5,389 km on 5 Watts: Backyard PebbleHF Fun

Pebble HF 20m radio with the text QRP SSB DX Fun

5,389 km (3,348 mi) on a radio I built, 5 watts, and a wire in a tree! 🌳

Backyard PebbleHF Fun! 📻

We had a blast with the PebbleHF yesterday! We put up a basic 20m EFHW on a POTA20 mast in the backyard and settled in for a day of radio fun.

SSB

The day before, we hunted Stan and Kevin on their PebbleHF POTA adventure, and PebbleHF-to-PebbleHF contacts in the log are the best! Yesterday, as long as we could hear a station, a little patience and 5 watts got them in the log. Adding "QRP" after our call helped too. (Maybe the extra 3 dB of YL voice didn't hurt either!)

CW

Even with a contest in the middle of 20m, we picked up 9 contacts, including Jay (KG5LJZ) on a PebbleHF POTA/SOTA rove. Mike worked him right after me, just after switching to his own PebbleHF on a SOTA summit. How cool is that?!

Map of Becky's contacts fanning out from Alabama across the United States — Everyone in the log from the backyard

DX Bonus

While spinning the dial, we found a huge SSB pile-up around a YL. It was Ana, CU2YK, on Sao Miguel Island in the Azores! I stayed patient, and then I heard her call "QRP station, come again." There must have been a few of us, but then I heard, "QRP station starting with N only please." Me?!? It took a few tries, but we got it done! She gave me a 53 and I sent back a 55.

Map showing the long path from the backyard to CU2YK in the Azores — The long line out to the Azores

5,389 km (3,348 mi) on a radio I built, 5 watts, and a wire in a tree! 🌳

What a fun day of radio!

73 Mike N4FFF and Becky N4BKY
https://www.youtube.com/@HamRadioDuo