Retevis RT3S
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| Frequency | 136-174 MHz (VHF), 400-480 MHz (UHF) |
| TX power | 1 / 5 W (5W high / 1W low.) |
| Modes | FM (analog), DMR (Tier I and Tier II, TDMA dual time slot, Mototrbo compatible) |
| Battery | Li-ion 2000mAh / 7.4V |
| Weight | 258 g (9.1 oz) - 258g; ~285g with battery. |
| Connector | SMA-Female on the radio body - takes SMA-Male antennas (TYT MD-380 platform - opposite of most Chinese HTs) |
| Year | 2019 |
| antenna | SMA-Female on the radio body - takes SMA-Male antennas (TYT MD-380 platform - opposite of most Chinese HTs) |
| speaker mic | Kenwood K1 style 2-pin |
| programming | USB programming cable (included) |
| charging | desktop charger (included) |
| power req | 2000 mAh 7.4V Li-ion battery (included). Desktop charger included. Optional AA battery case available. |
Estimated (unverified): AMATEUR (ham) radio - FCC Technician-class license required to transmit (2m/70cm); NOT GMRS, NOT license-free. Dual-band DMR (Tier I + II, TDMA dual time slot, MOTOTRBO-compatible) + analog FM. SAME radio as the TYT MD-UV380 (rebrand; shares CPS/firmware/accessories). 5W high / 1W low. Up to 3000 channels; 10,000-120,000 DMR contacts (full worldwide ID database); color LCD; optional GPS version; Kenwood 2-pin; 2000 mAh. OpenGD77-compatible (NOT md380tools - that is single-band only). Splash-resistant (no IP rating; the MD-UV390/RT8 is IP67). Current.
A dual-band DMR HT that supports OpenGD77 at a budget price, with 3000 channels, 120,000 contacts, GPS+APRS, VFO mode, AES256 encryption, and Mototrbo compatibility. It has lone worker, record, and SMS, with a 16-hour battery. OpenGD77 transforms it the way it does the GD-77/DM-1801. Reviews praise the bright display and clear audio, and a USB cable is included.
No IP67 (the RT82 adds waterproofing). 5 W only. It is less used for OpenGD77 than the GD-77/DM-1801 (less community testing). The speaker could be louder. The CPS requires Windows. No USB-C. No Bluetooth. There is a programming learning curve for DMR newcomers.
A budget dual-band DMR HT with OpenGD77 support. The RT3S brings GPS, APRS, 3000 channels, and OpenGD77 compatibility to a budget-priced dual-band DMR handheld. It is less common in the OpenGD77 community than the GD-77/DM-1801 but shares the same firmware ecosystem. For a budget DMR radio with GPS and dual-band, it competes well.
The Retevis RT3S is a dual-band DMR handheld for amateur radio, and it is essentially the same radio as the TYT MD-UV380, the two are rebrands of one hardware platform and share software, firmware, and accessories. It requires an FCC Technician-class license or higher to transmit on the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands; it is not a GMRS or license-free radio. It does both DMR (Tier I and II) digital and analog FM.
For a budget radio it is generously specified: a color display, up to 3,000 channels, and a contact database that holds the full worldwide roster of registered DMR users (tens of thousands of IDs), so callers' names appear on screen. A GPS version is available. Like the Radioddity GD-77, it is a favorite target for open-source firmware, in this case OpenGD77, which adds features and polish. Note that the famous "md380tools" firmware is for the single-band MD-380 and does not run on this dual-band radio.
As an affordable dual-band DMR handheld it is a strong value. Its single-band predecessor and firmware cousin is the TYT MD-380; for the open-firmware budget benchmark, the Radioddity GD-77.