I got to try the new radio and antenna a couple nights after the end of the 2011 ARRL CW DX contest. While I wasn't QRV for the contest, at least there were a few folks still active after the contest running in contest mode, which seems easier for making quick QRP QSOs. That first night I was able to work a CE and CX on 20m at 5 watts output and on 40m I picked up a VP5 while running 2.5 watts and a J7 while running 5 watts. So, I'm 1/25 of the way to a QRP DXCC without yet working my own country! All QSOs were made using an end-fed multi-band half wave antenna at 50'.
A couple nights later I tried the 40m QRP Fox Hunt but was unable to make a QSO in an hour and a half of trying. I could hear lots of 5 watt stations calling, and at times K0FRP, one of the foxes, was a solid S-7, so I figured it would be an easy QSO. Not true at all as it turns out. I'm just beginning to experience the joys of QRP I suspect!