Spot on.Ian,
We have to wait and see. If I look at the display of this radio to me it looks rather like the display on the FT991A if it shares some of that design - as the 991A doesn’t do 4m, I suspect this one won’t as well.
Whether having 4 Metres makes this a more attractive QRP radio for SOTA - I don’t know. The database kings might be able to tell us how common SOTA activations on 4 metres are.
73 Ed.
The 4m/70MHz option may be of more interest to POTA activators, as there is an award for activating parks on 10 bands.
I tried this the other day after activating G/WB-005 using my FT-891, but couldn’t make a contact on 80m or 60m, which was annoying. So having VHF/UHF would give more opportunities to activate somewhere on multiple bands using one device.
I enjoyed playing with 70MHz when RSGB had an FMAC for that band, but they scrapped it the following year which meant my FM gear became redundant basically. If this new radio can do all modes on 4m, that would be a bonus that you don’t get with the IC-705, KX-2 etc. Not sure it’s enough to make me buy one, but if the price is right, then maybe? It needs to be priced at sub-£1k for me though.
It needs to be light-weight for SOTA too; for POTA that’s generally not such an issue of course.
73, Simon
Well, it looks like Lynchie is adamant about the 4m coverage:
It will be interesting what people think if the FTx-1F costs (as I expect) more than its 100w “father”, the FT-991A (which does not cover 4m).
I think I know where the FTx-1F case came from - the FTM-500DE head unit:
So car mounts for that radio may fit the new radio …
73 Ed.
W&S and Lamco both also say 70 MHz in the title. Radioworld don’t mention it.
The ftdx10 covers 4m, and I think it was initially advertised in the same ambiguous way.
I bought mine second hand (originally supplied by ML&S) and I had to download and install a service update from Yaesu to make it fully aware of 4m. Without the patch, I could tune to 70MHz, but it wouldn’t remember it as a “Band” IIRC.
Also, the autotuner doesn’t extend to 4m, though by sheer luck my LF doublet matches quite well anyway!
JP1EOM put the following photo on Twitter:
Beware what you wish for. With the Nepalese Sherpa come the Nepalese Summits …
73 de Martin / HB9GVW
I think the external battery is not so bad. Now, if you could exchange the elements inside easily, that’d be great. Additional bonus feature would be to be able to charge the battery externally also (I hope that the battery can be charged while on the radio).
73 de Martin / HB9GVW
my favourite brand of rigs are Kenwood. Prefer their audio, easy to listen to all day on a special event station. Seem easier to use and i like the buttons rather than delving into menus.
The only reason you were able to sell it for more is because it was discontinued with no replacement on the horizon
Now that we are about to have one, I can’t wait to see prices for used 817/818’s drop as the asking prices were absolutely stupid for used 10-20 year old radios
I note today that ML&S are advertising this radio with 70MHz:
https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ftx1f
and they state "The new FTX-1F will be available early 2025 with 4m "
So now it’s got something a little bit different to the older 817/818 and the newer IC-705.
Still no mention of price.
I find with many of these new rigs, the optics are great and they seem well designed and optimised, but CW is usually a let down. Once you get used to QSK and pin diode switching nothing else will do.
Not too sure about antenna connectors on the back of the rig rather than the side either.
73 de OE6FEG
Matt
No need for a cooling fan in Scotland or Wales! 
Any manuals online?
Come on Yaesu, it’s shipping in 90 days and the brochure might be nice while we wait
John ve3ips
Needs to be waterproof in Ireland!
I like that waterproof one, I forget the name of it now. It looks great, but I won’t support Russia in the current climate (no offence intended in any way at all to the decent, good Russian folks not supportive of the current geopolitical conflict I should state very clearly).
I don’t think you can even buy one directly anyway at present, maybe due to sanctions? Not sure, merely speculating.
Anyway, back to the Yaesu. I think it looks great, but I’d put money on them making an absolute BALLS of it in some way. Something really obvious and easy to implement, something along those lines anyway. The add-on style modular feature is quite nice though, could be good for third party add ons maybe?
Watching this radio very closely anyway as I’m in the market for either a KX2, an FTX or a 705 in the New Year. KX2 being the front runner for now.
It’s the Discovery tx500. Someone on here took one apart. Apparently it’s not waterproof. Apparently it also has some issues.
Didn’t know that. Thanks Fraser for the heads up.
Looks like a KX2 or FX1 are leading the race for me so. Oddly the 599 website doesn’t seem to be online any more, or maybe it’s blocked outside Russia?
This one works for me Ian:
Lab599 — Ultra-compact transceiver Lab599 Discovery TX-500
I believe they have relocated manufacturing, some support etc outside of Russia itself, so sanctions aren’t an issue, just personal choice I suppose. I ended up buying a KX-2 because the add on battery pack for the Lab599 rig was going to be another £500 or something silly like that, so financially the 599 didn’t make sense. I think the audio chip failures they had in early batches may have been remediated as well, but that’s just what I’ve read on forums.
My experience of buying the KX-2 direct from the USA wasn’t great, despite lots of folk saying customer service from Elecraft is amazing, but it was cheaper than other options at the time.
If you are buying new, I’d recommend you look at options from @HB9NBG / Carine @HB9FZC who sell into the EU: Amateurfunk ist unsere Passion – Lutz-Electronics, Grindel, Schweiz
Looking back, I probably should have paid a bit more to get the KX-2 from them… hindsight and all that, eh! 
73, Simon
I had a TX-500, and I loved it. I still regret selling it to be honest, although I do like my KX-2 with the internal ATU.
FWIW, the TX-500 was definitely weather resistant, not IP67 or so, but I have used it in bad weather outdoors without issues.
