If you enjoy the video be sure to SUBSCRIBE »

Retevis Walkie Talkie has been widely used in all kinds of industry, focusing on business two-way radio, outdoor radio, children’s partner radio, amateur radio.

Here you have the link to the product and a few of the features the radio offers:

Bluetooth Compatible – Allows radio to pair with Bluetooth headset for “hands-free” operations;
City proper up to 3 mile range – provides extended signal range;
Built-in LED flashlight;
LED display can clearly show the current channel and signal strength ( very convenient at night );
2600 mAh battery, fully charged can support 12 hours of frequent use;
16 Programable channels ( frequencies between 450MHz to 470MHz ).

RB689 can work with Bluetooth earpieces. The original earpiece works with the radio and phone at the same time. If you have a GMRS license, you can buy the GMRS version, RETEVIS RB89 as the features are identical on both radios. Excellent build quality and attention to detail I will say from the start.

RADIO FEATURES

I will not go into technical details here, as you can find them on the product page. The important one is the rated power of 5W. Power that reflects in reality as well and the radio does output 5W. Not like other radios in the same price range, that only respect that on paper.

Of course during the day while the battery will get low, the power will also drop, but is normal on any radio. The frequency range is between 450MHz to 470MHz ( UHF ). You have 16 available channels that you can program to your needs ( according to the license you own ), and 50 CTCSS codes / 210 DCS codes.

It also has the normal features you can find in most radios as: monitor, squelch, VOX, channel lock, low battery audible alert, TOT, alarm and Bluetooth as one of the best features.

Since I do not own the proper measuring equipment, here is a link to a YouTube video made by a fellow YouTube creator ( IMSAI Guy ), that will show all the measurements he made.

The Retevis RB689 impressed me right away with the built quality and the attention to detail. It seems pretty rough and that is needed on a business radio as it will be used in rough conditions at times. The battery capacity of 2600mAh is also an advantage, as it will make your radio last through the day. As built quality, I can say that is no different than the way more expensive radios from other brands that I used while working on cruise ships. All I had from Retevis was a microphone, but for sure I will look into more gear now.

DISTANCE COVERAGE

Since is a business licensed radio and I do not have a business license, I could not perform any distance tests. But knowing that the output signal is indeed 5W as specified, this should provide a distance of at least 3 miles into the city. Of course it will depend on what kind of buildings you have around and the conditions. That will either shorten or extend that 3 miles radius range. In my opinion 5W is more than enough for a business radio and it has enough coverage. Maybe in the future I will find a friend that has a business license here in Romania and he will allow me to use one of his frequencies to perform some tests.

EWN001 WIRELESS EARPIECE

One of the best features in my opinion to this radio, is the wireless earpiece. Remembering the times I was constantly using a business radio, with or with a wired earpiece, it was pretty annoying at times. The wire of the earpiece was always getting in the way hooking up to everything. So this wireless earpiece is simply perfect.

At the time I’m writing this article, the earpiece is now upgraded and can work on radios like RB37, RB637, RB89, and RB689. In the future, it can also work on the HD2 ham radio. There is also an article that will guide you step by step on how to setup and connect the wireless piece to your device.

FINAL OPINION OF THE RB689

After playing with it for a few days ( transmitting in a dummy load ), I am really happy about the modulation and the sound quality ( both from the speaker and the microphone ). Definitely a recommended business radio that you can buy. An excellent tool to have if you own a restaurant, or a construction company, or for my fellow filmmakers as it will allow you to talk to your crew and not yell on set. If you didn’t know about the business radio license until now, maybe it would be good to look into it. Usually is an yearly fee and not too expensive. You can also use it for off road radio coms to talk between cars. Perfect for those making off road trips and excursions and want to stay away from PMR or FRS where also the power and range is limited.

73 DE YO6DXE