?Hello all,

I am relatively new to amateur radio.? I bought some cheap models to play around with.? I intend to take the technician exam soon (practice exams seem to be fairly easy for me), but I ordered a TX-500 after doing a lot of reading.

I'm looking for any recommendations for robust solutions for a power supply (hopefully relatively inexpensive).? I know about the battery packs (3rd party and from Lab599), but before I spring for one of those, I want to just play around with the unit in the house and get more familiar with the controls, so just looking for a reasonably priced AC/DC power supply that will match the connector.

On top of that, I've been looking at several different antennae.? The one I think I want to get is the Chameleon MPAS Lite??but before I spring for that, I was wondering if anyone could recommend possible a cheaper solution that might be suitable for backyard use (I am close to a large body of water).

I know antenna and even ps depend on usage/context.? Initially, I just want to play around with the unit locally outside, but eventually I want more robust equipment that can last outdoors in more remote environments.

Thanks in advance!