact enough to fit in small spaces. The few things I have noticed is that the handheld microphone doesn't have the typical mic hanger clip on the back like other handheld mics do, and it doesn't include the programming cable to program the radio via PC. Works great on Analog VHF/UHF and on DMR (with a pi-star or equivalent hotspot).

The product is nice and compact as the other reviews have said. It is only 20 W output, but that is understandable given its size.it does have a few little annoying quirks.1: if it receives a signal (or the signal drops, and then gets picked up again) while you are trying to adjust the volume, it will stop adjusting the volume and start changing the chan/freq instead.2: when monitoring two different channels, it will only let you listen to the channel It receives signal from first and will not let you change until the signal is gone. For example, if you have channel A selected but you recieve a signal on chan B, it will switch to chan B and not let you use (RX or TX) chan A untill the signal from chan B is gone, or you change chan B to an inactive channel.3: it does not have a reverse function. It has talkaround, but no reverse. although these two features are similar, they are not the same.4: the CPS is the biggest drawback. If you enter your values into the CPS software in program the radio, for some reason it just decides to change the values on its own, such as switching up the CTCSS codesif you enter your values into the cps, software and program the radio, for some reason it just decides to change the values on its own, such as switching up the tones, frequencies, channel type etc.. which can be frustrating when you programmed the radio and find out that you can't make a connection because the software decided to change your settings on its own.Other than that once you finally get the cps to program the radio correctly, it works well and as intended. I would still recommend this as a good radio to someone learning.

Retevis rt73 reviewPreface: I was looking for a DMR mobile radio at a lower cost than Motorola and with some extra features for ham radio. The in-built GPS that works with analog APRS is dynamite! Overall I like this radio, but recognize its shortcomings and failures. It's up to you if you can accept this or not for your own use case. Let's go over the good, the bad, and the ugly.The good:1. Integrated GPS with removable external antenna means you can get it right in the ham shack or mobile2. It has promiscuous mode for DMR3. Frequency range well outside ham bands for listening or occasional authorized public service use for volunteer firefighters, police, EMA4. Loud output from unit speak and from speak mic which is configureable5. Selectable 20w high or 5w low power6. mounting bracket included7. CPS programming software is free8. Listen in single channel or dual channel mode9. This unit is Tier2 DMR which means it honors 2 timeslot systems which are common in commercial and ham dmr repeaters10. informative color display11. Radio can read/write update fairly quickly for programming. Almost no issues once I had the usb driver loaded and the correct comm port selected12. Very small design means you can have multiple in a small area if needed13. CTCSS DCS and DmR color codes are built inThe Bad:1. You must check/update firmware to best one for APRS to work properly (check the inter webs)2. If you are not very familiar with programming DMR or P25, get a friend to help. There's lots to understand if you want to use DMR correctly in a ham or public service environment3. You need to make memories for every talk group you want to key on each frequency. This is a concept analog radio users may struggle with at first.4. Promiscuous mode is ONLY on one timeslot even if in dual mode5. Small buttons on the panel may not be easy to use/push while driving.6. Small lcd screen may be difficult to see from much of a distance7. Make sure to adjust the TX audio for DMR. Mine was low and I close-talk the mic. On analog it is fine. Go figure!The ugly:1. The radio's active channel is AUTO selected which causes problems when trying to manipulate a different band. Even worse when you attempt to talk on a specific channel. you may inadvertently talk on the wrong channel. without knowing. oops! In my view this feature should always be manual or at least an option for the user to chose in settings2. CPS software can be super buggy and crash easily. New versions are much improved. Keep in mind this may not be the most compatible with the latest Windows. Check before changing or upgrading.3. Proper "best" Firmware for analog APRS can be difficult to find without searching. Maybe in time they will update which firmware is initially on the radio4. Promiscuous mode only one one channel while in dual mode5. setting a static GPS location is possible but a total PITA, dynamic is best but this uses radio resources. If it does too much at once it could on rare occasions lock up6. The radio interrupts the user if a signal is received while in the menu it kicks the user out. This makes it impossible to change volume or any other settings if you have active channels. I found myself fighting the radio for control. Once it is set this is not a major issue but it is no fun when you have loud incoming audio unexpectedly and unable to turn it down. major PITA7. The unit can once in a very long while freeze or lockup which requires a reboot. I think this can happen most when in dual mode with analog APRS beaconing. The radio is doing a lot! It is suggested to operate in single mode if using APRS or try to set static coordinates and disable GPS so the load is reduced.8. Sometimes because of this bug in #8 the radio will forget the contacts in the memory channel and display "No BS set" on key up. Power cycling fixes this. It is a major PITA when it happens. Minimizing which features are on seems to make this go away. Turning everything on seems to tax the radio and allow this kind of memory bug to happen.Update: I updated with the latest Radioddity DB25D firmware and the device is much better! This is the same radio but with different badging and obviously better QC/testing on firmware. Same functionality but it no longer freezes up when doing all the functions simultaneously like APRS and digital dual at the same time as mentioned in #7 above.

Great little radio loaded with many useful features.

I love the fact that this radio has "Zones" instead of channels only. This helps in programming for different locations instead of just one long list of channels. It also helps with building scan lists. You can scan across zones if you desire, you're not limited to only scanning channels in one zone.The software is a little clunky and poorly written. I highly recommend using "Codeplug editor by David MM7DBT". Its much easier to use and understand. I also recommend buying an FTDI programming cable like the one from MIRKIT with multiple cable options. This takes all the frustration of connecting to the radio using prolific drivers. I would just toss the programming cable that comes with it. This is true for anyone trying to connect to a radio using a USB cable, buy one with a true FTDI chip in it.I plan on buying a few more of these radios due to the fact my Yaesu FT-90's are all having displays going bad. It's small and easy to install. Its advertised as 20 watts and for the most part, its plenty of power for what I use it for.I would recommend this radio for anyone getting into the radio hobby even if you don't plan on using DMR, its a growing industry standard and with the promiscuous mode, you can hear DMR traffic without needing all the group contact information.

Not happy with the software, it is not like many other easy to navigate dmr radio programs out there, its confusing and hard to navigate.

I wanted to try out the RT73, but hit a problem right away. Firmware upgrade ended up with a checksum error. I sent emails for support but obviously was ignored. I didn't want a useless radio on a shelf so returned it to Amazon.

I have anther Retevis radio the Ailunce HD1 and I feel it’s well made and it has been a good radio. I was excited to see this DMR dual band radio that it was small. But now I have had this radio for some time and it have given me nothing but problems. The software is unpredictable, after writing the radio you may not get what you inputted in the code plug. I cleared the radio out, tried to redo the code plug but didn’t fix it. I updated the firmware but still nothing. Also having issues with the unit powering on and off. Complete sham that this didn’t work out, I have a DMR paper weight now.

This unit is about the size of removable faceplates on radios which have them. GPS, dual band, easy to program. Looking to standardize on mobile radios installed in fleet vehicles.

I really wanted a DMR radio that I would use in the car easier than an HT with an amplifier. Sadly this radio is almost impossible to program. The software is buggy beyond belief. The radio is as deaf as a stone. I spent 4 hours trying to get this thing programmed and sadly it will not. If the return time had not expired I would return this paperweight. Complete waste of money.

Good feedback on problems from Retevis, but AUDIO QUALITY REPORTS IS A BIG NEGATIVE FOR THIS PRODUCT

It's a good radio. Seems to do what it says. The APRS modulation may be a little wonky. Seems my Kenwood and yaesu don't like to decode it directly But the Digi decides it. So when it goes through the Digipeater I see the position on my HT. Honestly I mostly bought it to use as a 25 watt APRS beacon so I'm a little disappointed in that but it seems like a good radio for analog and DMR. Also they seem to be coming out with some firmware updates so that's promising. I like how long the mic cable is especially considering it's meant to be used in a mobile application where it may be mounted kind of far away from your head Also it's nice that you can use the microphone as a speaker as well.

It’s too bad that in 2021, they couldn’t produce CPS that was plug and play. Been a ham for over 25 years and have programmed my fair share of radios. Unfortunately, I’m forced to return it. Maybe in the future, they’ll build a better CPS. I have their 220 mobile and it’s excellent.

There are too many problems with this radio. I tried like hell to make it useable but it is really bad. Unfortunately I passed the return last day because I was really trying to make it work. I did not realize I already had it too long. I wish Amazon would reconsider and let me return this radio.

Es un equipo de tamaño ideal para uso en un vehículo y tiene todo lo necesario para una buena comunicación. A pesar de su pequeño tamaño, tiene un audio potente que permite oir con claridad las comunicaciones incluso en ambientes ruidosos. Capacidad Tier II, 300 mil contactos, doble banda y mucho más.

Hard to program with hard depressing knob !

This radio has potential. It is a true mini mobile, so small that it is about the size of a control head (removable front). That is it's real draw even though it has just 20 Watt RF output. For DMR use, it works pretty well. It has a very small display that would be difficult to see in a vehicle and its analog FM operation is annoying.The radio is marketed to the commercial/business/public service arenas but not to US Amateur Radio community. It does not have the part 90 sticker but will transmit there. But it does support Ham Radio and is legally able to operate on the UHF and VHF ham bands. That was my interest in this radio, so the out of band operation was not important to me.Special mention of Retrivis customer service: It was surprisingly good. A China based rep Emailed me and phoned as well and over the course of 7-10 days, I was provided with tips and they wanted my codeplug for testing. So hopefully in time this radio will mature. My Evaluation (no technical specs testing)There are many issues with this radio but much of it could be fixed with better CPS and Firmware. I am fairly picky on radio operation and performance but cost is also part of of the evaluation for overall value. If you use it for DMR only and are willing to wait for CPS/firmware improvements and the cost stays below $200, this could be the answer to the removable control heads for DMR mobiles for Hams.Ham digital use is useful now but barely and not for what I envisioned, a DMR mobile in my wife's car due to its sub-compact size. The radio is the size of a small control head, so limited to 20 watts, fan cooled.So the pro's and cons, first with Digital, then Analog. The following is not comprehensive but mostly my personal take on the lowlights: General Radio and Digital Mode Pro'sCompact size, it is a true palm size mobile radio.It is DMR Tier IIIt works on DMR, more or lessTX's wideband VHF and UHF (outside of the Ham bands)Decent quality and levels of RX audioDecent quality and level adjust of the TX audioIncluded printed manual is fairly decentMic has a magnet for hanging, it is strong so a plus but slides down from a vertical face, so not so muchFast write to the radio (no contacts entered but does a full block write)AMBE++ (at least that is what it claims, unknown if software or hardware based) General Radio and Digital Mode Con's20 Watts TX (or 5 watts at the other setting)Volume level defaults to max volume on power up, prepare to be blasted (there is a fix for it)Volume level changes require pushing a function button on top of the radio first, then channel knob becomes volume controlVolume on both A/B bands is sync'd, not independentCan't turn off band 2Only single band is capable of RX at a time (Anytone allows Digital and Analog simultaneously)Promiscuous mode or digital monitor only listens to 1 timeslotGPS Rx seems sensitive enough but could not figure out how to make it work digitally and there is no analog APRS support at allCPS must install in windows default directories to function. If you optional choose otherwise it will crash after the first few mouse clicksCPS is sketchy with values changing after entry. Still seems to work though showing wrong valuesExt mic jack is 3.5mm, Ext Speaker jack is 2.5mm. Internal speaker does not mute when external is plugged inCPS is not included, found it on the web and must follow the same release versioning as the firmware (same as Anytone)Same small screen as the AnytonesMarketed as a commercial/business/public service radio. No part 90 sticker and no mention of Amateur Radio use. Analog Pro'sIt has analog mode...I did not test beyond that as I need digital and having analog is better than digital only Analog Con's:CTCSS and DTS both do not mute squelch crash (tested 120, 180 and 240 degree Reverse Burst)Squelch crash is painfully long, tightest squelch is still very nastyI did not do much testing with analog due to my interest in digital operational quality as well as my need for DMR primarily.If you are willing to be a beta tester for this radio or otherwise put up with its shortcomings, it may be worth it in the long run. I returned the radio to Retrevis.

Good radio

Cool mini mobile DMR. Have only used it analog so far, received a poor report on how it sounds. Have found a mike gain setting and we will see. Has a place on the side to plug in a different spkr mic, will try that , too. Actual size is closer to 4 3/4" x 3" x 1 7/8".