Just an FYI for those discussing the BP-500... Oliver at DIY599 has a new battery pack design in the works call the BAT-500. The only thing available at the moment is a PDF with the specifications for the unit. There is no pricing available nor a lead time for production, however, it might be a good alternative to Lab599 BP. The BAT-500 is also setup to support the radio and the PA500 RF amplifier simultaneously. It may be an interesting alternative. Of course this is in development, but DIY599 has done a stellar job with the amplifier, so it may be worth the wait.

Here's the link to the manual:

Larry, WG9U?

I've been tracking that on their site for a while. The QRP Store (US distributor for diy599 amp) also has a solution based on Olver's design but with a 3D-printed case instead.
It seems that both battery products have their pros and cons.

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73, Norm/KC1BMD

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I definitely agree Norm, which is why I'm taking a wait and see on the battery boxes. First, there is no pricing available for the BAT-500 and I'm not certain they have a prototype yet, so it's problematic at this juncture. I'm just throwing an alternative out there. Frankly, I can't stomach HR's $399 price for that battery pack. The $225 direct price is much better, but with everything going on in Russia and Ukraine, there is no telling when those units will be available. DIY599 being a European company is probably a more stable solution, at this time, but again, who knows when that will happen. Both units are quite nice and handy, but I have battery solution at the moment that works quite well, so I'm not a hurry.

73, Larry, WG9U

Norm - KC1BMD wrote on 3/10/2023 2:26 PM: