What can you do with a handheld radio? / Talkpod a36plus

If you’re interested in wireless communication, like HackRF, Flipper Zero or Meshtastic you might be thinking about getting into amateur radio, or at least you should be. While you’re thinking, getting a handheld radio is a cheap and great way of dipping your toes into the hobby. But what are handheld radios used for? How does a radio repeater work? And how does the Talkpod a36plus compare to the Quansheng UV-K5(8)?

The a36plus in this video has been provided free of charge to me by Talkpod, but they have had no say in my opinions expressed in this video.

0:00 Introduction
0:49 Amateur bands and other uses
2:14 Talkpod a36plus and it's features
3:25 Radio repeaters
5:44 Frustrations with a36plus
7:37 Tips and tricks for the a36plus
8:52 Harmonics and spurious emissions
10:49 Outro

[nullsmack]

It's good to finally see radios start doing usb-c charging more often. I hope someone starts including a usb interface for programming and etc someday.

[svenschoffel]

I‘m also just getting into the amateur radio topic. But as a filmmaker I have to say your videos are amazing! They Are so packed with great informations, but you should seperate them more, even if I‘m not interested in the talkpod I can learn so much from your videos, I love to watch them!

[lumenoct]

Joy to watch and that greenish cinematic look 🔥

[dankojones]

I really like the editing style, your video is vibing and now i think about buying a radio.

[robertmeyer]

I have the talk pod A 36 plus. newer version and tested it. it's clean . Ham radio DX tested the new one as well. they cleaned it up. yes the menu is a bit had to under stand. but is a good working radio . I got the green one with extended battery . came with 2 battery's and 2 antenna's . got it for GMRS and does that very well. 73's

[shadowpapito]

Well well well look at what we have here! It may be a combination of things such as luck, timing right place, right time or a student encountering the right teacher or content at the right time! This is an absolutely fantastic video and exactly what I needed in order for me to go to the next level. Thank you for your time and consideration

[lerchmane]

You are the man and have inspired me to be a very prepared and capable citizen, keep the content coming brother it’s so good❤

[sourisrsourisr]

this was very interesting - as a total amateur - thanks for a very well produced video!
mange tak!

[HenryTriplette]

I love your videos. And I'm not even into radios. Great work!

[benzokley]

amazing review, even without knowing a words and letters of this language everything was clear

[TheGeekiestGuy]

Do you do your own editing? I dig it, too. I look forward to what content you put out next. You gained a sub. I hope you're well out there. I know it's been cold out here in Hawaii. I can only imagine how it's been in your part of the world. 🤙🏾

[stevinoname]

Your videos really remind me of GxAce. You guys both have that cool Neuromancer cinematic feel

[UDJ]

I got a Talkpod as a pretty cheap little airband scanner for when I'm flying my drone or plane spotting around my local airport. Also pretty cool to listen to approach and departure when the inevitable Florida thunderstorm pops up and visibility in the area gets to almost zero.

I've coupled mine with an old Diamond 2m VHF antenna I've had for years and it picks up pretty well. Not as fast as a dedicated scanner, but for the cost, having something I can chuck in the car and not worry about, and recharge with my phone charger, makes this a pretty nice little gadget.

EDIT: I also spotted your Quansheng in the background of one of the shots. How do you like yours? I was impressed for the price but I like the Talkpod better.

[JoseArrom]

Thank you. Balanced, but minimal review.

[janusdk]

Excellent video! Terrible user interface on that radio. What would you recommend for a beginner - the model you showed at the end or something a bit better? Where can you find a map of repeaters and a map of Meshtastic in Denmark?

[LBFI]

Thanks for adressing the issue of harmonics in the Talkpod, even if it is a sponsored video. And thanks for very well produced videos, it is certainly a push for the rest of us hamtubers to improve our production quality. And one more thing, I was trying to find some contact information on your channel to see if we could get you on as a guest on The European Ham Radio Show at some point. There is some contact information on my youtube channel and the European Ham Radio Show website. Looking forward to hearing from you!

[PilotExtreme]

Could you not use the watch feature on the Portapak to check for harmonics? like the tinysa ?? Very curious if that would be possible

[rodrigob]

So what is a recommended beginner radio then?

[jessen]

Har kigget på en sdr eller meshnet måske den anden hvad hedder den .. skynet eller sådan noget der er så mange "dark kommunikations måder" / alternative til telefon nettet.

[Vaz_DeFerenz]

i think the menu is unnecessarily abbreviated because the basic programming/firmware for all these chinese radios is basically the same, they are too lazy or dont know how to reformat the text