Product Review
Retevis RT72
aka Baofeng DM1702 (B)
aka DM-X
w/GPS
DMR Handheld
TDMA Tier II
Dual Band
DM1702 DM1702B
John 'Miklor' K3NXU
August 2020
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DM-1702 General Description
The DM-1702 and 1702B are dual band (UHF / VHF) handhelds with both Analog FM and DMR capability. The main difference is the case design. You may also see these advertised as Baofeng DM-X and Retevis RT72. In the Box Included with the radio are the: - 7.4V 2200mAh Li-Ion Battery - Charger base & AC adapter - Belt clip - Antenna – 5 3/4" (14.5cm) - Earpiece - Hand Strap - User Manual - USB programming cable General Description - VHF and UHF - DMR / FM - 136-174 and 400-470MHz - 1W / 5W transmit - 1024 channel - Part 90 2AJGM-1702 Enclosure * The case measures 5.0 x 2.6 x 1.4" (127 x 66 x 36mm) and weighs in at 9.5oz (270g) with battery and antenna installed. The case has a solid feel, weight, and durability that fits well in my large hand. There is no tuning knob which makes changing channels and menu options a little awkward, especially if you have large fingers. In place of a knob they have the traditional Baofeng flashlight. The right side of the radio has a standard K1 cable jack, however the actual programming cable is unique. There is also a micro USB jack which can also be used for programming. * I did run into an alignment issue with mine. The mUSB jack did not line up with the opening and requires a bit of case shaving for the plug to insert.
The frequency range is VHF 136-174 and UHF 400-470 MHz. Along with DMR, the radio also supports FM, both Wide and Narrowband. OTA audio reports were good with plenty of audio although lacking some low frequency response. Power levels on analog were pretty close to specs. Power readings taken with a calibrated Bird Termaline.
Receiver & Audio * On digital, the receiver sensitivity was good on both VHF and UHF. The audio quality on receive was clear, very loud and undistorted with good frequency response. * The receive audio volume is extremely loud. There is no low/soft volume level position. On DMR the lowest level position which should be zero is about 10% open. On analog it is about 15% open which is very loud. If you are in a vehicle, this might not be an issue, but in a computer room, it's loud. Monitor Mode There is a Monitor mode for analog only. There is no Digital Monitor mode which allows you to listen to all digital talk group activity on a repeater. Display The radio has a multicolor display. The main background is a sky blue with multicolor icons. The screen size is 1.1" x 1.4" with excellent resolution.
The keypad is a little tight on the 1702, but has enough spacing between the keys to prevent pressing two buttons at once. The 1702B has slightly larger keys. The center 
are used to move channels forward and back while the red
button in the upper right locks out the dual receive.
There are two programmable side keys as well as a red button on the top. Each has a long and short press option giving six programmable key possibilities.
It appears the software is generic and doesn't fully match the firmware. A few examples: - The software provides for 6 programmable keys (but there are only 3) - Backlight Timers: Timer=Timer / On=Timer / Off=On ?? - Software was flagged as a virus. - Side Key option to view GPS info doesn't function, but going through settings does. * The software definitely needs some work. (v1.00.66/1.00.78) GPS / APRS The GPS syncs in about 20 seconds. information is correct with distances are shown in metric. Talker Alias If used on a network that supports Talker Alias, the radio will display the call sign of the person being received. The DMR User Database is not supported with this model. Firmware The DM-1702 was introduced in late summer 2018. Although the firmware is fully upgradable using a Windows PC, there have been no updates as of this review (Sept 2020). Programming Cable The programming cable resembles the cable used on many ham transceivers, but that's where the similarity ends. The programming UART chip is in the radio, not the cable. Although the cable looks the same and uses the same connectors as many others, you must use the cable provided with the radio.
I can easily get a full day's use when the battery is fully charged. Charge time on a low battery takes about 6-8 hours to reach full charge. The LED bar on the front of the charger is unmistakable. Bright Red when charging, and Bright Green when either fully charged. If there is no radio in the charger, the indicator light alternates from red to green.
Although the programming cable above is not compatible, accessories such as Spkr/Micr are. I use a QHM-22 and the audio reports are excellent. Transmit Audio Audio reports on the DM-1702 are very good. The radio no audio adjustment, so the gain is fixed. I receive the best audio reports when I rest radio on my cheek, holding the radio approximately one inch (2.5cm) away, speaking across the front of the radio. This produces full, clear, and undistorted audio. Any further than this and the audio drops off significantly. Tutorial If you are new to DMR, here is a link to a tutorial that I put together to assist the new user. It explains the basics and hopefully makes you a bit more comfortable with DMR. TUTORIAL Pros: - Dual Band Tier II DMR - Solid Build and Feel - Decent DMR performance - Talk Alias Cons: - Software still needs a bit of work - Volume is loud at minimum - Small Keys / No Channel knob Conclusion The DM-1702 is physically a solidly built transceiver, but the software needs a bit of work. Although the radio has 'potential', I can only modestly recommend it. Note: This equipment was received for the purpose of a fair and unbiased review. All findings are factual based on the equipment I received. Any issues found have been reported both here and back to the seller or manufacturer. Available from: Amazon - Retevis RT-72 / DM1702 Spkr/Micr QHM-22 DMR Reviews
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