Check out my Pixie article on my webpage. The only reason I haven't made more contacts is I just put it aside to build more stuff. The trick for me was to make the TX and RX VXO tuneable independently. I use a long wire antenna and had serious local AM BCI and even strong S9+30dB SW BCI from several bands. Once I built the multi-notch filter even running the rig with the case open like you see in the picture caused no BCI overload problems.

I use the complete PIXIE TX and RX sides. I have an op amp active filter following the rig to help on bandpass. I basically switch a xtal in series with a 10 uH inductor between two 100 pF var. Caps. When I find a signal I want to try to work with the RX cap I then switch over to the TX cap and tune for zero beat. I then go back to the RX side to see what the station is doing. I generally tailend on to his QSO being completed for good results.

Using the internal RX which is just the final RF transistor and the LM386 you have to really listen for the QRPp signals.

Give it a try with the VXO, TX/RX mods and FE filter if necessary.

Sam AE4GX Atlanta, GA North Georgia QRP Club

I operate the rig with 9 volts and get out around 150 milliwatts.

Link:  AE4GX's PIXIE Experience