**Edit** 7-7‐2023‐
Okay I now own four of these little guys for family outing and emergency comms. Updating battery and Programming scores. While twice as much as a uv5r or $10 more than a gt-3wp you really get way more features with this radio.
1) From inside home (cbc construction) to inside vehicle two miles aways gmrs was clear with basic antenna.
2) Airband from inside home is picking up planes on Miami and Palm Beach approach freqs pretty just okay (expected). Hearing tower pretty clearly when within 2.5 to 3 miles, not great LoS. Really need an external mounted or scanner antenna to take advantage of air band rx
3)Chirp Next project has corrected the formatting issue. So adding/importing channel memories from other HTs is way easier now. No issues going back or forth between Chirp or the proprietary software.
liked it so much I bought a second. Little HT packs a lot of great features. For an entry level HT under $50 it is a great value. Updating to 5 stars.
--------------end of edit.
-Features- 5 stars
This is legit a full band radio that legit outputs 5W (or very near across all bands), all while fitting in pocket or palm of hand. The air band monitor, CTS/DCS scanning, vhf/uhf scanning, voice scrambler are all great features.
-Programming- 5 stars (updated)
While it is supported by Chirp Next (use Ryage uv58plus), the file format in Chirp is missing some columns that the proprietary SW (freely available at radtels.com) includes. If reading a Chirp made config using proprietary SW, you will get a read error. The proprietary SW also lets you customize boot logo, boot message and some minor UI color tweaks. Would be nice if Chirp project was a little more aligned.
-Form Factor- 5 stars
Easily fits in pocket or palm of your hand.
-Sound quality- 5 stars
In all honesty I only have BF GT-3WP to compare with so my sample is small. Overall sounds clear.
-Battery Life- 5 stars (updated)
I haven had it long enough to get data on battery life. USB-C charging on radio is a plus. Will update when I have some data.
-Durability- 4.0 stars
Compared to my BF GT-3WP (which are solid bricks), the RT-890 feels a bit on the fragile side. I would recommend caution with the display when out scrambling around. I ordered some anti glare tablet screen protectors and cut pieces to cover display area. Just in case.
-User Interface- 5 stars
Great interface. UI and display are easily readable in sunlight. I like the black background, with actual RX and TX power levels displayed. I wish all the other Radtel HTs would copy this interface. I'm guessing the interface is Iradio or Ryage design.
| Item Weight | 6.7 ounces |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 12.2 x 2.36 x 1.38 inches |
| Item model number | RT 890 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Display Type | LCD |
| Warranty | 1 year |
