You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
98 lines
3.0 KiB
98 lines
3.0 KiB
---
|
|
title: Lab599 Discovery TX-500
|
|
summary: >
|
|
A nice radio for portable operation.
|
|
date: 2022-11-04
|
|
#lastmod: 2022-11-12T19:51:31+01:00
|
|
#categories:
|
|
#- amateur-radio
|
|
#tags:
|
|
#- lab599
|
|
|
|
showBreadcrumbs: true
|
|
# showDate: false
|
|
showReadingTime: false
|
|
showWordCount: false
|
|
# showPagination: false
|
|
|
|
# feed_exclude: true
|
|
# site_exclude: true
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
This is the third HF transceiver that I bought. I was looking for a while for
|
|
an alternative to the FT-891, because I wanted something leightweight for my
|
|
little hiking tours.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Low quality mic?
|
|
|
|
It's like many plastic mics on other radios, it definitly feels a bit “cheap” and
|
|
it was the first (and only; until now) thing that broke. I haven't noticed the broken
|
|
mic until I tried to call CQ in the mountains and I fixed it on the same day. I haven't
|
|
been out since then...
|
|
|
|
I bought a Laravel mic from Amazon and I already got a spare in-ear plugs from Sennheiser
|
|
which I combined with the [adapters from Robert W2ENY](https://w2eny.com/tx500/) (including
|
|
a hand-held push-to-talk button adapter (like the Heil HS-2 but smaller).
|
|
|
|
This is pleasing to use and you got the sound directly in-ear. Though, the Laravel mic has
|
|
no punch and I'm not using this for the moment.
|
|
|
|
## Original CAT cable settings
|
|
|
|
| Setting | Value |
|
|
| :--- | :--- |
|
|
| RIG type | KENWOOD |
|
|
| Baud rate | 9600 |
|
|
| Data bits | 8 |
|
|
| Parity | NONE |
|
|
| Stop bits | 1 |
|
|
|
|
Firmware version 1.19.01 or later includes a second CAT protocol named Lab599 which adds
|
|
support for DIG mode switching commands (MD6). It uses the same settings as the KENWOOD mode.
|
|
|
|
I use these rigctld commands:
|
|
|
|
### KENWOOD mode
|
|
|
|
~~~console
|
|
$ rigctld -m 2014 -r /dev/ttyUSB0 -d /dev/ttyUSB0 -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -P RTS -s 9600 -vvvv
|
|
~~~
|
|
|
|
### Lab599 mode
|
|
|
|
~~~console
|
|
$ rigctld -m 2050 -r /dev/ttyUSB0 -d /dev/ttyUSB0 -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -P RTS -s 9600 -vvvv
|
|
~~~
|
|
|
|
## Power output at 10%
|
|
|
|
Since someone asked on a mailing list to verify his measurements
|
|
and I had my tinySA in reach I also created these measurements and
|
|
I do not want to hide them :)
|
|
|
|
As always, take these with a grain of salt!
|
|
|
|
| BAND | FREQUENCY | TONE SETTINGS | TX500 | tinySA |
|
|
| :--- | :--- | :--- | ---: | ---: |
|
|
| 80m | 3.530 MHz | NORMAL | 0.8 W | 1.72 W |
|
|
| | | DUAL | 0.6 W | 0.48 W |
|
|
| 40m | 7.130 MHz | NORMAL | 0.8 W | 1.40 W |
|
|
| | | DUAL | 0.6 W | 0.41 W |
|
|
| 20m | 14.285 MHz | NORMAL | 0.7 W | 1.40 W |
|
|
| | | DUAL | 0.6 W | 0.44 W |
|
|
| 15m | 21.245 MHz | NORMAL | 1.3 W | 2.13 W |
|
|
| | | DUAL | 1.1 W | 0.60 W |
|
|
| 10m | 29.080 MHz | NORMAL | 1.7 W | 2.86 W |
|
|
| | | DUAL | 1.5 W | 0.90 W |
|
|
|
|
## PA500
|
|
|
|
Since the TX-500 does not have a built-in tuner the PA500 is well
|
|
worth the investment. It got it's
|
|
[own page]({{/* ref "/equipment/accessories/diy599-pa500/" */}})
|
|
in my equipment collecion.
|
|
|