Manually Programming the Retevis A3

The Retevis A3 is a feature-packed handheld radio that breaks the mold of traditional dual-band transceivers. In addition to standard 2m/70cm transmit capabilities, the A3 features broad reception across Shortwave (SW), Medium Wave (MW), Aviation bands, AM/FM/SSB/CW demodulation, a hardware frequency counter, a real-time spectrum analyzer, and a modular 3-antenna system!

This complete guide covers antenna matching, manual keypad programming for simplex and repeaters, Shortwave Listening (SWL) in SSB mode, and workflows for all built-in diagnostic tools 🛠️.

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🔌 Step 1: Matching the 3 Antennas to the Right Band

The Retevis A3 includes three specialized antennas out of the box to maximize performance across its multi-band receiver:

• 1. Dual-Band Flexible Rubber Duck (50 MHz / 144 MHz / 430 MHz): Screws into the primary SMA antenna jack on top. Use this for standard 6 Meter, 2 Meter, and 70 Centimeter transmitting and receiving.
• 2. Telescopic Whip Antenna (10 Meters / 28–30 MHz & Upper HF): Screws into the primary SMA jack. Extend this whip fully when monitoring 10M ham activity or higher HF bands for improved signal reception.
• 3. Ferrite T-Bar Antenna (0.153 MHz – 18 MHz): Plugs into the dedicated auxiliary antenna port located right beside the main antenna connector. This antenna is specifically designed for Longwave, AM Broadcast (MW), and Shortwave (SW) HF reception.

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📻 Keypad & Navigation Quick Reference

Navigation on the A3 uses a top rotary knob alongside dedicated front panel keys:

• Rotary Knob: Rotate to scroll through frequencies, memory channels, or menu items smoothly.
• [ MENU ]: Opens the main menu structure or confirms a parameter setting.
• [ EXIT ]: Returns to the previous menu level or cancels editing.
• [ V/M ]: Toggles between VFO (Frequency) Mode and MR (Channel) Mode.
• [ A/B ]: Switches active focus between Channel A (Upper) and Channel B (Lower).
• [ BAND ]: Cycles through available receiver frequency bands (F1 through F13) in VFO mode.
• [ ◄ ] / [ ► ]: Steps through frequencies or adjusts setting values.

Key Numeric Shortcuts (From Main Screen):

• Short Press [ 1 ]: Adjust Squelch (SQL) level | Long Press [ 1 ]: Adjust Tuning Step.
• Short Press [ 3 ]: Open Frequency Counter (One-Key Frequency Match).
• Short Press [ 4 ]: Start CTCSS/DCS Auto-Detection.
• Short Press [ 5 ]: Open NOAA Weather Radio.
• Short Press [ 6 ]: Adjust TX Power Output.
• Short Press [ 7 ]: Launch Spectrum Analyzer | Long Press [ 7 ]: Toggle Reverse Frequency (Talk Around).
• Short Press [ 8 ]: Toggle Modulation (FM, AM, LSB, USB, CW) | Long Press [ 8 ]: Save Channel to Memory.
• Long Press [ 9 ]: Start NOAA Weather Scanning.
• Long Press [ # ]: Toggle Keypad Lock.

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⚙️ Step 2: Basic VFO Setup (Step, Bandwidth & Power)

1. Switch to VFO Mode

Press [ V/M ] until raw frequency numbers display on screen without channel numbers.

2. Set Frequency Step (STEP — Menu 2-02)

1. Press [ MENU ], navigate to Menu 2-02 (STEP), or long press [ 1 ].
2. Use the rotary knob or [ ◄ ] / [ ► ] to select your step (e.g., 5K, 6.25K, 12.5K, 25K).
3. Press [ MENU ] to confirm, then [ EXIT ].

3. Set Channel Bandwidth (W/N — Menu 2-09)

1. Open Menu 2-09 (W/N).
2. Select Wideband (25 kHz) for standard FM repeaters or Narrowband (12.5 kHz).
3. Press [ MENU ] to save.

4. Set Transmit Power (TXP — Menu 2-03)

1. Short press [ 6 ] or navigate to Menu 2-03 (TXP).
2. Select High, Medium, or Low power.
3. Press [ MENU ] to confirm.

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🟢 Step 3: Programming a Simplex Channel

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📡 Step 4: Programming a Repeater Channel

1. Enter Receive Frequency

In VFO Mode, short press [ # ] and key in 4 4 4 2 0 0.

2. Set Transmit CTCSS / DCS Tone (T CTC/DCS — Menu 2-06)

1. Press [ MENU ] and open Menu 2-06 (T CTC/DCS).
2. Short press [ # ] to toggle mode until CTCSS displays.
3. Scroll using the top rotary knob or enter 100.0 directly.
4. Press [ MENU ] to confirm.

3. Set Repeater Offset Direction & Value

1. Open Menu 2-07 (SFT-D) and select + (Positive Shift). Press [ MENU ].
2. Open Menu 2-08 (OFFSET) and key in 005.0000 MHz. Press [ MENU ] to confirm.

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💾 Step 5: Storing & Deleting Memory Channels

Saving to Memory

1. With your configured frequency on screen in VFO mode, long press [ 8 ] on the keypad.
2. Alternatively, open Menu 2-19 (MEM-CH).
3. Rotate the top knob to select an empty memory channel slot (e.g., 004).
   Note: Occupied slots display a CH- prefix (e.g., CH-001).
4. Press [ MENU ] to save. Optionally edit the channel name and press [ MENU ] again.

Deleting a Memory Channel

1. Navigate to Menu 2-20 (DEL-CH).
2. Select the channel using the rotary knob and press [ MENU ].
3. When SURE? appears, press [ MENU ] again to confirm.

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🌐 Step 6: Shortwave Listening (SWL) in HF SSB Mode

One of the Retevis A3's standout capabilities is Shortwave Listening (SWL) across High Frequency (HF) amateur bands using Single Sideband (SSB).

Step-by-Step HF SSB Workflow:

1. Connect the Correct Antenna: Plug the Ferrite T-Bar Antenna into the dedicated 0.153–18 MHz port for lower HF bands (160M, 80M, 40M, 30M, 20M), or install the Telescopic Whip Antenna on the main SMA port for higher HF bands (17M, 15M, 12M, 10M).
2. Select HF Band: Press [ V/M ] to enter VFO mode, then press [ BAND ] to select F2 (1.8–18 MHz) or F3 (18–32 MHz).
3. Select Sideband Demodulation Mode (DEMOD — Menu 2-13):
   Short press [ 8 ] repeatedly to toggle demodulation:
   • Select LSB (Lower Sideband): Standard for amateur communications below 10 MHz (e.g., 40 Meters / 7.150 MHz or 80 Meters / 3.800 MHz).
   • Select USB (Upper Sideband): Standard for amateur communications above 10 MHz (e.g., 20 Meters / 14.230 MHz or 10 Meters / 28.400 MHz).
4. Set Fine Tuning Steps: SSB voice signals require fine tuning to sound natural. Long press [ 1 ] or open Menu 2-02 (STEP) and select fine steps such as 100Hz or 500Hz. Use the top rotary knob for smooth pitch adjustment.
5. Optimize Audio Bandwidth & AGC:
   • Open Menu 2-10 (MW/SW-BW) and set filter bandwidth to 2.5KHz or 3.0KHz to reduce adjacent noise.
   • Open Menu 3-10 (MWSW AGC) and turn Automatic Gain Control ON to stabilize fading shortwave signals.

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🌪️ Special Feature 1: Built-In NOAA Weather Radio

• Quick Tune: Short press [ 5 ] to jump directly to NOAA receiving on Channel A.
• Auto Scan: Long press [ 9 ] to scan active local weather broadcasts.
• SAME Digital Alerts (Menu 9): Configure 1050Hz tone or SAME digital decoding in Menu 9-03. View up to 32 saved emergency alerts in Menu 9-08.

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🔍 Special Feature 2: One-Key Frequency Counter

Quickly identify the frequency and sub-audible access tone of a nearby transmitting radio:

1. Hold your A3 near the target radio.
2. Short press [ 3 ] on the keypad.
3. Transmit on the target radio. The A3 will display the exact frequency and CTCSS/DCS tone on screen.
4. Press [ MENU ] to store the captured signal directly into a channel memory!

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📊 Special Feature 3: Built-In Spectrum Analyzer

Visualize real-time RF activity directly on the A3 LCD:

1. Set your center frequency on screen, then short press [ 7 ].
2. Press [ 1 ]: Adjust Center Frequency.
3. Press [ 2 ]: Adjust Reference Sensitivity Level.
4. Press [ 3 ]: Adjust Visual Sweep Span (128 kHz to 6.4 MHz).
5. Press [ 4 ]: Move Marker Cursor across peak signals.
6. Press [ 5 ]: Copy the marker frequency directly to your center frequency.

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📋 Retevis A3 Menu Reference Chart

Menu #	Display Name	Options / Values	Description
2-01	SQL	0 - 9	Squelch Threshold Level
2-02	STEP	100Hz - 25KHz	Tuning Step (100Hz/500Hz for fine SSB)
2-03	TXP	High / Medium / Low	Transmit Output Power
2-06	T CTC/DCS	CTCSS / DCS / Null	Transmit Sub-Audible Tone
2-07	SFT-D	Off / + / -	Repeater Shift Direction
2-08	OFFSET	0 - 999.9750 MHz	Repeater Shift Magnitude
2-10	MW/SW-BW	2KHz - 5.5KHz	MW/SW Audio Filter Bandwidth
2-13	DEMOD	FM / AM / LSB / USB / CW	Demodulation Mode
2-19	MEM-CH	Channel 001 - 999	Store Channel Memory
3-10	MWSW AGC	On / Off	MW/SW Automatic Gain Control