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  • A Winner has been chosen for the 2026 July 4th Retevis RA89R Giveaway! Click Here to see who won!

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Ramsey kit assembled
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Use at least 8" med Tie Straps. Or you can double two shorter ones like I did. Yes, I ran out of long ones. No biggie. UPDATE: The diameter is way to
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mohawk rx-1 recevier with matching apache tx-1 transmitter also sb-10 sideband adaptor and the vfo-10 adaptor,

Retevis RA89G: A Modern Take on the GMRS Handheld

The Retevis RA89G is the latest entry in Retevis’ GMRS lineup, and it brings a mix of modern features, solid ergonomics, and a surprisingly polished user experience. After spending time with it, programming it, and putting it through real‑world use, the RA89G ends up being a radio that does a lot right — as long as you understand what it is and what it isn’t.

Build Quality and Design​

The RA89G feels rugged in the hand. The chassis is stiff, the controls are firm, and nothing about it feels cheap or flimsy. Retevis clearly wanted this radio to feel substantial, and it does.

But let’s be clear: this radio has no splash or water resistance of any type. There’s no IP rating, and based on my teardown of the RA89R — the RA89G’s sister radio — there are no seals, no gaskets, and...
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July 4th, 2026 Independence Day Retevis RA89R Giveaway!

Retevis is celebrating the launch of their new RA89R 2 meter / 70cm handheld radio with ANOTHER giveaway on July 4th, 2026!

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Link to RA89R on Amazon
That's right - ANOTHER RA89R giveaway! The contest rules are the same as the last Father's Day drawing:

The Retevis RA89R is a refined version of the very popular RA89. It has a slightly larger screen with larger fonts for easier visibility. The menu system has been updated and refined to make it easier to use. The biggest new features include AM air band reception and built-in Crossband Repeat capability! There are a few key other differences with the new RA89R: It is IP54 radio instead of IP68 and max power is 5 watts...
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New Retevis RA89R Radio, New Father's Day 2026 Giveaway!

Retevis is celebrating the launch of their new RA89R 2 meter / 70cm handheld radio with a Father's Day giveaway for 2026!

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Link to RA89R on Amazon

Details of the giveaway are below.

The Retevis RA89R is a refined version of the very popular RA89. It has a slightly larger screen with larger fonts for easier visibility. The menu system has been updated and refined to make it easier to use. The biggest new features include AM air band reception and built-in Crossband Repeat capability! There are a few key other differences with the new RA89R: It is IP54 radio instead of IP68 and max power is 5 watts. However, the RA89 can be programmed using bluetooth with the Retevis app on your phone, or with a USB-C cable using the PC app. It also...
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Radioddity Tomolink Review: A Self‑Managed POC Radio With Three Years of Included Service

Push‑to‑Talk over Cellular (POC) radios occupy a strange middle ground in the communications world. They’re not traditional RF radios, and they’re not smartphones — but they borrow elements from both. Most POC systems are built for enterprise fleets and require dealer provisioning, recurring service fees, and management portals that feel like they were designed for organizations, not individuals. Radioddity’s Tomolink takes a very different approach. After testing four units across the U.S. and even internationally, it’s clear that Radioddity is trying to make POC accessible without pretending these devices replace RF when the grid goes down.

Setup and Group Management: No Dealer Portal
I started by creating my own talk group directly from the Super‑PTT phone app. Pairing all...
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Elecraft K4 new SSNR vs older LMS NR with external BHI module

For those that don't follow Elecraft product announcements, last week a public beta firmware was released that contains the much anticipated Spectral Subtraction Noise Reduction, available for usage in all modes. The older Least Mean Squared NR method is still available in the rig, allowing users to switch between the methods, as desired. I've been publicly critical of the older K4 LMS NR method for SSB on user forums and mailing lists, especially for a flagship rig at this price. So when the SSNR firmware announcement was made, I installed it within an hour of its release. Short version: this is a HUGE improvement. I don't what other HF rigs have deployed this technique, but IMO, this development keeps the K4 at the top of the list of Amateur HF rigs.

I made a video comparing the...
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Radioddity HF-010 Portable Antenna Review

Radioddity recently contacted me, asking if I'd like to take a look at the new version of their portable HF antenna package, the HF-010. I'm a sucker for portable antennas because my favorite way to operate is in the great outdoors, even if it means just going to a local park or down to the dock on the ocean. I had looked at previous versions of this antenna but never pulled the trigger on buying it because I have a full arsenal of Buddipole and Chameleon stuff that covers every band HF band (I even put those two products together to achieve a 160 meter portable antenna). When I heard that this new Radioddity HF-010 covered 6-80 meters and also had new mounting options, I wanted to try it.
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The antenna...
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AI said it was Impossible: A Compact, Portable, 35 Watt Backpack Packet Station

Background

I few months ago, I set out on a quest to put together a mid-power backpack VHF packet station using equipment I already had, but with one catch: I wanted the ability to deploy it with a self supporting vertical antenna for use in situations where suspending antennas from trees or structure was impossible. I knew what type of components were necessary to make this idea work, but I couldn't find the critical piece: the 1/2 wave vertical compact antenna that could handle the 35 watt target power output. So I decided to turn to Microsoft Copilot AI in an attempt to find what I was looking for, but all I got was responses that what I was trying to do was not feasible unless I used some type of Slim Jim antenna or vertical dipole that I could suspend from a...
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Retevis Ailunce HA2 10 watt 2 Meter/440 Handheld APRS Radio: An Introduction

Introduction
January 2026 marks the arrival of Retevis' latest offering, the Ailunce HA2 handheld radio. In this review, I'll do an introduction to this new radio, describing how some of the new features like APRS work and what future developments users can expect. Rather than providing snap judgments or buying recommendations, my focus is on presenting the what the HA2 does well and where it needs some improvements. I’ll also discuss how responsive Retevis has been to early feedback. Lastly, read all the way to the end for an early release discount code!
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First Impressions and Build Quality
The Ailunce HA2 impresses right out of the box with its IP67 rating, signifying robust resistance to...
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Tidradio TD-H3 Plus VHF/UHF Handheld Review

Tidradio recently contacted me and asked if I would take a look at their new TD-H3 Plus that just came out. This is an upgraded version of the TD-H3 which I reviewed last year that features a new user interface, bluetooth, faster processor, USBC programming and updateable firmware. Tidradio sent me one radio to evaluate, but since this radio also includes a new SMS texting feature, I purchased another to test that as well.

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Pictured in the above photo is the new TD-H3 Plus ,a bluetooth handheld speaker mic and a bluetooth headset speaker mic. The radio has two USBC ports, one on the bottom of the battery for charging, and one below the microphone input, which is used for programming...
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Cyber Monday 2025 Radioddity QT80 Giveaway!

To celebrate the 2025 Holiday season, Radioddity is giving away a QT80 HF Radio to WorldwideDX Members on Cyber Monday - December 1st, 2025!

In addition, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale is on now...click the banner below for details!

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The Radioddity QT80 is an 80 watt all mode transceiver that covers 15-10 meters. Earlier this year I did a full review that can be found here.


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This giveaway drawing has a VERY simple and generous set of rules to encourage as many members as possible to participate:

  • Any worldwidedx.com member with a minimum of 5 posts may enter. The posts can be anything that is not spam For example: a new thread in any section, an introduction about yourself, a...
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