Convenient, handy 2m/70cm HAM HT - An Amazon Review of the Talkpod A36 Plus MAX

DCS: Needed to replace my old Chinese 2m/70cm HAM HT, whose battery was dead. Discovered that the low-end Chinese HT market has blossomed since Chinese HTs first showed up in the US. After a lot of online reviews and YouTube reviews of the market, chose this upgraded (8W) A36 because the added aircraft AM capability seemed fun. Also I had not realized how the GMRS world had expanded over the past 10 years, adding many publicly accessible repeaters and communities. Once the radio was in hand, it prompted me to get a no-exam $35 GMRS license to supplement my HAM license. Now I monitor both a local 2m repeater and GMRS repeater at the same time, occasionally swapping one channel for aircraft monitor to listen in at the local airport.
Programming with CHIRP is quite easy, but note that you must use the special cable connected to the earphone ports; unlike some other brands, there is no USB-C port for programming, only for charging.
Battery life seems good, recharging is easy with either the provided charging unit or USB-C cable.
Single-button activation of National Weather Service forecast radio is quite handy. Same for flipping over to commercial FM frequencies, although programming specific stations is not as straightforward as HAM frequencies and GMRS channels.
Warning: do NOT trust the belt clip. It is only minimally connected to the radio, and easily pops off if the radio is bumped. If you really want the radio on your belt use a suitable pouch. Otherwise, it is small enough to fir in a pocket.