The move towards portable operating here is now pretty serious, and to be honest, I'm quite looking forward to abandoning complex antenna systems and their even more complex systems for resisting wind.
Like many amateurs in the UK, I find keeping everything up and serviceable throughout our increasingly violent winter storms quite stressful and time-consuming.
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| Wow! Stick that in your rucksack and enjoy! |
Whilst a lot of excitement is bursting out all over about the ICOM-705, the alternative offering from Lab599 - the TX-500, is also stoking great excitement amongst the /P community.
There has been a lot of debate on the internet about the reality of the TX-500, with many claiming it would never actually appear on the market, and was simply 'virtualware'.
Anyway, it always seemed odd to me that someone wasn't actually trying to get the TX-500 out to market, because there are plenty of videos of a real device doing some real operating, albeit in the hands of only a very few Russian operators.
Well, recent videos seem to confirm the TX-500 is indeed real, with a fairly useful video appearing on one popular US-based Youtube channel. Adverts are also appearing at a popular US outlet, with the price knocking about the $800 mark.
OK, the TX-500 has no internal tuner. But that is no problem at all, because I only really ever use monoband vertical antennas when /P, and any matching that needs to be done with other antenna types can be achieved with a cheap portable matchbox.
At $800, provided the electronic performance matches the claimed mechanical case quality, then this transceiver is going to fly off the shelves, big time. Like most rig reviews, I haven't seen anything about the frequency stability of the TX-500, and so will not buy one unless someone can show me it is suitable for digital modes, notably WSPR, where high stability is a necessity.
With a bit of luck, these rigs will start appearing in Europe, ready for the 2021 /P season.
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