Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 18 hours ago
Discover why PMR446 walkie talkies such as the Retevis are so popular in Europe.
Part 1 - Retevis RT618 on Amazon* ➜ geni.us/uH2ET
Part 2 - Unboxing ➜ (3:39min)
Part 3 - Range Test ➜ (6:57min)
Part 4 - Summary & Conclusion ➜ (11:11min)
*If you are located in the United States please use 22 channel FRS radios instead:
Retevis RT18 FRS Version ➜ geni.us/z2OlO
In this product review, we will have a closer look at a set of license-free walkie talkies from Retevis.
The maximum range can vary depending on your environment, best distances are generally reached under optimal conditions (e.g. open line of sight).
More realistic is to assume a shorter range, because houses, trees, and other obstacles can reduce the signal quality significantly.
If you are located in the US, you can benefit from a higher output power of up to 2 watts.
However, in Europe PMR446 radios are not allowed to have a replaceable antenna, and can only transmit at a lower output power of 0.5 watts.
Because of this, it is perfectly normal that these radios perform best in close range communication.
At first, a short range may seem like a disadvantage, but if you think about it, it also has advantages.
In a city with many users, simultaneous transmissions on the same channel, are less likely if the radios only have a short range.
The benefit, users are not constantly bothering each other on one of the 8-16 available PMR frequencies.
In addition, the low output power extends battery life, and you can use the radios longer while consuming less power.
Also, if your radio would transmit over longer distances, more people could listen in, which is also avoided by the weak transmission power. Because a potential eavesdropper would always have to be close enough to receive the signal.
Also, I find it interesting to note that many of these types of radios can be programmed with an additional USB programming cable.
In my test, the communication quality was good, personally, I think the Retevis RT617 and RT18 are very nice two way radios.
#ReviewTechTV
/ Affiliate Links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. /
// There is an agreement/cooperation in this video. Product provided by the manufacturer. #Ad //
Discover why PMR446 walkie talkies such as the Retevis are so popular in Europe.
Part 1 - Retevis RT618 on Amazon* ➜ geni.us/uH2ET
Part 2 - Unboxing ➜ (3:39min)
Part 3 - Range Test ➜ (6:57min)
Part 4 - Summary & Conclusion ➜ (11:11min)
*If you are located in the United States please use 22 channel FRS radios instead:
Retevis RT18 FRS Version ➜ geni.us/z2OlO
In this product review, we will have a closer look at a set of license-free walkie talkies from Retevis.
The maximum range can vary depending on your environment, best distances are generally reached under optimal conditions (e.g. open line of sight).
More realistic is to assume a shorter range, because houses, trees, and other obstacles can reduce the signal quality significantly.
If you are located in the US, you can benefit from a higher output power of up to 2 watts.
However, in Europe PMR446 radios are not allowed to have a replaceable antenna, and can only transmit at a lower output power of 0.5 watts.
Because of this, it is perfectly normal that these radios perform best in close range communication.
At first, a short range may seem like a disadvantage, but if you think about it, it also has advantages.
In a city with many users, simultaneous transmissions on the same channel, are less likely if the radios only have a short range.
The benefit, users are not constantly bothering each other on one of the 8-16 available PMR frequencies.
In addition, the low output power extends battery life, and you can use the radios longer while consuming less power.
Also, if your radio would transmit over longer distances, more people could listen in, which is also avoided by the weak transmission power. Because a potential eavesdropper would always have to be close enough to receive the signal.
Also, I find it interesting to note that many of these types of radios can be programmed with an additional USB programming cable.
In my test, the communication quality was good, personally, I think the Retevis RT617 and RT18 are very nice two way radios.
#ReviewTechTV
/ Affiliate Links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. /
// There is an agreement/cooperation in this video. Product provided by the manufacturer. #Ad //
