I just ordered a Retevis RA87, anyone run one?

[WSDI867]

On 6/22/2024 at 11:54 AM, SvenMarbles said:

It’s purely speculative on my end, but this issue REALLY sounds like whatever power source you’re using cannot supply adequate amperage to the radio while keyed on high..

Yes you are correct. My power supplies were both underpowered at around 5 amps 7 amp peak. Now I just need to find a cheap power supply.. I have been looking for 20 to 30 amps... what would be the ideal amperage?

[Borage257]

It’ll have to be wired up, but there’s this.

 

https://a.co/d/05s7uRel

[dosw]

2 hours ago, Borage257 said:

It’ll have to be wired up, but there’s this.

 

https://a.co/d/05s7uRel

That one is listed at 12v, not 13.8. I never find 13.8v power supplies in 20A or more for less than $79

[Borage257]

You can buy either a 12v or 15v. Both have adjustment screws to dial in your voltage.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2024 by Borage257
Added snips for product and product data sheet

[SteveShannon]

8 hours ago, WSDI867 said:

Yes you are correct. My power supplies were both underpowered at around 5 amps 7 amp peak. Now I just need to find a cheap power supply.. I have been looking for 20 to 30 amps... what would be the ideal amperage?

A 100 watt radio needs about 23 amps.  A 50 watt radio needs about half that, maybe 12-15 amps.  
 

[WSDI867]

On 6/24/2024 at 8:49 AM, Borage257 said:

You can buy either a 12v or 15v. Both have adjustment screws to dial in your voltage.

 

 

Thanks this power supply works great for my Retevis RA87 40watt GMRS radio. No more power failures. The power supply is quiet and hasn't needed to run the fan yet. 

[Borage257]

1 hour ago, WSDI867 said:

Thanks this power supply works great for my Retevis RA87 40watt GMRS radio. No more power failures. The power supply is quiet and hasn't needed to run the fan yet. 

You’re welcome! Pair it with a good LiFePo4 battery (20ah or more) and charger for emergency comms too!

[WRCK329]

Any feedback on duty cycle? 

Most mobile radios get extremely hot when used as a repeater. 

 

I can't find the listed duty cycle anywhere 

[WSBY849]

I am fairly new to GMRS, have only had my license for 6 months, and just set up a RA87 this weekend and been programming repeaters around my area with CHIRP. The radio seems pretty solid. Can't speak to durability-offroad use, as I am using as a base station in my home with the Retevis RA09 antenna currently mounted on a tripod on upstairs floor - HOA prevents having radio antennas above roofline but those unsightly dishes are everywhere... go figure.

[BoxCar]

Th FCC says HOSs can't ban dishes.

[WSGC728]

On 5/20/2024 at 1:28 PM, Guest said:

I want so badly to like retivis but EVERY person I know that has ever tried one ends up dumping them pretty fast.   The fit and feel seam ok but they seam to have many problems after a few weeks or months of use.  The price seams good but they don’t seam to last very long.    I hope this one works out for you.  Many people tell me my tyt radios don’t last but I abuse them every day in wet hot dusty snowy bumpy old trucks and they do fine and have done fine for a long while of hard use. So…

I have had good luck with my Retevis RA87. According to my SWR meter, it pulls a steady 1.0-1.1 SWR reading & anywhere between 40-45 watts of power with a Larson magnetic mount antenna. It also pulls the same SWR & wattage on a dummy load. 

[CoffeeTime]

My RA87 in the truck as been great performer for months now. Many of the issues I faced early on was from me learning the radio. If things go sideways now( from me playing with features) I simply reload the code plug and all is right again.  Not having a cooling fan is a good thing in my dusty truck.

[dosw]

3 hours ago, WSGC728 said:

I have had good luck with my Retevis RA87. According to my SWR meter, it pulls a steady 1.0-1.1 SWR reading & anywhere between 40-45 watts of power with a Larson magnetic mount antenna. It also pulls the same SWR & wattage on a dummy load. 

SWR is the Standing Wave Ratio, and is a function of your antenna, cabling, connectors, antenna mount, ground plane effectiveness, and environment. As power is reflected back into the radio rather than efficiently disappating it in the form of RF output, the reflection back into your radio is the standing wave. This is a bit of an oversimplification, but accurate enough to explain that if you see a higher SWR your radio is usually the last place to look, the last thing to blame. And into a dummy load -- it would be a terrible dummy load if it were reflecting power back into the radio. Their purpose is to absorb power with the proper ohm load to avoid elevated SWR that could damage the radio.

 

Anyway, the RA87 has been very reliable for me over the past year or so. Unfortunately it fits in great with the utilitarian interior of my old Bronco, but not as well with the cushy interior of my newer F150. I'll probably go with something with a remote faceplate if I can figure out where i want to mount it, and how to route the antenna cable in this newer truck. In the old Bronco a few visible wires and a big radio under the dash just ads character.