A36SE GMRS Handheld Radio Long Range, Multi Band Walkie Talkie with 771 Aviation Antenna ＆ 805 Antenna, Type-C Rechargeable Battery, AM/FM Reception, NOAA, Two Way Radio with Earpiece (Black)

The PodTalk A36SE GMRS handheld two way radio kit comes with 3 antennas, a USB C rechargeable battery, wired ear piece, A/C charging cradle, USB C charging cable, A/C adapter for USB C charging cable, USB A to custom programming cable, battery belt clip (removable) and lanyard. The three antennas (stubby, standard, & long Range) are for different uses; stubby is for short range, the standard is for daily use, and the long range is there if you need that extra 1/4 to 1/2 mile range. All antennas are UHF/VHF bands. With the USB C cable you can charge the battery on any USB charging device. You can program the radio via the radio menus or you can also use CHIRP Radio Programming free software (google it can't put link in reviews) (Windows, Mac & Linux version). You will need the October 24, 2024 version or newer of CHIRP to program your TalkPod A36SE radio (use the A36Plus profile in CHIRP).This is a good dual band GMSR radio. It has built-in National Weather channels, AM/FM radio abilities and comes pre-programmed with GMSR Feq. It has a usable working range of about 2 miles (I live in a mountainous area). The radio uses the following Freqs; Tx Range (MHz): 462/467MHz, Rx Range (MHz): 136-520MHz so you will be limited to the GMSR talk range but can listen to a broader range. This makes a good camp/hiking radio. You will need to get a GMSR 10 year, family, license to be in government compliance when "talking/transmitting" on this radio in the U.S.

> Talkpod A36SE GMRS Radio Handheld Long Range, Multi Band Walkie Talkie with 771 Aviation Antenna ＆ 805 Antenna, Type-C Rechargeable Battery, AM/FM Reception, NOAA, Two Way Radio with Earpiece ~$31The Good:+ Great screen, maybe the best screen of current chinese mass-produced Handheld Transceivers.+ Great speaker and volume. Loud enough to be very loud, but doesn't distort.+ Good menu system.+ 512 programmable channels.+ NOAA Weather alerts, Air Band are welcome additions.+ Splash resistant.+ Comes with 3 antennas. (including a good "signal stick" longer antenna)+ Includes programming cable.+ Several programmable keys.+ Includes surveillance earphone and remote mic.+ Trivially unlocked if you have a general FCC ham license.+ Charge using included cradle, or USB-C (which I consider very important).+ Manufacturer provides software for programming and it is supported in CHIRPThe Bad:- Manual is very, very terse. It will not teach you anything about using HT radios and only gives specs of radio and menus in an unreadably tiny font. You can get a QR code on the screen for links to online manuals and firmware.- Band selection is not as wide as other, similar radios. (This could change in the future with software.)- Not yet supported by CHIRP, (open-source radio programming software), but it's only a matter of time. Uses A36plus firmware, but still doesn't read. [Edit: is now supported 2 days later!]- BATTERY CAN FALL OFF of the radio and knocked off your belt (with the battery remaining clipped on belt) with only a light impact. This weakness is close to losing a star for, because it's potentially debilitating. This really needs to have a slide lock, not just pressed in and held with rounded, weak clips.- [Edit] GMRS stations are improperly programmed for the USA. Channels 8-14 should be narrow-band and low power, but are set to wide-band and high power. This can be fixed, but should not ship like that, being advertised as a GMRS radio. Use CHIRP to fix.Other information:+ You can listen to any channel in the USA, but requires FCC license to transmit legally. (Do not skip this step, it's very, very easy to get for the GMRS band without even a test, and your license extends to your family.)Overall, GREAT GMRS RADIO to keep in touch over car rides, with line-of-sight neighbors, or for emergencies when cell service is down. Outside of simple use like walkie-talkies, it requires some learning, but this radio can expand with your knowledge and license level. Don't forget to send the small fee to the FCC to use the GMRS band legally. The extra cables, mic, antennas, and features of this make this well worth the low price. Please use CHIRP to fix GMRS channels 8-14 before transmitting, or you can affect nearby channels others might be using.

Talkpod A36SE GMRS Handheld Radio has an excellent color screen, the menu system is easy to navigate, comes pre-programmed with GMRS channels and NOAA weather channels. USB-C charging is a super great feature. Works and functions as it should and has AM airband capabilities.I found you can also open the radio for use in the amateur radio 2m & 70cm bands by holding the PTT and the 8 key while powering on.The bottom line is it's a pretty decent radio at the price point.

This is a working GMRS radio, no doubt. However, out of the box without any modifications, it allowed me to both tune and attempt to transmit on Airband frequencies. This is a big no-no, and anyone without a license shouldn't have this capability.The transmit power appears to be half as much as other GMRS radios at this price point, lowering the overall distance it can send a signal. It also has some difficulty picking up some signals on the same channel as other radios do, so I believe there may be some corners cut on the RX side hardware as well.The build quality is so-so, with the battery easily popping out when dropping the radio onto surfaces from very low heights. I also noticed that battery usage appears higher than other radios this side, meaning you'll get less time operating this radio with the included battery.Kudos for switching to USB-C charging, as this means you don't have to use or travel with the included charging stand. And the assortment of antennas, cables, and adapters is nice to have.This radio does work, but for the money you might be better off spending a few dollars more to get something with better power and a more robust design.