The Retevis A1 is a solid iteration that works well

Retevis A1 Review

The Retevis A1, to paraphrase Retevis’ literature, is a GPS IP67 waterproof analog amateur two-way radio aimed for use in camping, outdoor exploration, emergency rescue, etc. It is waterproof and dustproof, has a 2200mAh battery, supports Type-C charging, and can receive aviation band frequencies.

Grabbing the radio fits in your hand pretty well and it certainly has a solid and hefty feel to it. Even though it weighs 10 ounces, it “feels” heavier than that, probably because it is a little skinnier than other radios with a nice amount of heft.

While we are talking ergonomics, the designers did really nice in angling the sides of the clip so that it does not dig into your hand like many other radios that use a flat back on the clip. I wish more radios had this, but the feeling is spoiled by the screw holding the waterproof door closed, which sticks out about 3.2mm and has sharp edges on it.

My other complaint with the ergonomics is the PTT button is between an up and down button on the side of the radio. This, in and of itself, is not that unusual, but what is pretty unusual is that if you stick a ruler along the side you will clearly see the bottom arrow is recessed well below the PTT button, which is good, but the top arrow is not. This makes it hard for me to find the PTT button quickly and easily. If they recessed both arrows, or simply put the PTT button at the top, this would make the radio much easier to use.

Speaking of buttons, all the buttons on the radio feel really good. The switches behind them have a good positive click so you know exactly when they have been pressed. They are also very consistent between buttons, which is a nice change from my other inexpensive radios. I particularly like the feel of the rubber on the keypad buttons, which are soft and just rubbery enough without being sticky feeling.

Since the keypad is slightly curved, even though there is not much separation between the buttons they are easy to use, and I rarely press the wrong one.

GPS is a feature that I did not really expect on a radio at this price, but here it is, and it does seem to work fairly well. The receiver is obviously an inexpensive one with no reception indoors, spotty reception under thick trees, but good enough in the open. It does take a while to get a location fix, which is probably a combination of an inexpensive receiver chip coupled with a slow processor. Still, it is a welcome feature that operates very well and a welcome addition at this price.

The screen is sharp with good contrast but smaller than many other radios today, and of course it is monochrome. This surprised me because the radio has a large 22oomah battery that looks like it probably really is that big and not just a small battery with a big sticker like many of the cheaper radios have. I am guessing they are using the extra battery power to keep the radio going for a longer time, and that works well.

Audio transmitted from the radio is a little tinny, but very clear with no distortion or exaggeration when pronouncing your Ss, Ks, and Ts. The reception and output through the speaker is also extremely clear and detailed. It does start to distort the audio at about 80-85% maximum volume but less than most other radios and the volume it outputs is very loud for its size.

While a purely analog radio, Retevis broke the menu up into sections, which is something I see in digital radios but rarely in analog ones. After pressing the MENU button you have menus labeled Settings, Program, Scan, Radio Info, GNSS, and NOAA weather. I have to admit it would take me some time to remember where some of the items are, but it beats scrolling through a list of a hundred items like some radios.

Comparison to its competition

The closest comparison radio I can see is the Baofeng UV-9R Plus and Pro versions. They are all dual-band, all about the same size, virtually the same keys on the keypad, all with three buttons on the side with the PTT, all have a screw-in waterproof port cover, and all have a single rotary knob on the top for power and volume.

The UV-9R Plus or Pro is about $10 cheaper at this time which, when you consider the Retevis A1 is about $55 is a pretty big savings. What does the Retevis A1 give you for that $10? Quite a bit, actually.

The Retevis A1 adds air band receive, GPS, a much larger battery (2200 vs 1280mAh), USB-C charging on the radio or with the drop-in charger, better buttons, and a better base that is more stable sitting on the desk.

The Baofeng however has a different clip setup which is very popular (this is highly personal and subjective), a smaller screen but with bigger numbers, a flashlight, higher power output, and a rounded screw on the side that doesn’t eat into your thumb as you use it.

Programming

It appears that as of this writing CHIRP does not fully support the Retevis A1 which is a bummer but the software from Retevis works well. It is a fast, easy to use, and straight-to-the-point application that should be easy enough for anyone with any experience programming a radio.

If your Retevis A1 came with a programming cable you will probably note that it looks exactly like a Baofeng cable, with, of course, Retevis’ name on it. It appears to be constructed from high quality components, with Windows finding it and loading appropriate drivers immediately.

Communication between the Retevis A1 and your computer is fast and so far, has been very reliable.

Photos

Test Results:

Screen readability	Very Good
In-hand feel	Good
Included antenna	Good
Construction quality	Very Good
Belt clip	Good
Programmability	Very Good
Transmit audio	CLICK TO LISTEN
Frequency accuracy	145.000 @ 145.000
Maximum power output (2m/70cm)	2 watts / 3.7 watts
Actual weight	10.0 oz
Radio manual	CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
Programming software	CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
Overall score

If you are interested, click here for an article on how I test radios.

FEATURES:
Dual-Band 2m/70cm Air-Band receive 108-136MHz IP67 waterproof FM receive 65-108Mhz GPS positioning system to obtain position information, coordinate, and distance sharing 10 NOAA Weather channel receive Weather alarm supports NOAA weather forecast reception in the United States Dual watch and dual standby Three power levels: High/Medium/Low 999 memory channels, CTCSS/DCS encoding and decoding, side key customization function VOX hands-free calls, with VOX levels 1-9 optional VFO frequency range scanning setting, three scan modes. grouping channel scanning, CTCSS/DCS scanning, and priority channel scanning
PROS:	CONS:
Feels solidly built Buttons feel good Knob is smooth with a solid click on/off Audio very clear in both transmit and receive Waterproof	Screw holding waterproof cover has very sharp edges GPS is a little slow to acquire Screen is smaller than I would like

Conclusions

The Retevis A1 is an excellent balance of features for the price. With a few tweaks, I could see this easily being a leader in its price range.

My biggest complaint is the screw holding the cover on the side, and honestly, I can take a rotary tool to that (after removing it from the radio of course) and make the edges much more rounded to save my thumb.

I guess the bottom line is, would I recommend this radio? If you are looking for a good quality, durable, dual-band radio with some nice features, then yes, I believe I would. I have always liked the Baofeng UV-9R Plus as a budget dual-band waterproof radio, and I think this Retevis A1 takes that and substantially improves on it. If you really need to save that $10 difference, stick with the Baofeng UV-9R Plus, but if you can swing it, you will really enjoy the Retevis A1.