Retevis RA86 GMRS Mobile Two Way Radio with Integrated Microphone and Programming Cable

This is my second one. Bought one for the truck and one for the house. Works great, great reports, sounds good. Don't like the mic hook, just put a standard knob on the back like everything else.

It does work and fairly well. But it’s no top of the line radio. But it does what you need and at a good price. So I would buy again as I have 2 already.

Installed two of these in two cars. I couldn't ask more for the money I spent. If you're just getting started, you can't go wrong with this radio for a mobile. Only thing is as you TX for longer periods and the unit warms up, the TX power drops but it is by design and works like it should.

I had a issue with the programming cable and Retivis support reached out and sent a new cable very quickly. These are great little radios!

I installed this in my Jeep and used CHIRP to program it. Works like a charm. For those new to Chirp, seek youtube for instructions for help. I have used CHIRP for years and it is not for the first time user.

As with many of my purchases, cost plays a big part in my decision This radio works well, and is easy to program without a computer Power is good and is about 2 to 3 watts below advertised output. (All manufacturers rate wattage higher than actual output). Radio quality is very good, as well as audio clarity. Scan mode works well and is on par with most GMRS radio units. I will purchase again and recommend this radio. This is a hobby or pastime for me so I'll save a few bucks and spend on quality antennas.

This radio is tiny, but mighty. I’m able to pick up repeaters over 50 miles away with my ghost antenna. Feels of good quality, full aluminum body. Display is easy to see. Speaker is loud, and sounds very good in my opinion. I do not see the need for an external speaker at this time.

Great quality product. Relatively easy to program with computer software. Able to be opened up to use Amateur Radio frequencies and repeaters, as well as GMRS. Compact design, and a sensitive receiver.

after a month of regular use, this radio is holding up well, and is still working very well. Very pleased with it so far. I have been using hand held GMRS radios for years and recently decided to purchase a mobile unit. I chose the Retevis RA86 based on a number of reviews, which were almost universally positive. So far my experience with it has been very good. . It was exceptionally easy to set up: hook up the antenna, plug the radio into a power source, and you are good to go! You are ready to talk in simplex mode.

Really nice rig and really tiny and filled with features. It's type accepted by the FCC which was shocking to me. And it's user programmable with the programming cable! It does gmrs repeaters also

I purchased 4 of these bundles to try out on our 3200 acre farm. Got one for the combine, two in tractors, and one in the semi. They are super compact and simple to install. There's no programming or anything required. We mostly use the radios for combine to grain cart communication. I plan on buying 4 more in the near future to fully outfit our operation.

Bought a few to try out. Will be ordering more soon!

This has been a great purchase for my farm operation. Very clear and pretty good range for.20W radio.

I bought two GMRS mobile packages and will be getting more for all of my farm equipment. The size is perfect for installation in tight areas and is very affordable.

The RETEVIS commitment to excellent customer service and the abundance of positive radio reviews gave me the confidence to make the purchase. Great product, solid and well built !! I'm delighted with my decision!

I mounted this radio in my Jeep and found to be it to be very adequate for this use… Radio has tons of features, most of which I don’t use… My main use is on trail rides talking to other vehicles…

Quality, size and ease of use. Very much like the microphone! Included programming cable and can use chirp to program.

I have several similar radios and I like this one the best. The user interface is easy to use without diving into the manual to figure out the secondary button pushes and such. The housing has a really solid feel and the front panel and display are far and away easier on the eyes than the other radios. The many buttons on the microphone make it easy to control the radio without reaching for the front panel.

We rely on the RA86 for our planting operations. The built-in mic is perfect for hands-free communication, and the 20W GMRS output ensures strong, clear signals across our large farm fields

GMRS is pretty cool. I use it to keep up with my friends on the trail. Retevis knocked it out of the park with this one. Easy to install, and easy to use. Really good microphone and controls on this one and as a bonus it has 2 speakers.

This radio works well and I have been told by others they can hear me clearly. This one does well in town and the repeater I use is close so not problem for me. The channels and privacy tones work a little different from typical GMRS radios so you will need to reference the manual to get familiar with how this works.

Small form factor. Display is good size and easy to read. Easy to add repeaters and add tones. Included antenna is small but works alot better than expected. I am hitting repeaters 25+ miles away. Very satisfied with performance.

Not a bad radio for the price. Once you get the hang of it the programming isn’t that bad. Download the software and it gets even better. Clear crisp sound, good value in a small package.

This is an initial impression based on first looks. First, it arrived in good condition with all component parts. The box included a programming cable, which is not in the sales description. It powered up properly and responded to the programming software after connecting the radio to the PC with the included cable. It was accessible via both CHIRP and the Retevis software I downloaded. So far, things look good. I will update this review once I have some actual usage experience.

I am just getting into GMRS so I didn't want to spend a fortune, this radio package (RA86 with power cable, bracket, programming cable, and tiny magnetic mount antenna) was a great deal and works amazing! The antenna is pretty tiny and lightweight with a very small diameter cable, when I got the radio I set the antenna on top of the file cabinet in the upstairs bedroom in my house, and programmed the radio for various GMRS repeaters near me. Much to my surprise I was able to hit a repeater over 50 miles away, just with that tiny antenna, mounted indoors on a metal file cabinet!! Other radio users said my audio was clear and they could hear me very well. I was shocked at the performance from such a small antenna, especially considering it wasn't in the optimal location and was indoors!! It is kind of acting as a base station now but it's so small and portable (especially with the cigarette lighter power plug) that I will be mobile with it soon. I am very happy with the radio. It's pretty basic but it works great, has very clear and loud audio, and is very small and compact, It took less than 2 weeks for the radio to arrive, shipped from China. Very well packaged, arrived in perfect condition. Retevis provided a tracking link that showed progress of the package every step of the way.

With obstacles around me like buildings and hills I still get about 25 miles with a cheap antenna. I will upgrade the antenna and I should get at another ten miles or so.

I’ve had it for a little while now and the only thing I can complain about is sometimes it won’t turn on. I just unplug it and plug it back in and it’s back to working perfectly. Just add a small kill switch and it’ll be perfect

Easy to operate with quality sound both transmit and receive

It arrived well packaged and without blemish. It worked perfect right out of the box. Audio can be set LOUD with the two speakers and overcomes the noise created by large tires. This is my second Retevis purchase and I'm most satisfied.

Great amateur radio for the money. I bought this so I could plug it into the 12v socket in my car. The sound quality is great and it is easy to use. The buttons are easy to program. It works great with chirp to program frequencies and various settings. Thinking about buying another one for my ham radio shack. Would definitely recommend this radio.

For the price, I expected this radio to work and that's about it. What I got was a radio that had notably clean TX as well as RX. This radio also has some pretty impressive features that i wouldn't expect for its price range. Several contacts that I made asked about my "Rig" and were in disbelief when I told them what I was using. Looking for a budget mobile radio for the car/truck? This is the one. Looking for a budget/first bench top radio for your shack? This is the one. I will be using this radio for as long as it lasts.

Passed my Tech exam and wanted something for my first 2m 70cm mobile/base station. Very pleased with the Retevis RA86 radio, using Chirp and the included programming cable was able to set up all local repeaters in a matter of minutes.

Amazing little radio. I was actually surprised with how well it works. Super easy to program with the proprietary software or with CHIRP. For the price you would be crazy not to own one.

really like this radio ! Also liked the price and the fact that the programming cable was included ! It was fairly easy to program "manually" but the computer cable and the software from Retevis really made it easy ! Good choices on the power options, too. usually run in the MID power , for all local stuff, but the HI power of 25 watts is there if you need it !

So far, this has been a great radio! I work all the active repeaters in my area with great reports. This radio is a good value.

Arrived just in time to be installed in my vehicle right before a group ride. Was super simple to install and had all the hardware needed. Worked flawlessly with excellent range.

I have two of these and am very happy with them. Cell phone range is pretty limited over the water. We use GMRS as means of communication between house and boat. I needed a radio that everyone in the family could easily learn to use. These fit the bill perfectly. Programming with the mic controls alone was very easy. There was no need download anything. So far, so good. I'm very happy with it.

I was amazed at how small this radio is and the amount of flexibility it has. Very nice unit for a great price. I intend on buying many more of this radio for all of our company's vehicles.

I programmed the unit for local repeaters last night using the programing cable provided. Installed it in my work truck and spend the day traveling across half of my state and connecting to the local repeaters and chatting with other radio enthusiasts. This unit is compact and easy to program and set up both via the software or directly interfacing with the radio. I had my concerns about the tiny little antenna, but I was interfacing with a repeater 30 miles down the Mississippi valley and the radio performs well. More features and easier to program than the MTX units I have used previously.

I have purchased several Retevis products over the years and like them. A little while ago I purchased three of the Retevis RA86 radios. I was surprised at how well the little antenna that was included worked and the low SWR it gave. I am trying to build some GMRS go-kits and those little antennas would be excellent for the purpose. I also have a couple of people in our little group who have metal roofs/live in RVs. They use handheld radios to keep in contact but as you might imagine the metal around them means they need to step outside for good range. So, my question is this. Is it possible to purchase 6-10 of those little antennas that come in the RA86 separately? They are perfect for our needs and probably easier on the budget for these older people on a fixed budget. Plus, the antenna is a perfect size to fit in a go box with a mobile radio and battery. I already have several Retevis mobiles for the go-kits and just need the antennas.

So far I am enjoying the RA86 that I purchased. No complaints on that unit. It would be nice to be able to "skip" channels when in scan mode though. I also have an Ailunce HA1G. This is a solid unit and I like it. I recently became a licensed ham tech and I am strongly considering purchasing an HD1. I think it checks all the boxes that I am looking for in an HT for ham use, but I don't know of anyone local to me that owns one that I could play around with and get a feel for. I will keep the HD1 at the top of my list once I am ready to purchase a new HT. I am overall well pleased with all of the Retevis products that I have and that acquaintances have.

I was amazed at how small this radio is and the amount of flexibility it has. Very nice unit for a great price. I intend on buying many more of this GMRS LONG-RANGE Mobile radio for all of our company's vehicles.

Installed it today almost plug and play. But very very happy

I am impressed with this radio! It is very well made and rugged, too. It rivals some of my other units that cost twice as much. It was easy to program and install took just a few minutes. I got excellent signal reports, too. I am very happy with it and expect to use it as my main mobile. I recommend it as a first or second radio for anyone, new or long-timer.

Best GMRS mobile radio, Neat, very small package, easily hidden in my car Package contained all parts for installation including a 20ft thin cable and mag mount quarter wave antenna. Also included was a programming cable! A plus. Microphone contains all controls necessary to alter any settings. Puts out 20 watts. Weather channels easily accessible. Audio quality on receive was very good.

This package will make it easy to "plug and play" into GMRS radio! it's simple operation and excellent performance.

Installed it today almost plug and play. But very very happy