A Review of the Talkpod A36 Plus MAX: A Solid GMRS Radio with Some Quirks

Nicholas, a satisfied customer, shared their experience with the Talkpod A36 Plus MAX. They initially encountered some minor issues but were ultimately pleased with the radio's performance and support.

Key features and observations:

• Build quality: The A36 Plus MAX is well-constructed and feels solid.
• Programming challenges: The radio can be finicky with programming cables, and the firmware update app is in Chinese.
• Power output: The radio transmits at its rated power, with slight variations between individual units.
• Customer support: Talkpod's customer support was responsive and helpful in resolving issues.

Overall, Nicholas rates the Talkpod A36 Plus MAX 5 out of 5 stars. Despite some initial hiccups, they were impressed with the radio's performance and the company's excellent customer service.

Original text:

It's a great HT radio.

UPDATE: Increased it to 5 stars. The radio is NOT dirty. I had a faulty TinySA Ultra. I returned it for one that works properly and re-tested the Talkpod, and it is CLEAN.

The first one I received was DOA and didn't turn on. The replacement works, but the battery is a bit loose, but not loose enough to matter. The one I returned had no looseness in the battery so it's just a chance thing. It doesn't affect how the HT works, so I don't care.

It's very finicky about programming cables. It's the only HT I have that doesn't work with my bluetooth programming adapter. I could program it with a generic programming cable, but it refused to upload the firmware with that cable. I had to use the cable supplied with the Talkpod.

Also, the firmware update app is in Chinese, which is nearly unusable unless you can read Chinese.

It puts out roughly its rated power. You have to remember that Chinese radios are like Cabbage Patch dolls -- no two are alike. Yours could be a bit more powerful or a bit less. It won't matter when you actually use it. Nobody will hear the difference between 7.8 watts and 8.2 watts.

Update: I should have mentioned that I can read Chinese, but as it happens, the vendor supplied me with an English version. Kudos to them for that. They also refunded my money due to the loose battery and inability to work with the bluetooth dongle. Bumping the rating to 5 stars due to their kind and excellent support.