K0SWE Blog

I haven't received my pre-ordered Lab599 Discovery TX-500 yet, but I'm still eagerly awaiting it. One of the reviews that helped me decide on it came from the  Ham Radio Crash Course YouTube channel. Josh KI6NAZ got a preview unit on loan and did a couple of videos. I was inspired when I saw he had gotten an H-250 military handset with a GX-12 connector wired for the TX-500. I felt very nostalgic from using those during my time in the Army Signal Corps, so I decided to look into it. There's a chap who's building an entire lineup of accessories for the TX-500, W2ENY . I figure that's probably where Josh got his. After looking at W2ENY's shop, I decided I ought to try and source the parts a little cheaper and try building them myself. I don't mind paying for quality work, but finishing connectors and building cables feels like something I should be able to do. Besides, I already have to build a custom cable for the SignaLink, so I'm already exercising th...

Work is continuing on my new web-based logger program, but in the meantime I've gotten more serious about putting together a kit for SOTA and POTA activations. SOTA combines ham radio with hiking, so everything needs to be rugged, small and lightweight. Low-power QRP gear is popular in this arena, and I'm excited to have placed a pre-order for my first QRP transceiver: the Lab599 Discovery TX-500. Some of the things that exited me about the TX-500 are its SDR architecture, large panadapter display (something my IC-718 at home doesn't even have) and extremely durable and water resistant machined aluminum case. Reviews from folks like Josh KI6NAZ and Julian OH8STN were very informative about its capabilities and limitations. Some have criticized the TX-500 for missing features like a built-in battery, tuner and in-body speaker. And yeah, if I already owned an Elecraft or Xiegu QRP transceiver, it would be hard to justify getting this as a second QRP radio. But I really hig...