Lab599
| Lab599 | |
|---|---|
| Company name | Laboratoriya 599 (Laboratory 599) |
| Headquarters | Rubtsovsk, Altai region, Russia |
| Known for | Discovery TX-500 portable HF transceiver |
| Status | Active (2026) |
| Website | lab599.com |
Lab599 is a Russian developer and manufacturer of HF radio equipment, known among hams for the Discovery TX-500, a small, rugged, low-power HF transceiver built for portable operating. The TX-500 covers the amateur bands from 160 through 6 meters at up to 10 watts in a rugged, machined aluminum case, and it went on sale in the United States in 2020. The company's Russian name is Laboratoriya 599, or "Laboratory 599".
History
Lab599 is based in Rubtsovsk, a city in Russia's Altai region. It first showed the TX-500 as a prototype in mid-2019, when it expected the radio to be available that autumn. The radio went on sale about a year later than first planned: in the summer of 2020 Ham Radio Outlet, the US distributor, listed the TX-500 with deliveries expected that September, and a US service center in Nevada was announced at the same time. In 2021 the company named Nevada Radio as its exclusive distributor in the United Kingdom.
The company describes itself as handling every stage of its products, from electronic and software design through production, and it provides firmware updates and technical support.
Current status
As of October 2026 Lab599 remains active. Its English-language website directs international buyers to a distributor that ships worldwide, while its Russian-language site sells the TX-500 family directly through an online store. Availability through individual dealers varies by country.
Amateur radio products
- Discovery TX-500 – An ultra-compact HF and 6-meter transceiver with adjustable output from 1 to 10 watts and a receiver tuning from 0.5 to 56 MHz. Its chassis is machined from aluminum alloy and protected against splashes and dust, and it uses a monochrome display rather than a color screen. The radio has no internal battery and runs from an external power source.
- TX-500MP – A manpack version with a built-in antenna tuner and battery unit, designed to be carried on the body for operation on the move.
- TX-500 PRO – A compact version with base-station features, which the company aims at official, emergency and backup communications.
- BP-550 – A battery unit for the TX-500 series that takes replaceable 18650 lithium-ion cells, a common cylindrical size.
The company also assembles portable, mobile and fixed HF station kits to order.