Is the Talkpod N58plus officially supported by Zello?
Talkpod says yes. Zello's own documents read differently. Its network-radio page lists the Talkpod N50, and its 2019 blog does not recommend the N-58, the earlier generation of the same body.
| Talkpod says | What the documents show |
|---|---|
| The N58plus page: officially supported by Zello | Zello's network-radio page lists the Talkpod N50 under its hardware partnership program |
| The N58A page is titled Virtual Amateurs Zello x Talkpod N58A | Zello's blog of 19 May 2019 lists the Inrico T199 and the Talkpod N-50, and adds that the Talkpod N-58 is not recommended |
| Third-party apps run because the radio is plain Android 9 with Google Play | EtherHam ran DVSwitch Mobile on the N58plus, with the PTT key driving transmit |
| Platform lists on the brand page | TASSTA's approved-devices page names the Talkpod N59A; Zello's setup article is written for the N50 |
- What it means. Zello is an Android app and the N58plus runs Android 9 with Google Play, so it installs.
- Before you order. Test Zello on one unit, with your own SIM, the keys and the 240 × 320 screen.
My view: for Zello fleets the N50 is the Talkpod Zello lists; for the N58plus, plan around Virtual Amateur and test everything else first.
What is Virtual Amateur (VHAM) on the Talkpod N58plus?
Virtual Amateur is Talkpod's Linkpoon app. It links users over the internet on virtual frequencies. It is not radio: nothing is transmitted on air, and the radio needs a data connection through a SIM plan or Wi-Fi.
| Topic | What Talkpod's documents say |
|---|---|
| Fit | The N58plus is designed for VHAM and can use all features; the basic app runs on other Android radios and phones with screens larger than 2.4 inch |
| Screen | Stage A and stage B show 6-digit numbers with VFO and CH labels; buttons for A/B, V/M, double watch, speaker, TPRS map and back |
| Modes | Group, My group and Link; group numbers run from 10000000 to 99999999, link numbers from 800001 to 899999 |
| Cost | Basic and advanced features are free; value-added features may be charged |
| Preinstall | Installed when you note it with the order |
| Region | Channel lists for the USA, UK, Spain and Canada on the VHAM page; the TalkpodOnline text says virtual frequencies reach users within the United States |
- Internet, not RF. Calls, texts and images go through Talkpod's service, so they need mobile data or Wi-Fi.
- SIM. Buy the SIM plan separately; TalkpodOnline sells a variant with a 1-year SIM data plan.
- Map. The TPRS screen shows users on a map with call sign labels, and you can start a single call from it.
My view: Virtual Amateur gives the N58plus a ham-style way to use data, and it is worth checking which channels have users in your country.
How does the Talkpod N58plus differ from the N58A?
The two radios share one body. Talkpod's product pictures show the same antenna, knobs, key layout, accessory cover and battery pack, and the N58plus page uses the N58A code, N58A-A11-E26, as its model code. This is a comparison of Talkpod's pictures and documents.
| Item | N58A | N58plus |
|---|---|---|
| Shell | Dark blue with a black front plate | Lime green with an orange antenna ring |
| Orange top button | SOS alarm button (brochure) | Emergency button (product page) |
| Side keys | Custom side key 1 and 2 | Screen light button and carriage return key on the guide chart |
| App on the screen | Stock Android picture | Linkpoon Virtual Amateur |
| Chipset | MediaTek MTK6739 (brochure) | 1.28 GHz quad-core (brochure) |
| FCC ID | 2ADQZTP4GNX | 2ADQZTPD5X |
| Battery | Battery options TBL01, TBL02, TBL02E and TBL03 (brochure) | 1,800 mAh standard and 3,200 mAh optional, or 3,200 mAh standard (same brochure) |
| Water and dust | IP54 standard, IP66 optional | IP66 (brochure) or IP54 (product page) |
| Brochure date | January 2022 | August 2024 |
- Name mix-up. Talkpod's EMEA code for the N58plus starts with N58A, so a listing that says N58A can be the same radio.
- FCC ID. The N58plus brochure prints 2ADQZTPD5X, which fccid.io lists as a D5-series DMR radio; the N58A brochure prints 2ADQZTP4GNX, the PTT network radio grant that covers N50 to N59.
Will it work in your country?
The EMEA version of the N58plus (N58A-A11-E26) lists 9 LTE FDD and 5 LTE TDD bands, including band 20 at 800 MHz.
Try the push-to-talk apps on the N58plus
These services list the N58plus as supported. Virtual Amateur is Talkpod's own app, and Talkpod says the N58plus is designed for it. The Zello claim is checked above. Pick one and try what it can do.
The radio's keys work too: PTT plays the next call (hold it to talk), the knob or ▲▼ change the group, ◀▶ switch the app’s screens, the red key stops.
About Virtual Amateur →Website ↗Ports and buttons
Turn the radio to see every side, the top and the bottom. Tap a row to find the part.
| Antenna | Top, left of centre; round rubber antenna with an orange ring at its base |
|---|---|
| Channel knob | Top, centre; tall knurled knob with no end stops; turn to choose, push to select; in Virtual Amateur it changes the virtual channel |
| Volume and power knob | Top, right; shorter, wider knob; turn for volume, click to switch the radio on or off |
| Emergency button | Top, between the antenna and the channel knob; small orange button, called the SOS alarm button in the N58A brochure and the emergency button on the product page |
| LED indicator | Top, at the front edge between the knobs; blinking green on standby, steady green when receiving, steady red when transmitting |
| PTT key | Left side, long chrome-rimmed pill; hold to talk; in Virtual Amateur it keys the virtual frequency |
| Side key 1 | Left side, upper round key; programmable; the guide chart names a carriage return key at this height |
| Side key 2 | Left side, lower round key; programmable; the guide chart names a screen light button at this height |
| Touch screen | Front, 2.4-inch IPS capacitive display, 240 × 320, portrait; the Android back, home and recents keys are drawn on it |
| Speaker | Front, one of the two slots between the Talkpod bar and the screen, the upper one on the manual's drawing; 1 W or 2 W |
| Microphone | Front, the second slot, with MIC printed below it |
| Accessory connector | Right side, large black rubber cover with headphone, microphone and data marks; K-type connector for a speaker mic or headset |
| USB-C port | Bottom, under a rubber flap; charging |
| Charging contacts | Back, four pale-yellow contacts near the bottom of the battery pack, for the desktop charger |
| Battery pack | Back, black removable pack with a latch at the bottom edge; the belt clip sits on its back |
How big is it?
The N58plus next to other radios, to scale. Pick up to three to compare.
Full specifications
Values come from the sources listed at the end of the page. Where they disagree, both values are shown.
| LTE FDD bands (EMEA version N58A-A11-E26) | B1 B3 B5 B7 B8 B18 B19 B20 B28 (listed as B28A and B28B) |
|---|---|
| LTE TDD bands (EMEA version) | B34 B38 B39 B40 B41 |
| LTE FDD bands (NA/LA/APAC version N58A-A4-E19) | B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7 B12 B13 B17 B25 B26 B27 |
| 3G (WCDMA) | EMEA B1 B2 B5 B8 and TD-SCDMA B34 B39; NA/LA/APAC B1 B2 B4 B5 B8 |
| 2G (GSM) | Bands 2, 3, 5 and 8 |
| LTE category | Cat 4, 150 Mbps |
| SIM and storage card | 1 micro-SIM and 1 nano-SIM; TF (microSD) card up to 128 GB |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n on 2.4 GHz; wireless hotspot |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 with voice and BLE |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 (the A11 in the EMEA code N58A-A11-E26 is a regional version code) |
|---|---|
| Chipset | 1.28 GHz quad-core in the N58plus brochure; MediaTek MTK6739 in the N58A brochure |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage |
| Google Play | Google Play and a push-to-talk app store are listed in the brochure; EtherHam installed DVSwitch Mobile on the radio |
| Preinstalled app | Linkpoon Virtual Amateur (VHAM), installed when you ask for it with the order |
| Zello support | Talkpod's N58plus page says the radio is officially supported by Zello; see Where sources disagreeSources differ |
| Screen | 2.4-inch IPS capacitive touch screen, 240 × 320, portrait, with the Android navigation bar on screen |
|---|---|
| Battery | 7.4 V, 3,200 mAh standard in the brochure spec table; the product page lists 1,650 mAh and 3,200 mAh packsSources differ |
| Battery life (published figure) | Up to 12 hours with the 1,800 mAh pack and about 30 hours with the optional 3,200 mAh pack; sleep current 15 mA, average working current 85 mA |
| Charging | USB-C under a flap on the bottom; four contacts on the back of the battery pack for the desktop charger |
| Water and dust rating | IP66 in the N58plus brochure; IP54 in the spec table of the product page; the N58A brochure gives IP54 standard and IP66 optionalSources differ |
|---|---|
| Drop and standard | 1.5 m drop, MIL-STD-810G |
| Weight | 270 g in the brochure, 260 g on the product pageSources differ |
| Size | 115 × 56 × 36 mm in the brochure; 115 × 56 × 32 mm on the product page (height × width × depth)Sources differ |
| Operating temperature | −10 to +60 °C; storage −40 to +85 °C |
| Speaker | 36 mm, 16 ohm, 1 W in the brochure; 2 W on the product pageSources differ |
| Sensors | 8-direction, gravity and gyroscope sensor |
| Left side | PTT key (chrome-rimmed pill) and two round programmable side keys |
|---|---|
| Top | Channel knob (push-click, endless), volume and power knob, orange emergency button, LED |
| Front | Touch screen and Android navigation bar; all input apart from the side keys and knobs is by touch |
| Accessory connector | K-type audio and data connector (Kenwood standard) under a rubber cover on the right side; the brochure lists an OTG K head to USB 2.0 cable |
| USB | USB-C |
| Satellite positioning | GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo and assisted GPS |
|---|
| FCC ID | 2ADQZTPD5X in the N58plus brochure; 2ADQZTP4GNX in the N58A brochureSources differ |
|---|---|
| China type approval | CMIIT ID 2020CP4686 (N58plus brochure) |
| EU declaration of conformity | DoC250007_N5X, dated 10 September 2025, covers the N5X family |
Where sources disagree
- Water and dust ratingIP66 (N58plus brochure) · IP54 (product page spec table; N58A brochure standard version)
- Battery3,200 mAh standard (brochure spec table) · 1,800 mAh standard, 3,200 mAh optional (page 2 of the same brochure) · 1,650 or 3,200 mAh (product page)
- Size, mm115 × 56 × 36 (brochure, larger battery) · 115 × 56 × 32 (product page)
- Weight, g270 g (brochure) · 260 g (product page)
- Speaker1 W (brochure) · 2 W (product page)
- FCC ID2ADQZTPD5X (N58plus brochure); fccid.io lists this ID as a DMR portable radio of the D5 series · 2ADQZTP4GNX (N58A brochure); fccid.io lists it as a PTT network radio covering N50 to N59
- Zello supportOfficially supported by Zello (Talkpod N58plus page) · Talkpod N-58 not recommended (Zello blog, 2019); Zello's device pages list the Talkpod N50
- Virtual Amateur reachVirtual frequencies reach users on the same frequency within the United States (TalkpodOnline text) · Channel lists for the USA, UK, Spain and Canada (Talkpod VHAM page)
Questions
Which Android version does the Talkpod N58plus run?
Android 9.0, in both the N58plus brochure and the spec table on Talkpod's product page. The A11 in the EMEA model code N58A-A11-E26 is a regional version code, not Android 11. The radio has Google Play, and EtherHam installed DVSwitch Mobile on it.
Is the Talkpod N58plus the same radio as the N58A?
Yes, in body. The antenna, knobs, keys, accessory cover and battery pack match in Talkpod's product pictures, and the N58plus page uses the N58A code as its model code. The N58plus adds the Virtual Amateur app and a newer 2024 brochure.
Is the Talkpod N58plus officially supported by Zello?
Talkpod's N58plus page says so. Zello's network-radio page lists the Talkpod N50, and its 2019 blog says the Talkpod N-58 is not recommended. Test Zello on one unit, with your own SIM and the small screen, before you order in quantity.
What is Virtual Amateur (VHAM) on the N58plus?
It is Talkpod's own Linkpoon app for virtual frequencies. Calls, texts and images travel over mobile data or Wi-Fi to Talkpod's service, not over radio waves. Talkpod says basic and advanced features are free, value-added features may be charged, and the radio needs a data plan.
Which LTE bands does the Talkpod N58plus use in Europe?
The EMEA version N58A-A11-E26 lists LTE FDD bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 28A and 28B, and TDD bands 34, 38, 39, 40 and 41. Band 20 at 800 MHz belongs to the EMEA version, so order that one for Europe. The NA/LA/APAC version N58A-A4-E19 covers a different set of bands.
Is the Talkpod N58plus waterproof?
The brochure says IP66 and the spec table on Talkpod's product page says IP54. The N58A brochure gives IP54 as standard and IP66 as an option. Treat IP54, splash protection, as the safe figure unless the seller confirms IP66 in writing. Drop rating is 1.5 m.
How much does the Talkpod N58plus cost?
Amazon.de listed it at €218.61 including VAT on 9 October 2026. EtherHam quoted USD 175.99 on Amazon.com in January 2026. TalkpodOnline's store lists 279 and 299 for the variants without and with a one-year SIM data plan. A SIM plan is otherwise bought separately.
