Talkpod A36PlusMAX Dual Band Two Way Radio, 8W Output, Long Range Handheld Radio with 144-146/430-440MHz VHF UHF Receive, 3200mAh Battery, 1.44 inch Color Screen (Black)

It's an amazing product, it does everything it advertises and it definitely does Airband really well, which was my main purpose of buying the product. Instructions are clear as ever, and it seems those who are complaining about it font know enough about the system to get it working properly. (One review complained about the small LCD- it's exactly the same as what the pictures say so I don't get the problem- it's not supposed to be a mobile phone!) Also for those who can't hear airband usually especially in the UK the freqs can change by a little so do consult the relevant AIP to find the official frequencies which all will work. The build quality is great, battery is also great but may differ depending on how often you use it, it sounds perfect, and there is noticeably less cutting of at the beginning of most Airband Transmissons. On a side note I didn't manage to be able to connect that USB-radio jack to transfer data, it wouldn't work but I perhaps did it in the wrong order. It's shown to work for others so please don't plug anything in till you've read the website and know what you're doing! Finally, the names and channels can also be saved via the radio without the use of an external computer, which is a real bonus especially in my situation. So for the price? 100% would recommend, especially if you want to just listen to Airband without transmitting, rather than spending hundreds on an airband radio.

So not sure if I got a lemon but this radio after 2 days trying could not pick up a single thing .Not even the fm radio function for radio 1 etc .I even drive to top of hill overlooking Manchester and wont pick up nothing .Tried booting all 3 modes ,standard ,expand,super mode ...nothing .nada.Purchased better aerial.still nothing . Ended up returning it and bought a tidradio h3....this thing worked out of rhe box ....stock .I can even pick up Ringway manchester atc without leaving my home from 20 mile away surrounded by hills and buildings so I think my talkpod was defective ?

Fantastic radio, nice user interface, solid build and pleasant to hold. Audio is clean, and battery life seems very respectable. Beware its predecessor (A36 Plus) - this newer A36 Plus ‘Max’ version looks the same but now has clean RF output. On 70cm, spurious emissions are practically unmeasurable. 2m isn’t quite so clean, but still very respectable - strongest harmonic is 50dB below fundamental at max TX power. (To put this in perspective, the emissions from my Baofeng UV-21 were a shockingly bad 16dB below with the same test). Airband RX works quite well, and if you look up how to enable ‘super’ mode you can tune it to receive anywhere between 18MHz and 1GHz with the right antennas … how sensitive it is outside its main design frequency range I don’t know. Sadly, they stopped short of designing a usable charge cradle, but with USB-C charging port on the battery that’s not a deal breaker for me.

Amazing radio the battery life on the radio will last a. full day off work or anything else

its okish but the airband cuts in to late and to distorted so you miss first part of transmision

I was surprised by the build quality. Sturdy design with a good feel in the hand. Clear instructions (not Chinese English with indecipherable instructions). Easily programmed with Chirp using the supplied cable. USB charging useful. My only slight criticism would be that the PTT button is very sensitive so even the lightest of touches keys the radio. Comes with everything need to program and charge the radio. Audio through the built in speaker is clear. Recommended as a beginner radio although experienced users will find it adequate for most Amateur Radio use

Poor quality only have it 2 weeks if even and the charging terminals on the battery are loose and won't charge properly

The overall build quality is excellent...the menu and functions are very good...the programming software is easy.....last but not least tx and rx strength and quality is superb....A MUST BUY