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The Lab599 Discovery TX-500 is coming out soon. A lot has been said about that radio's use of weather-resistant proprietary connectors, but what are the actual connector types?

The antenna is female BNC, but the power, speaker mic and other connectors are all circular connectors with keyways and threaded retaining rings.

Searching around, I found similar-looking connectors under Amphenol 97 Series, SAE AS50151 and MIL-DTL-5015, but I can't find anything definitive about what Lab599 is using.

TX-500 connectors pinout diagram

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3 Answers 3

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They appear to be DIN connectors.

But proprietary implies that they are custom connectors only available from the manufacturer of this radio. They are weatherproof, and that feature may be what is proprietary.

At the bottom of the webpage under "Package Includes", it looks like the connectors are included.

The connectors below are not waterproof.

Photo from Amazon.com

DIN microphone connectors

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    $\begingroup$ DIN does look right; I'm still relatively new to ham and was only aware of DIN in the context of 1990's computer keyboards. People have been throwing that "proprietary" word around, but I'm hoping they actually mean "different than their Elecraft or Xiegu." $\endgroup$
    – K0SWE
    Aug 15, 2020 at 20:34
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These indeed look a lot like DIN connectors, but if they're waterproof, they are some vendor-specific extension to that standard. Best guess is to ask the manufacturer, because telling people who want to work with their device can only increase their sales.

Alternatively wait until you hold the device in your hands, and then do something like going through a reputable distributor's list of circular connectors (I picked out things that have 7 contacts in that link), and look for a match.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the tip. I can't find contact info for Lab599, but maybe the distributor (HRO) can help. Agreed that it will only help Lab599 if they demystify their specs. $\endgroup$
    – K0SWE
    Aug 15, 2020 at 20:36
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    $\begingroup$ @K0SWE last page of the PDF manual, it says "Lab599 inc. Russia, Altai region, Rubtsovsk city info@lab599.com" $\endgroup$
    – Marcus Müller
    Aug 15, 2020 at 21:27
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Based on Marcus Müller's advice, I contacted Lab599 and got a definitive answer:

The TX-500 uses GX12 connectors.

Thanks all! 73

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