Cignus UV-87 Review (a.k.a. TYT TH-UV88 / Retevis RT85 / Marui MR-UV1)

Is this the Baofeng UV-5R killer?

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N2RAC | DU2XXR Amateur Radio and Communications

8 min readNov 30, 2020

The Baofeng UV-5R is said to be the “gateway drug” for many new radio amateurs today. Selling as cheap as $20, it has reportedly jumpstarted the interest of many newer and younger hams. It is very popular in the prepping community, with its low price point and the availability of accessories like battery cases.

Cheap radios have also resurrected interest in the hobby, particularly for old-timers who may have left ham radio for other pursuits — such is the case when cellular phones became popular, for example, and the idea of wirelessly getting in touch lost its novelty.

Five years ago, I purchased a UV-5RE and subsequently got licensed by the FCC and NTC. But I learned early on that a Baofeng UV-5R will never really satisfy one’s need for reliable portable gear.

In the hands of a capable enthusiast, even a cheap entry-level device will not be a hindrance for experimentation.

For instance, I had been able to use my old Baofeng for some experiments, including ROIP, discovering how external antennas “desense” it, and experimenting with tigertail counterpoises. I also know some hams who have used their UV-5R for APRS and as their transceiver for use in analog-to-digital bridges.

It was also my disappointment with portable radios that got me into setting up a proper fixed and mobile station for 2 meter and 70cm, however. I still get fielded a lot of questions online about how to improve the range of their Baofeng HTs, and the answer is glaringly simple: Look up “desense”.

Aside from being prone to desense, one issue I have with the UV-5R is its build quality. It looks and feels like a toy. While it’s cheap enough to not get concerned about dings and drops, it’s certainly not something I would think of as a reliable tool for communication.

For many other serious hams, the biggest concern with the Baofeng UV-5R lies in its transmitter. It has been found to have “dirty” transmissions: spurious emissions and dirty harmonics. This means you can be transmitting in the amateur band, but your transmitter is actually pushing out other signals in other frequencies out-of-band or on other un-intended frequencies.

It’s the same with commercial use. The UV-5R is not type-approved for commercial use in the U.S., and there has been a Citation against importers who had been marketing it as being capable for use on certain commercial bands.

That does not preclude the UV-5R’s popularity elsewhere. You can commonly see it used by traffic enforcers and even police officers here in the Philippines. In movies and TV, the UV-5R seems to have evolved into a gearspotting meme!

Don’t get me wrong. The UV-5R does have its benefits, particularly the numerous accessories and the price. Again, it’s a cheap entry-level device. It’s a “gateway drug” that if you’re a serious radio enthusiast, will get you started on the money-pit that is amateur radio.

An affordable radio with premium feel

Cignus markets the UV-87 as a basic device with an added premium over its other entry-level radios, particularly the UV-86 and the older UV-85. Those older models have the Baofeng DNA written all over them. UV-85 is essentially the exact same form factor rebadged as a Cignus. The UV-86, meanwhile, retails all but the housing (same screen, keypad layout, and perhaps circuit board and components).

The Cignus UV-87 is a different animal altogether, tracing its origins from TYT. As China brands go, TYT is somewhat of a premium brand. For instance, it has become the go-to brand for DMR, with the iconic MD-380 and model counterparts peaking at some point.

The Cignus UV87 shares that TYT DNA. The reference models — the TYT TH-UV88 and Retevis RT85 — have received very good reviews, in terms of the quality of its emitted signals, receive filtering, and audio. In some markets, this radio is also rebadged as the Mariu MR-UV1

The first thing you will notice is its heft and solid build, even for an entry-level device. The user interface is also more pleasant to use, particularly with adjustable screen brightness, fast response and straightforward button layout.

There are UI differences, particularly in programming. If you are coming from a Baofeng, you’ll find that it’s easier to program repeater offsets and CTCSS tones. You can also directly key in Alphanumeric tags into saved memories — no need to use software for name programming.

If you prefer PC programming, you can either use Cignus’ own codeplug software or TYT’s TH-UV88 software. I prefer CHIRP, because I’m primarily a Mac user. The latest versions of CHIRP support the Cignus UV-87 — just use TYT TH-UV88 as the radio option.

Another plus is the solid transmit and receive audio. I have received good audio reports. The speaker output is also loud and clear.

I noticed that other reviewers have the extended 3,200 mAh battery pack that came with their TYT. The Cignus UV87 comes with 1,400 mAh battery pack. Perhaps Cignus will market the extended battery as an accessory. Still, even with the standard battery, the radio lasts around 2 days with typical 90/5/5 usage cycle (90 percent standby, 5 percent transmit, 5 percent receive).

Observations

In the box

Radio
1,400 mAh battery
Belt clip (screws onto the battery)
Lanyard
Yaesu-type SMA-Male antenna
Charging cradle (hardwired AC plug)
Manual

Price: PhP 2,100 or $43 equivalent.

Pros

Reportedly clean transmit, with no spurious emissions and dirty harmonics. Cignus markets this as NTC Type Approved, so it is presumed that it also complies with such NTC standards for commercial licensing and use.
Reportedly better filtering compared with Baofeng UV-5R. I do not have access to schematics, but it has acceptable receive performance for me, even with antenna upgrade (Comet SMA42 whip antenna).
Can be locked to amateur band, but can also be expanded for TX and RX across the entire 136–174 and 400–470 MHz bands for commercial use, if you are so licensed.
LCD lamp brightness is adjustable with 7 levels.
CHIRP programmable
Firmware can be updated.
Solid build quality.
Has 3,200 mAh battery as an add-on accessory or option.

Cons

Belt clip attaches to battery, thus it has relatively high center of gravity when clipped to the belt. You’ll also need a clip for each battery that you use.
Stock battery is only 1,400 mAh. 3,200 mAh battery is an upgrade.
For some reason, upper and lower screen simultaneously switch between Memory and Frequency mode. Cannot independently work MR and VFO mode. Could be a glitch that is resolved through firmware update.

Other observations

Radio uses SMA-Male antenna connector, like Yaesu FT-60R. Your Baofeng antennas will not fit here (since those use SMA-Reverse or SMA-Female). I personally prefer this, although it might limit your options if you already have SMA-F accessories.
Charger’s AC plug is hardwired into the dock and not a barrel-type plug. This might limit your off-grid charging options (e.g., splicing a barrel for use with a cigarette lighter adaptor or 12V battery).
The manual needs improvement, in my opinion. It does explain all of the radio’s features, functions, and options, but it might benefit from being written or rewritten from scratch, like with the S80 series.
There is no mention of IP rating in the manual, although the radio does have rubber gaskets around its battery terminal and the speaker-mic sockets.
It has a flashlight. I’ve found it useful on several occasions!

Conclusion

The Cignus UV-87 — also known as the TYT TH-UV88, Retevis RT-85 and Marui MR-UV1 — is a solidly-built radio that provides clean transmit performance and reasonably good receive for a portable device. Targeted at the entry-level market, this product provides better durability compared to the Baofeng UV-5R. It also provides marginal receiver improvement over most Chinese-produced radios.

Of course, for serious hams, there is no comparing with portable radios with better receiver selectivity, such as the Icom IC-T70A and Yaesu FT-60R, which I reviewed here before.

Still, for its price, it retains the solid feel of its TYT origins, while providing local support through Cignus warranty (lifetime service and 1 year parts support). It can be a good starter radio for licensed amateurs. Being type-approved, it is also a reasonably-priced option for commercial users in the Philippines.