Continuing the delight-despair journey of the TX-500 from Russia-based Lab599, it seems there isn't an awful lot happening at the moment.
Apart from a couple of review units that have been online for a few weeks now, there has only been one fairly recent 'unboxing' video by a US-based operator, where the radio was actually bought and sent across the world. But he hasn't done a lot with it, despite asking for ideas of things to review.
A look at the only European distributor, DXPileup - based in Sweden - showed that there are no units available at the moment, with supplies said to be expected around mid-October.
This fabulous-looking and well-specified portable transceiver must have a huge audience waiting to throw money at it. Yet, it seems to be very slow in launching onto the market, at a time when the ICOM IC-705 stands to steal a lot of that audience instead.
I don't know why the TX-500 is not yet available from a wider range of outlets in Europe. The absence of any outlet in the UK, no longer a member of the EU, means a large market will, for the most part, not risk buying an expensive product from a country where consumer protection laws do not apply to 'foreign' transactions, should something go wrong.
Well, I can wait. But not forever...
Hello John, although not really commercial.
ReplyDeletehttp://ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/05/comparing-mchf-and-kx2.html
I think the mcHF can compete with the TX-500 although it is not that rugged may be. I have doubts about the Icom-705 for portable use. Too expensive, not rugged at all. And I'm really a Icom kind of guy! For now I'll stay with my trusty Yaesu FT-817. 73, Bas