Hacking Retevis B63S aka B3S

It is illegal to use higher power that 0.5W on PMR446 frequencies. Use this only if you want to use the radio on other frequencies you are licensed to use (HAM).

Intro

Here we go again, Retevis has introduced a new clone radio with the addition of a little LCD. Surely they again created a new mess of a save file, so we needed a different approach than B63H or RT622P.

Official site link

Power settings

Second to last column

0 - high power
1 - low power

Busy lock, scan

Last column

0  - busy off, scan off
4  - busy off, scan on
8  - busy on, scan off
12 - busy on, scan on

Frequency

37  6  96  68  37  6  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
<----RX----->  <----TX----->
           44
       60
   06
25

Translation table

VALUE IN SAVE FILE	REAL VALUE
0	0
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
16	10
17	11
18	12
19	13
20	14
21	15
22	16
23	17
24	18
25	19
32	20
33	21
34	22
35	23
36	24
37	25
38	26
39	27
40	28
41	29
48	30
49	31
50	32
51	33
52	34
53	35
54	36
55	37
56	38
57	39
64	40
65	41
66	42
67	43
68	44
69	45
70	46
71	47
72	48
73	49
80	50
81	51
82	52
83	53
84	54
85	55
86	56
87	57
88	58
89	59
96	60
97	61
98	62
99	63
100	64
101	65
102	66
103	67
104	68
105	69
112	70
113	71
114	72
115	73
116	74
117	75
118	76
119	77
120	78
121	79
128	80
129	81
130	82
131	83
132	84
133	85
134	86
135	87
136	88
137	89
153	90
154	91
155	92
156	93
157	94
158	95
159	96
160	97
161	98
162	99

Original save file

 37  6  96  68  37  6  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 117  24  96  68  117  24  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 37  49  96  68  37  49  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 117  67  96  68  117  67  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 37  86  96  68  37  86  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 117  104  96  68  117  104  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 37  129  96  68  37  129  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 117  147  96  68  117  147  96  68  124  4  124  4  0  0  1  4 
 37  6  97  68  37  6  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 117  24  97  68  117  24  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 37  49  97  68  37  49  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 117  67  97  68  117  67  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 37  86  97  68  37  86  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 117  104  97  68  117  104  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 37  129  97  68  37  129  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 117  147  97  68  117  147  97  68  3  0  3  0  0  0  1  4 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 ... line 175
  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 2  0  2  0  2  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 1  1  1  1  1  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 2  2  2  2  2  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 3  3  3  3  3  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 4  4  4  4  4  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 5  5  5  5  5  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 6  6  6  6  6  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 7  7  7  7  7  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 8  8  8  8  8  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 9  9  9  9  9  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 1  2  1  2  1  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 3  4  3  4  3  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 5  6  5  6  5  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 7  8  7  8  7  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 3  0  3  0  3  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 2  2  2  255  255  3  3  3  255  255  1  1  9  255  255  0 
 5  5  5  255  255  6  6  6  255  255  7  7  7  255  255  1 
 6  0  6  0  6  7  0  7  0  7  8  0  8  0  8  2 
 31  3  3  3  11  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  0  0  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 0  37  96  19  0  37  96  19  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  68 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 70  65  78  71  88  73  65  79  68  79  78  71  0  0  0  0 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 3  0  0  4  0  0  5  0  1  11  0  0  0  0  1  0 
 3  0  1  0  5  2  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  3  2 
 0  0  0  1  5  0  1  0  1  0  159  0  0  0  128  0 
 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  0  255  255  255  255  1  1  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  4  0  0  0  2  5  0  0 
 0  0  0  0  0  0  255  255  255  255  1  255  0  0  96  0 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  1  3  7  0  0  0  0  0 
 0  0  0  0  0  0  255  255  255  255  0  255  0  0  96  0 
 32  32  32  70  77  32  32  32  54  53  45  55  53  77  3  239 
 32  32  32  70  77  32  32  55  54  45  49  48  56  77  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 65  66  67  68  69  70  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255  255 
 ... to line 481 with 482 empty

Undocumented features

This knowledge was shared by a kind internet hacker that wanted to stay anonymous. I do not own this radio, so did not test the following section. Pasted here as received.

Scan Freq

“Scan Freq…” - this mode will detect local transmissions, decode CTCSS/DCS, and write it to a memory channel of your choice. I discovered that this allows you to write to channels 1-32 even though the B3S programming software only displays channels 1-16. I don’t know what the upper/lower bounds are for frequency reception and writing to memory.

Set radio to channel 1
Engage key lock by holding menu button
Turn off radio
Hold both “channel down” and “menu” buttons while turning on radio. Continue holding until screen shows “Scan Freq…”
Activate a transmitter near B3S
Screen will show received frequency and code
Press menu button
Use channel up/down keys to select channel 1-32
Press menu button to save to this channel

FSK Copy

“FSKcopy…” - this mode wirelessly transfers one radio’s programming to others. I have not tested this thoroughly but it basically seems to work.

On both radios:
Set radio to channel 2
Engage key lock by holding menu button
Turn off radio
Hold both “channel down” and “menu” buttons while turning on radio. Continue holding until screen shows “FSKcopy…”

Pressing the PTT key on one radio will send its programming to the other. LEDs will flash during transfer.

Unknown function

Set radio to channel 16
Engage key lock by holding menu button
Turn off radio
Hold both “channel down” and “menu” buttons while turning on radio. Continue holding for a few seconds
LED light will be steady red for ~15 seconds with squelch closed
LED light changes to steady green for ~30 seconds with squelch opened