Lab599 TX-500 remote control software for Mac, Linux, and Windows.

What's coming on the TX-500

The Lab599 Discovery TX-500 is a sealed, weather-resistant, QRP HF + 6 m portable with a 10 W transmitter and built-in ATU. It speaks Kenwood-style CAT text commands over USB serial. RigPlane ships a TX-500 rig profile (tx500.toml) describing the radio's minimal CAT surface — ID FA FB MD FR FT PA RA — and Lab599's Kenwood CAT dialect.

• Ruggedized portable. Lab599's design target is operators who run a station in the field, in weather, off-grid. RigPlane's lightweight runtime fits the same use case: open a laptop, link the radio, work the band.
• Kenwood CAT over USB. The TX-500's CAT dialect is the Kenwood text protocol, not Icom CI-V. A Kenwood CAT backend is on the RigPlane roadmap; the rig profile that backend will load is already in rigplane-core.
• HF + 6 m, 10 W, built-in ATU. The profile reflects the radio's real capability surface — band coverage, mode list, ATU presence — so when the Kenwood backend lands, the UI will only show controls the TX-500 actually implements.
• CAT and PTT passthrough. RigPlane's rigctld wire protocol on localhost:4532 will extend to the TX-500 once the Kenwood backend ships, keeping loggers and digital-mode tools unchanged.
• macOS, Linux, and Windows. The open-core Python package runs anywhere Python does. The native Pro desktop app ships on macOS today, with Linux and Windows builds in the pipeline.

TX-500 support level, stated honestly: the TX-500 rig profile ships today in rigplane-core, but the Kenwood CAT backend that loads it is not yet implemented. Frequency, mode, and PTT control via the radio's documented Kenwood-style CAT commands are on the RigPlane roadmap. Until the backend lands, the open-core stack is free to install and the profile is open to community contribution — see the rigplane-core GitHub repo if you'd like to track or push on Kenwood CAT support.

Setup once the Kenwood backend lands

High-level path that will apply when Kenwood CAT support ships:

1. Connect the TX-500 to the operator machine over USB and confirm the CAT serial device enumerates.
2. Install RigPlane Pro from Downloads, or pip install rigplane for the open core.
3. Pick the TX-500 from the radio list. RigPlane will load the tx500 rig profile and select the Kenwood CAT backend.
4. Set the serial device path and baud rate to match the TX-500's CAT settings.
5. Confirm frequency, mode, and PTT in the in-app diagnostics panel, then point WSJT-X or your logger at Hamlib NET rigctl on localhost:4532.

A TX-500-specific setup guide will follow on rigplane.dev alongside the Kenwood CAT backend release.

Why TX-500 operators should keep an eye on RigPlane

• Truly cross-platform. Native on macOS, native on Linux, and native on the open-core Python stack everywhere — important for field operators who run a TX-500 from a Linux laptop or a Mac.
• One desktop app for all your radios. If you operate the TX-500 alongside an Icom HF rig, the eventual Kenwood CAT support lands inside the same RigPlane runtime that already drives Icom and Yaesu radios — no separate control package per vendor.
• Open core you can audit and contribute to. The TX-500 profile is plain TOML and the Kenwood CAT backend will be MIT-licensed Python in the same repo. If you want to accelerate support, the door is open.
• Honest licensing. The open core is MIT-licensed and free on PyPI. RigPlane Pro is a one-time desktop purchase at the launch price, with one year of updates included — see Pricing.

If you're comparing TX-500 control options today: most operators use generic hamlib + a third-party UI. RigPlane's bet is that you should not need to assemble that stack yourself — once the Kenwood backend lands the TX-500 sits in the same operator console as IC-7610, IC-7300, IC-705, IC-9700, Yaesu FTX-1, and Xiegu X6100 radios.

Ready to operate?

Start a free trial of RigPlane Pro for your existing radio, or grab the latest beta build for your platform — and follow the rigplane-core repo for TX-500 backend progress. Pricing and renewal details are on the Pricing page.

Last reviewed 2026-05-19. Lab599 and Discovery TX-500 are trademarks of Lab599 LLC. Kenwood is a trademark of JVCKENWOOD Corporation. RigPlane is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Lab599 LLC or JVCKENWOOD Corporation.