Overview
The speaker reviews the Talkpod A36 Plus radio, highlighting misleading marketing, inadequate documentation, technical flaws, and disingenuous business practices. He strongly discourages purchase and recommends seeking better radios in the same price range.
Review Motivation and Context
- The speaker usually reviews high-quality radios but felt obligated to cover the A36 Plus due to its popularity and misleading information.
- A review was prompted by frequent online discussions and misinformation about the radio's capabilities.
Purchasing and Initial Impressions
- The radio was purchased via Amazon, which initially advertised it as a “ham walkie-talkie” with dual band and 512 memory channels.
- The product packaging identified it as a “GMRS portable transceiver,” contradicting the listing.
Usability and Documentation Issues
- The manual is very poor and fails to explain basic functions like switching from memory to VFO mode.
- The process to expand the radio for ham use (via button combinations) is undocumented and only found through external blogs.
- Returning the radio to GMRS-only mode also involves undocumented button combinations.
Programming and Specifications
- The programming cable works, and the radio is compatible with Chirp software, which is recommended over the factory CPS.
- The radio only supports 256 memory channels, not the advertised 512; the 512 claim is based on a misleading interpretation of dual A/B band viewing.
Concerns with Marketing and Manufacturer Claims
- The manufacturer uses slippery, euphemistic explanations and misleads consumers regarding channel capacity.
- The company does not respond constructively to criticism and disregards transparency.
- The FCC ID details conflict with the radio’s actual capabilities, undermining trust.
Performance and Feature Assessment
- The color display is the only notable positive, but similar displays are now common on cheaper radios.
- Airband reception is poor, even near an airport, due to design limitations and a low-quality antenna.
- The speaker, battery, belt clip, and overall build quality are subpar.
- The PTT button is overly sensitive and prone to accidental transmission.
- Spurious emissions are a serious issue, failing to meet required standards.
Recommendations / Advice
- Avoid the Talkpod A36 Plus due to false advertising, poor documentation, technical drawbacks, and unethical business practices.
- There are better radios available at the same price point that offer genuine features and higher reliability.
Decisions
- Not recommending the Talkpod A36 Plus: The radio is too flawed and dishonestly marketed to suggest to others.
Action Items
- TBD – Interested buyers: Research alternative radios within the same price range before purchasing.
- TBD – Owners struggling with features: Refer to the Talkpod blog for unofficial operating instructions.