Retevis RT29 UHF 10w HT quick review

[73blazer]

I got a couple of these for the 10w capability with the thought it may help punch through the trees a bit better. In my testing I have noticed a 4w HT goes about .75mi reliably and 1mi if you stand in the right spots. a 5w HT does 1mi reliably 1.25mi if your in the right spots. The 935g has always been the winner in these woods at 1.25mi reliably with 1.5 or a bit more if your in the right spots. All tests in my heavy forest which has an 80' canopy, radio to radio simplex, with a Nagoya 771g antenna.

So the RT29 is not labeled as any service.I have the UHF waterproof version (IP67 rated).  Its very simple no screen interface, with only a channel changer for it's 16 channels, volume, ptt, and two programmable buttons. It's big 3200mah batt is very nice. The radio is slightly bigger than most regular GMRS HT's out there but still very easy to carry around on your belt. It comes preprogrammed with a bunch of DCS tones and ham frequencies which is somewhat hilarious as you really need a HAM or business license to operate it as it comes out of the box but nowhere is it labeled as such. It's actually labeled with an FCCID sticker of 2ASNSRT76 which if you looked it up is a GMRS FCC cert for an RT76 radio. an RT76 looks the same but is 5w, a smaller battery, and only RXs/TX's on GMRS channels . This RT29 RXs/TXx on anything from 400-480mhz. Mabey it's  a GMRS radio, mabey it's not. Well, ok, the label says it is, but, it's not.

I also bought the J9131P programming cable which is required for programming, and it's the only programming cable that works with it, I had another very similar one with the same three pins on the waterproof mic/speaker connector but it does not work (it pretends to work, but locks up midway). You have to use the J9131P cable, which does not come with a driver, the driver does not automatically install, and is a pain in the bitch to even find on the inter web. You have to go to https://www.ailunce.com website (the company that makes the cable) to even find it, it's not on Retevis website. The programing software is also not free, Retevis wants you to buy it. Fortunately CHIRP supports this radio.

OOB the most power I could get from any of the default channels was 9.6w using my Surecomm 33 meter.

Here are the OOB frequencies and tones and settings its programmed with:

 

The available PF key functions are monitor, scan, vox, scramble, alarm or none (and no, the manual doesn't tell you that or even what the default PF1/2 keys do). Squelch is only adjustable via the programming software, you cannot program a button for it, it's literally, only in the software. I turned mine down to 1.

There's no way to know any of that , the manual is worthless and does not tell you anything, let alone the frequencies. No website they have or 3rd party website I could find tells you any of that either. So unless you bought two of them or had the software/programming it's not gonna communicate with much other than it's own.

So, performance. I programmed mine with some GMRS frequencies and a repeater 18mi away. Starting with the receive, with the default or the 771G antenna, it sucks at receiving. The repeater sounds like garbage, everyone sounds horrible, and it cuts out alot like its on the edge of it's range you have to stand in certain spots even then it keeps cutting out. I may expect that here for TX to that repeater, but not for RX. My 935G or 905G has zero problem receiving that repeater anywhere I walk around my home inside or out. This won't even pick it up inside the house. TX puts out 9.5w on the 467 range and 9.6w on the 462 range. So it's doing its wattage. It will get about 1.5-1.75mi in my woods radio to radio simplex. But anything beyond 1.25 sounds so bad for the receiving radio it's basically not usable at that range unless your very slow and careful how you hold/speak/form words and standing in a perfect spot. So the 10w does punch through, but because the radio is so dirty, it really just doesn't work unless your closer. Essentially it makes the 10w worthless.

It does have a scrambler function, which works. If your wondering, on a wouxun radio which has a descambler from types 01-08 type 04 and 06 do the best at descrambling the Retevis R29 scrambler mode (there is only scrambler on or off on the RT29). Of course we all know it's against the rules to use a scambler on GMRS.

Would I use this radio. Probably not. The repeater people tell me it sounds pretty bad, much worse than my 935G which at 5.5w can barely hit that repeater through these woods but in the right areas it sounds good, the RT29 in the same areas or anyplace I tried, didn't sound good to them "very scratchy, lots of background noise, very muted, too much noise" were the comments I got from the repeater crowd.

I like it's simplicity, the big batt, the 10w. The actual radio part, not so much. It is fairly cheap though, at $50 plus $15 for the cable.

 

For size comparison the Wouxun KG935G, Retevis RT29 UHF, Wouxun KG905G

 

 

[Socalgmrs]

Wow so you’re saying your 5w only does 1.5miles?   You got a serious issue.   Unless it’s hitting major hills/mountains and at that point a 50w or ant gonna do any better.   I usually get 20ish miles simplex with a $20 HT.   Seams you have bigger problems then trying to get 10w from an HT. 

[73blazer]

8 hours ago, WRXP381 said:

Wow so you’re saying your 5w only does 1.5miles?   You got a serious issue.   Unless it’s hitting major hills/mountains and at that point a 50w or ant gonna do any better.   I usually get 20ish miles simplex with a $20 HT.   Seams you have bigger problems then trying to get 10w from an HT. 

In case you didn't get to the part that says it, this is heavy forest. Not a line of trees, not a few trees sprinkled around. Solid heavy forest mostly all 1-2' diameter (or more) white and red oak, maple, hickory from 50-80' tall complete with lots of ground brush,  for many square miles. And it's all very flat, so no side has any elevation advantage. I invite you to come here with your 4 or 5w HT so you too, can experience radio ED.

I've extensively tested many different HT's in these woods, HAM's, MURS, CB, business, GMRS on frequencies from 29 (or whatever CB is) to 800mhz range. From $25 Baofangs to $600 motorolas.  No 4-6w HT goes more than 1.5mi simplex. If you also didn't catch it, I can use the repeater 18mi to the north, so..of course once the signal gets out of the canopy and in the open it goes it's usual, many miles.

Why do I want to go simplex that far in these woods? Simple, I was tasked (volunteered) by our hunting group, to find a set of radios we could actually talk on reliably without contorting ourselves or having to find a small hill or open area,  in a very similar woods where we all sit about in about a 1.25mi radius. The KG935G fit the bill. 4w, does not at least not reliably without having to go find a small open area or stand in particular positions. Plus in these woods I go out cuttin wood (we heat with wood) in our back 40 and there's also no/unreliable cell signal here, so my wife sometimes likes to get a hold of me when I'm out "playing" in the woods. This is why I wanted to try the 10w HT's as the extra wattage, based on my experience, in these woods, helps to penetrate the heavy forest. But in this case, the RT29 disappoints for reasons mentioned in the original post.

[WRWE456]

Here is some good info in support of the KG-935G/plus and why you will not likely improve on it.

https://rumble.com/v2pf7jn-wouxun-kg-935g-output-power-and-swr-test-factory-vs.-nagoya-na-771g-and-na7.html

And

https://rumble.com/v3nhca7-the-wouxun-kg-935g-still-the-best-gmrs-ht.html

[73blazer]

2 hours ago, WRWE456 said:

Here is some good info in support of the KG-935G/plus and why you will not likely improve on it.

https://rumble.com/v2pf7jn-wouxun-kg-935g-output-power-and-swr-test-factory-vs.-nagoya-na-771g-and-na7.html

And

https://rumble.com/v3nhca7-the-wouxun-kg-935g-still-the-best-gmrs-ht.html

Yep, the 935G is just a good solid performer in all conditions, and with the 771G antenna on it, I don't think it can be beat in the GMRS HT class. I have not tried a newer 6w KG-Q10G but the reports of non-removable or glued on antennas, I'm not so sure. The 771G gives my 935G an extra clarity at the far ranges.