AmateurRadio.com

Making QSOs with a Tiny Solar Panel

Last year I bought a 5 watt solar panel and a little rechargeable battery for $14. This week I made two QSOs a day for 8 days powered only by the solar panel in the window. I wanted to find out if I could really make QSOs with minimal power. I worked 9 states and 3 countries.

I used the (tr) uSDX at 4 watts. The antenna was a 136 ft OCF dipole. In the foreground is the little battery. It’s only 2500 mAh. To convert the 5 volts from the battery to 12 volts for the rig, I used a Baofeng charging dongle. Everyday after making a couple of QSOs, I’d put the panel in a window and charge up the battery.

Of course using QRP is essential. The rig draws 66 mAh on receive
and 570 mAh on transmit.

Here’s my log for the 8 days I conducted the experiment:

11 Mar-26 1507 14.060 W0ANM CW 569 559 MN
12 Mar-26 1405 7056 VE3KZE CW 579 579 ON
12 Mar-26 1407 7053 K0DOG CW 579 579 PA
13 Mar-26 1511 14.060 KA5TXN CW 339 559 TX
13 Mar-26 1921 14.027 DL8DYL CW 599 599 Germany
13 Mar-26 1923 14.0 HA3MAR CW 599 599 Hungary
14 Mar-26 1405 7054 KB3NSK CW 559 599 PA
14 Mar-26 1407 7052 K3EW CW 559 599 MD
15 Mar-26 1359 7052 K4TNE CW 449 579 NC
15 Mar-26 1406 7057 K3OP CW 529 559 PA
16 Mar-26 1611 14.044 K5OHY CW 539 559 TX
16 Mar-26 1614 14.057 AF8T CW 599 599 OH
17 Mar-26 1541 7051 WA1TOM CW 339 559 MA
17 Mar-26 1549 14.044 N4DH CW 339 549 NC
18 Mar-26 1550 14.058 KF8FCC CW 599 599 MI
18 Mar-26 1555 14.047 NS1C CW 449 559 FL

For many months, I’d been using the panel and the battery to power
my WSPR transmitter at 200 mw. I’d send out a beacon every morning
on 20 meters. I was heard all over the world. So I thought I’d try CW
with a little more power.