User's Manual
Keypad Function Introduction
1.Power On/Off
With the radio off, press and hold the Power Button for three seconds. You will hear a tone when the radio is on.
▪The LCD display will show Retevis icons for one second and then display the most recently selected channel.
With the radio on, press and hold the Power Button for three seconds.
▪The LCD display will go blank when the radio turns off.
NOTE: In the case of an unnatural shutdown, the device can be turned on immediately after the next plug in.
2.Channel+/-
IMPORTANT! To communicate between two radios, both radios must be set to the same channel and
CTCSS/DCS Code selections.
To Select the Active channel:
Short press the Channel+ button on the microphone to scroll forward through the available channels. Short press
the Channel- button on the microphone to scroll backward
through the available channels.
▪ Rapidly switch channel number by Long pressing the Channel+ or Channel-.
▪ The Channel icon on the LCD display will show the active channel.
3.PTT key
To transmit a call, press and hold the PTT button on the microphone, and speak into the microphone in a normal
voice.
The TX icon and Signal Strength will show continuously on the LCD display while transmitting.
NOTE:
▪ For maximum clarity, hold the microphone 2 to 3 inches from your mouth when speaking.
▪ The 08-14 channel of the radio is only allowed to receive, not to transmit. The radio will have a long tone when
you press PTT.
4.Keypad lock: Call/Lock
You can use the keypad “lock” function to prevent accidentally changing your radio’s settings. When the function
is enabled, the current radio settings are “locked” in place.
NOTE: When the “lock” function is enabled, the PTT button, Volume Buttons and the Call Button on the
microphone remain active.
To “lock” and “unlock” the keypad:
Press and hold the Lock button for three seconds.
▪ The Keypad Lock icon will show on the LCD display when the keypad is “locked.”
Press and hold the Lock button for three seconds again to “unlock” the keypad.
▪ The Keypad Lock icon will turn off when the keypad is “unlocked”.
5.Call Alert Tone: Call/Lock
Retevis RA86 has 5 selectable Call Alert Tones.
Selecting a Call Alert Tone:
1.Short press the Menu button to place the radio in “Menu” mode.
2. Use the MENU button to scroll through the menu options until the LCD display shows CALL TONE.
3. Use the Volume Up or Volume Down button to scroll forward or backward through the tone options (01 - 05).
When scrolling through the 5 options the sound will be played for you.
4. When the desired tone is found, press the MENU button to confirm your selection. Radio will shows the next
setting. Or you can long press the MENU to save and exit the menu list directly.
6.Monitor: Scan/Mon
Monitor mode lets you check for activity on the current active channel. You can also use Monitor mode to adjust
the volume of your radio when not receiving a signal.
To enter and exit Monitor mode:
Long press the Scan/Mon button to enter Monitor mode. You will hear any activity on the current selected
channel.
In the monitor mode, you can adjust the volume by the volume key on the microphone.
Long press the Scan/Mon button to exit Monitor mode.
7.Scan: Scan/Mon
To enter and exit “auto-scan” mode:
Short press the Scan button to enter “auto-scan” mode.
▪ The Scanning icon will show on the LCD display when the radio is in “auto-scan” mode.
▪ Your radio will rapidly scan through the available channels and will pause on any active channel.
▪ “Auto-scan” will resume when there has been no activity on the current channel for four seconds.
To transmit during “auto scan,” press and hold the PTT button on the microphone while the radio is paused on
05