🇨🇦 Talkpod A36plus - Lots of features and a big step in my two way radios

I have some 2 way radios for camping and general purpose use. The old ones are simple with no screen and just a dial to switch channels. This Talkpod is a huge step up in functionality from those.

The screen presents you with two frequencies and it can listen to both at the same time which is handy if you wanted to have one frequency for general use and another for say the adults in a group. I have the top frequency locked to GMRS and can switch to different channels by typing in 001, 002 etc which is simpler than remembering the actual frequencies for each channel.

There is a lot to learn with these frequencies and many can’t be used by the general public so for that reason I locked it to GMRS channels. If you unlock it you have the option to directly enter the frequency you want to listen to, for example 462.587. It says it can transmit on 462 to 467 MHz and receive on 136 to 520MHz. NOAA, AM and FM all worked fine once I figured out how to access those features. There is a dedicated FM/Lock button on the keypad and one of the buttons on the top tunes to the NOAA frequency which gives you quick access to important information. It also picks up Airband transmissions from nearby airports if you know the frequencies to tune into.

It works with other brand radios on standard GMRS channels. Range seems pretty decent. I haven't stressed it but it works over the area I need to use it. I’m able to receive transmissions even when I’m in a basement. The transmission audio is fine, pretty clear and sounds as good as the other radios I have.

The unit itself feels quite solid and fits nicely in my hand. The antenna is light and seems to be a standard fitting so can be replaced with a better quality one if necessary. There is a belt clip and it seems just ok. Compared to the belt clips on some of my other radios it wobbles a bit from side to side. It hasn't broken for me but I’ll probably try to avoid using it when possible and keep the radio in a pouch or pocket. The antenna is thinner than the ones on my other radios but it seems fine.

There is a charging cradle but the battery can also be charged over USB-C. This is very useful. I can have one battery in the radio and be charging the other separately using the standard USB-C cable that all the other devices in my bag charge with.

It comes with a sheet of instructions, well more like specifications. If, like me, you are new to the extra features offered by this radio I’d recommend going up to the Talkpod website and downloading the longer user guides. I had to do this and it helped a lot. There is a learning curve with this radio but I expect that’s the case with most radios in this class. It’s powerful but only if you know how to get it to do what you want it to do. I’ve printed out a copy of the userguide that I’ll keep with the radio just in case I need to access it during a power outage or when the internet is down at home. It also comes with a programming cable that will allow me to further configure the radio but that’s something for the future, I need to be comfortable with the basic functions first before I start to customise it.

I like this radio a lot. It’s a huge step up from my old ones and it is a great introduction to the real world of amateur handheld radio users. I never knew there was so much to learn and I’m enjoying that. When we go out on trips this is now my main radio.