I have worked Brisbane Australia from South Carolina with 1 watt from a home brew transmitter powered by flashlight batteries. This is about 12,000 miles. My signal report was 579. This is far from a record. Many have done it will less power.
Dick AD4U
Dick, that's a neat story, thanks. I don't 'chase' QRP stuff but as a relatively new op have had a couple memorable ones with my FT817. One was my first QSO, WI to Pensacola CW before I understood the power icons on the radio and didn't realize I'd been running the first month on 2.5w thru the speaker wire into the front maple tree. The other was an early morn CW on 30m and although he was much faster than I, he had pretty code & spacing so I pulled out his call pretty easily. ("we're not in Kansas anymore...why isn't there a pileup?") I called him back, he graciously cut his speed in half & we exchanged good signal reports & QTH - he was from the Seychelles. That's when I realized I'd forgotten to punch the <on> button for the 817's companion THP amp, 45w that weren't needed after all at that particular moment in time.
Not anything like records, but very satisfying from a little radio and a home constructed OCFD. I've also had 600w stations fade on me with the breeze, so the coin flips both ways. I try to remember the something special about the contact rather than just the numbers. As you point out, serious QRP'ers have demonstrated some amazing things, yourself included. At this point in my ham career if I hit Brisbane with anything I'd think that pretty special.
What I really like is being able to reliably hit the buddy 80 miles away if needed QRP w/battery 'cause the gent in the Indian Ocean won't come help me in the event of a disaster, the neighbor will. And as K0OD points out, remembering my own "days before wattage" I'll sometimes cruise a QRP freq for someone pounding brass hoping someone will bother to answer them. Heck, answering the big signals is easy.
