Anytone AT-778UV / Retevis RT-95 first thoughts
A fairly capable dualband mobile radio for amateur use
I’m a fan of dual band mobile radios for their flexibility. I use dualbanders on both of my vehicles (an Icom IC-2720H and an Icom IC-207H) and at home (Icom 2340H and Kenwood TM-733A).
You might notice that these are older models — some dating two decades back or more. I tend to gravitate toward older dualbanders due to their solid performance and price point. I find brand new radios from the “big three” (Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood) pricey. Thus I try to get good deals for used equipment.
I’ve been experimenting with China-made radios as well. I previously had the QYT KT-8900D to review (more on that later), but have since sold that radio to a fellow member of my amateur club.
I am now trying out the Anytone AT-778UV, which is essentially the same as the Retevis RT-95.
The Anytone AT-778 UV retails at Lazada for PhP 5,700 or around US$113.
On Amazon, the Anytone AT-778UV is priced at US$136.99, and the equivalent Retevis RT-95 sells for US$144.99 (these are affiliate links). There is also a bundle that includes a mobile antenna for the same price.
I guess my proximity to China does have its advantages in terms of the pricing of electronics sourced from Chinse manufacturers.
Some initial thoughts
- The radio performs well in terms of receive sensitivity and selectivity.
- 5, 10, and 25 watts output. Good compared with the KT-8900, which only has 25 and 15 watts.
- Interface is straightforward and easy to learn.
- UI is fast and does not lag/delay like many SDR-based China radios.
- 180-degree rotating display is very useful. I prefer to have the VFO dial toward the left, and thus I use the radio upside-down. This also means the speaker is located at the top. All function keys are soft-mapped anyway, so it’s easy to just flip the radio over.
- Microphone softkeys are also user-definable. There’s a quick A/B key to select between two monitored bands.
- The radio does not have dual-receive capability. It does not have crossband repeater functionality.
- Audio output is fair. Received audio reports are fair also.
- The RSSI “S-Meter” works. Unlike most other China radios, it actually gives an actual signal report and does not only base it on noise received.
- Output audio can be routed to the handmic (which has speakers) or to both mic and radio speakers.
What I would like to see changed
- No built-in fan, so the heatsink does get warm and hot after extended QSO.
- No dedicated volume dial — you need to press a softkey to change volume.
- Limited alphanumeric entry — only 5 characters.
Some photos
I will write more about this radio and even do a video review. In the meantime, here are some photos.
