I took up Ebay seller JoeBird66 on the MiniWat QRP CW Transceiver for $21.99 which was $24.99 shipped. It is a pre-assembled 200 milliwatt rig which runs off of a 9 volt battery and is crystal controlled at 7.030. It is easy to hookup, just antenna, audio and key. I used a sandwich container to house it. Upon power up It had significant broadcast interference. I used my BLT tuner to get some filtering. The BCI is still audible but I consider it a bonus feature. I was able to work my friend Tom WD0HBR across town in Dothan, AL on Sunday. It was a minimal QSO as there was QRM drowning me out. However, I later worked WB4AQL in Alpharetta GA about 250 miles from Dothan. He did not seem to have any trouble and gave me a 459. He was running a HW-101. Well it shows you don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun. That QSO was equivalent to 1250 miles per watt. Bear in mind this type of rig requires some luck and a dose of patience. I did really enjoy using it and look forward to more QRPp.
I enjoy Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio, Field Days, QRP, satellites, and CW. I have many friends in the hobby that make it fun. I will keep you posted on what I learn about amateur radio on this blog.