Retevis HA2 vs Retevis RA89

The Retevis HA2 is the clear winner for most users. While it costs nearly twice as much as the RA89, the higher overall score of 63 to 58 reflects meaningfully better performance and capabilities across the board.

The single most important differentiator is APRS support. The HA2's integrated APRS functionality makes it substantially more useful for location tracking, emergency situations, and modern amateur radio operations. The RA89 lacks this entirely, making it feel outdated in comparison despite its CHIRP compatibility advantage.

The HA2 suits operators who want a capable, feature-rich handheld for portable operations and emergency preparedness. The RA89 makes sense only for budget-conscious beginners who value simplicity and programmability above all else, or as a second radio for casual use.

We recommend the Retevis HA2. The extra fifty dollars buys you genuine capability in APRS that the RA89 simply cannot match. Unless your budget is strictly limited to under sixty dollars, the HA2 delivers better long-term value and utility for amateur radio work.