Talkpod A36plus MAX - more of a ham radio, than a GMRS radio. Good entry level radio.

Out of the box, a GMRS radio should be limited to transmitting only on GMRS frequencies. While this does have 30 channels preprogrammed with GMRS frequencies, it does not limit your transmit to only those frequencies. So, if you're not paying attention, this radio can easily transmit on frequencies you're not licensed for. The claim the Tx on this is only on UHF, but that isn't true. It transmits all over VHF, including the 220Mhz ham band. I don't have the proper equipment to check the quality of the transmit signal, but radios like this have a reputation for producing "dirty" signals, but the Talkpod A36Plus is supposed to be a little better than average in this area.

As an entry level ham radio, this is a decent deal. The battery pack in this package, is much bigger than their regular battery pack. At this price, I feel they should have included in this package, either a longer (higher gain) antenna, or a speaker mic. The operation of this radio is fairly straight forward. Some of the menu items have some creative labels, and may be a little confusing, but it doesn't take long to figure out how to change the things you'll need to change from time to time. The color display looks nice, but can be hard to see in the bright sun (but that is not a problem unique to this radio). My only real complaint about this radio, is the lack of a 15 KHz channel step. They go from 12.5 to 20KHz. The reason why I complain about this, is because in the usa, 15KHz is the standard for many parts of the 2 meter band. They do include a programming cable, and CHIRP is compatible with this radio. This package contains everything you need to get on the air, and is a reasonable price for what you get.