TalkPod A36 plus | Actually GOOD Air band Receive | Ham GMRS

[@jeffwidgren6707]

Nice review. I’ve got two green radios. It’s my best airband HT. Extra Tip: press-n-hold the A|B button to start scanning.

[@K5YVY]

I knew I was missing something! Scanning. 👍 thanks Jeff!

[@talkpodtech]

Thank you for reviewing our product!

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

The fact that it's clear and has other clear variants makes me happy. I can't wait to see the other company's that copy it. If only it didn't have spurious emissions... Good content, brother. You got a subscriber. 🤙🏽

[@K5YVY]

Thanks TheGeekiest! The clear was out of stock when I ordered, offered another color, nope I’ll wait on the clear lol.

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

@K5YVY the clear casings definitely give me that old-school vibe that we grew up with. Thanks again for the content, brother. 🤙🏽

[@mikesey1]

"Spurious emissions"are garbage The emissions are on the order of micro watts, and really only measured on instruments using a dummy load, or listening from another radio just a few feet away. All this is an FCC conspiracy to stop anyone buying Chinese radios. We generally don't have silly rules about it, or make a fuss in the UK.

[@ralphshepard1]

That clear radio reminds of a pager I had once

[@K5YVY]

I seen TID if now offering the H8 in clear, this may be a resurfaced trend soon lol

[@ambrusnemes4847]

36cm speaker? How could they fit that large transducer into such a small housing? :D

[@K5YVY]

Technology is something these days right? 🤦‍♂️

[@ambrusnemes4847]

Anyway, these are good gaskets. I've just received 2, using one for airband lurking and maybe as a walkie-talkie, just have to figure it out if I could transmit on the PMR 446 MHz frequency openly available in my country @@K5YVY

[@LilBoyCalledRoy]

Good video Brett! and A36+ can be programmed by CHIRP

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Roy!

[@paulbainjr]

I do like it comes with the program cable. I have old eyes that screen helps too . I heard there was a firmware update July 24 . Great video getting mine today thanks😊

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Paul 👍

[@Wildhare-uo5vj]

In the wide open mode it also transmits on 1.25 meters. MURS, FRS, GMRS, 2 meters, 1.25 meters and 70 cm. One radio that does it all.

[@K5YVY]

Swiss army of radios 👀

[@WarriorOF12]

I wouldn’t mind having one in black!

[@K5YVY]

Yeah the black is nice looking.

[@K5YVY]

Maybe you could Laser it 😎

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

I paid for my a gmrs and my ham license. This thing looks decent. If i can "legally" use both on the same rig then that's be nice. I'm hoping this'll be a good one.

[@K5YVY]

“Legally” not a problem if you only using one service at a time. Lock it down to comply with GMRS, unlock it and talk ham😎

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

@@K5YVY 73, bud. 🤙🏽

[@digital.rancher]

4K! Mr. Upgrade! Looking good!

[@K5YVY]

Well outside video and product shots were 4k (iPhone) in the shack camera a5100, 1080. But processed it all in 4K , the rendering time wasn’t that bad but the time it takes KZbin to process the 4K version is painful.

[@warriorof1298]

That’s pretty cool!

[@K5YVY]

You’re pretty cool

[@bugdozer]

Has anyone figured out how to access blue-typed functions on the keypad? Informative vid, Thank you!

[@K5YVY]

I have been looking online and other videos trying to answer this for you, and I forgot last night while I was in the shack to grab the talkpod and see if I remembered. I know some of the functions are different that other radios, such has the sub-function of buttons you asked about and activating scan. If you haven't figured this out yet let me know I'll be in the shack again tonight some, also if you did figure it out please share with us here in-case someone else comes along with the same question. Thanks!

[@K5YVY]

I finally remembered to grab this radio, so the Blue options on the buttons are just quick shortcuts to those menu items after you go into the menu, you can then click the button to the menu option you want, such as Squelch, memory channel, tone, etc.

[@bugdozer]

@@K5YVY Sweet, thank you. Not sure why it's not documented.

[@K5YVY]

@@bugdozer your welcome and yeah I agree. 👍

[@kenroberts4767]

Can someone explain menu item 35, BCL (Busy Channel Lockout). How do you use it? If you enable it, how do you lock out a busy channel?

[@K5YVY]

Busy Channel Lock out is a feature that if you turn it on, it prevents you from transmitting while a signal is being received. This would be a safe guard to help keep you from keying up on top of another station if they key up just before you do.

[@kenroberts4767]

@@K5YVY Thanks, that makes sense.

[@t.j.speakman7723]

Thanks Joe Brett., Cool stuff

[@K5YVY]

That’s TJS👍

[@ronayers2767]

Mine has very poor airband reception, very distorted audio. Maybe they did an update.

[@K5YVY]

Did you update the firmware? At the very end of my video I mention how my friend Shane on This Side of the Radio channel reported his sounded very bad straight out of the box, but after the firmware update it was much better. I having this information updated my firmware right away and I had no problems hearing and understanding AM audio.

[@GreggK6EGG]

looks cool!

[@K5YVY]

It’s okay for what it is 😎

[@silver_inferno]

Does it come boxed as lock down for GMRS radio? Or does it have to be used with chirp to download the frequencies? Thanks

[@K5YVY]

Well I wish I could answer that straight, as some of us that got the radio to review were already unlocked, but no worries you can decide if you want the radio locked down to GMRS , Ham, or open to both by just a few button presses. My friend Hayden shows you how here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6XMoIN6l6yondEsi=PF_5TcZVkgxLhBmP

[@FEPLabsRadio]

I need one in red.

[@K5YVY]

Guess you could always take the case off and Paint it RED ✔

[@LilBoyCalledRoy]

They have red version but only sell in China

[@K5YVY]

@@LilBoyCalledRoy well I’ll be dipped

[@SirElvi1]

Where did you get the green talk stick antenna. Could you post a link for it. 73 Kc0txw

[@K5YVY]

Sure thing, That antenna is the glow in the dark option of the signal stick over at signalstuff.com/ .

[@AllShortsOfVideos1]

I asked for a unlocked international model I’m completely new to radio but I know it is unlocked because it doesn’t say cancelled when I input a air band frequency but is it normal to say H NAM at the top because in your video it only says H AM I’m based uk as well just didn’t know if it was normal for it to say that or not ? With the A36plus

[@K5YVY]

So H=high power and NAM=Narrow AM , you would probably receive better if you changed the setting from Narrow to Wide. When on Wide the display will just show AM.

[@AllShortsOfVideos1]

Thanks for the fast reply is it changed in the program or on the radio it’s self and if I’m at the airport dose it matter if it’s wide or narrow

[@K5YVY]

@AllShortsOfVideos1 you can change it with the menu in the radio itself, but if you have it saved as a memory it may be easier to change it in the computer software. Being at the airport the wide vs. narrow won’t be as much of a problem, but narrow could make it sound more “tiny” because it’s listening at less bandwidth than wide. It’s more noticeable on transmit between two radios that are set opposite Wide/Narrow, but you shouldn’t be transmitting on airband if not in the air anyways. If you feel you can hear just fine with the narrow setting then I wouldn’t worry with changing it.

[@AllShortsOfVideos1]

Yeah I know it’s not possible to Tx on the A36Plus on air band it’s been blocked but thanks for the advice I’m going to the airport Friday next week so will be a good test 😊

[@SmokeSignalsRF]

Good review

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Izzo

[@jmollo55]

CLEAR = PRISON RADIO ...LOL

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

If only you could hide that shank in there. For now, the prison wallet is ones only choice. 😆🤙🏽

[@K5YVY]

🤣 you fellas

[@tzm1843]

Apparently the spurious tx harmonics are atrocious!

[@K5YVY]

Should it need called a Simultaneous multi band spectrum transmitter? Hopefully companies rushing out new budget radios will soon realize that a FCC ID is only for certifying the receiver specs and that emission testing is what needs to be clean, and that amateur radio operators are getting these tested either at home themselves, video creators reviewing and testing, and at hamfest where spectrum testing is being offered will find these radios being dirty and will spread the word by mouth and social media and correct the issues before they go to market.

[@ralphshepard1]

Dude this radio is junk! The first one I got wouldnt the battery was junk, swapped it out with a amazon, the am receive is garbage power output is terrible. It worse than baofeng....

[@K5YVY]

Well that’s unfortunate, I think mine is pretty good, but I also don’t have mine for transmitting, just the aircraft receive while drone flying. With the firmware upgrade the am receive was noticeably more understandable than the quansheng k5 I previously had for that purpose. Mine did come with a bad battery out of the box, but they replaced it for me. I have seen mixed reviews.

[@Gta2O13]

Antenna base sucks

[@K5YVY]

Antenna base? The base of the stock antenna? Tell me more please.