W4EO and KD2EIB both achieved impressive five-continent coverage with identical power levels, yet W4EO uniquely reached more than twice as many receivers overall, and crucially those exclusive contacts show a pronounced westward and long-haul bias—median distance well over two thousand miles, with strong representation in Oceania and deeper European penetration. This pattern strongly suggests W4EO benefits from a higher-angle radiator or more efficient antenna system that fills in the typically difficult westbound skip zones and sustains better low-angle radiation for transoceanic paths. In contrast, the fifty-eight receivers only KD2EIB worked cluster much closer to home, predominantly North American and skewed westward but at far shorter range, implying KD2EIB’s antenna may favor mid-distance NVIS or higher-angle modes that fill regional coverage gaps W4EO’s pattern misses.

Among the other GCARC participants, K2ZA posted the longest P90 reach and highest European fraction of the group despite running higher power, showing excellent DX capability. N2LQH achieved the strongest DX ratio and best European penetration, indicative of a favorable low-angle pattern even with the highest power level and partial-month operation. W2MMD delivered solid spot volume and respectable efficiency but shows a notably domestic footprint with minimal DX percentage, consistent with a compromise antenna or higher takeoff angle. KC2GYU operated part-time yet maintained good mi/W and moderate DX performance, suggesting decent antenna efficiency during active periods. KE2AQZ’s coverage remained tightly regional with nearly all spots confined to North America, pointing to a high-angle or electrically low antenna despite QRP power. KE2DRJ, with the smallest unique-receiver count and negligible DX, appears to be running an experimental or severely compromised setup—possibly indoor or very low height.

The group would benefit from systematic experiments with elevated radials or counterpoise improvements to lower takeoff angles, particularly for stations like W2MMD and KE2AQZ whose domestic-heavy footprints suggest room for DX-pattern optimization.

WA3DNM and K2ZA both achieved impressive five-continent coverage with similar maximum DX and P90 distances, but their receiver-difference profiles reveal distinct antenna characteristics. WA3DNM uniquely reached more than twice as many receivers as K2ZA missed, with particularly strong representation in the western quadrant and Oceania, suggesting a more omnidirectional pattern or possibly better low-angle radiation toward the Pacific. The stations K2ZA uniquely heard skewed closer to home and more heavily North American, hinting that K2ZA’s lower power may be partially offset by optimized NVIS or mid-angle coverage that captures regional listeners WA3DNM’s pattern overshot. WA3DNM’s seven-dB power advantage translates to roughly half the spots-per-day rate despite higher absolute reach, indicating K2ZA operates more consistently or during favorable propagation windows that maximize its efficiency per watt.

Among the rest of the GCARC roster, N2LQH posted the strongest DX percentage in the group and excellent P90 performance despite limited operating days, pointing to a well-optimized installation that makes the most of available time. KC2GYU delivered remarkable efficiency with outstanding mi/W yet lower European penetration, consistent with a compromise antenna favoring domestic and Pacific paths over the Atlantic. WB2MNF led the club in mi/W by a wide margin, suggesting either an exceptional low-loss radiator or a favorable terrain profile that enhances DX despite minimal power. KE2DRJ, W2MMD, KE2DST, and KD2SPJ all exhibited tight regional footprints and single-digit or near-zero DX ratios, patterns typical of low-height horizontals or inverted-Vs with insufficient elevation for consistent transatlantic propagation. WA2JRZ managed a respectable European fraction on minimal operating days, hinting at good antenna height or favoring the right time slots. KD2SPJ’s limited activation and very short range suggest an experimental or compromised installation that would benefit most from attention. For the group as a whole, raising antenna heights or experimenting with vertical polarization for better low-angle radiation would likely yield measurable gains in DX percentage and European penetration across the board.

KC3LBR’s dominance on 20m stems from an antenna system that clearly favors low-angle European propagation: the station uniquely reached more than five hundred receivers that K2ZA missed, with nearly three-quarters of them lying eastward or northward and concentrated in Europe and Asia at distances well beyond three thousand miles. This pattern—combined with extraordinary miles-per-watt efficiency despite running less than one-tenth K2ZA’s power—points to a significantly lower takeoff angle, likely from greater antenna height or optimized ground reflection. K2ZA, by contrast, uniquely captured over two hundred receivers that KC3LBR did not hear from, predominantly close-in North American stations within a thousand miles, suggesting a higher-angle lobe or closer-range pattern that trades DX for regional saturation; K2ZA’s much higher DX ratio and longer 90th-percentile distance confirm it still performs well on skip, but its power disadvantage and slightly higher takeoff angle cost it the very distant European and Asian fringe that KC3LBR swept up.

Among the other GCARC participants, N2LQH shows solid DX performance and European reach similar to K2ZA despite running higher power, hinting at a capable but perhaps less efficient radiator. KC2GYU posted the second-best miles-per-watt figure in the club thanks to moderate power and robust spot rates, though European penetration lagged slightly behind the leaders. W2MMD maintained full-month operation and respectable activity but recorded the lowest European fraction and DX ratio of the group, consistent with an antenna pattern that emphasizes mid-range contacts over true long-haul DX. W2LJR, operating at the lowest power in the cohort, achieved the best miles-per-watt of any GCARC station yet reached far fewer unique receivers, suggesting either limited on-air time or a very efficient but narrowly focused antenna. The club as a whole would benefit from comparative tests at reduced power to identify which antennas retain DX performance below one watt, isolating true low-angle efficiency from brute-force coverage and helping operators understand whether gain or takeoff angle drives their individual results.

KD3ANN’s commanding lead in unique receivers stems primarily from superior reach into difficult mid-range paths, particularly westward across North America and eastward into Europe. The set-difference analysis reveals that KD3ANN uniquely captured more than two hundred receivers—heavily concentrated in the western quadrant and at moderately long distances—suggesting an antenna system with favorable lobing or elevation distribution that fills in coverage gaps between local and extreme DX. N2LQH, by contrast, achieved slightly better efficiency per watt and a higher DX ratio, indicating excellent long-path performance but a narrower or more directed footprint; the thirty-eight receivers heard only by N2LQH are split nearly evenly between Europe and North America, implying good low-angle radiation but possibly a more pronounced null or weaker secondary lobes at intermediate azimuths.

Among the other GCARC operators, W2MMD posted exceptional miles-per-watt performance at reduced power, hinting at an efficient resonant antenna or elevated radiator despite lower absolute spot counts, while K2ZA maintained the most consistent schedule and achieved solid P90 distance with middling power, suggesting a reliable but perhaps compromise general-coverage array. KC2GYU likewise demonstrated outstanding efficiency and worked into Oceania with low power, though the lower European fraction and shorter operating window limited aggregate reach. A practical next step for the group would be to experiment with raising feed-point or apex height by even a few feet, since the KD3ANN data strongly suggest that modest improvements in elevation pattern—filling the mid-distance “donut”—yield disproportionate gains in unique-receiver count on fifteen meters.

KC3LBR’s dominant performance on ten meters is fundamentally a story of low-angle radiation favoring DX, evidenced by the receiver set-difference: the four hundred stations heard exclusively by KC3LBR cluster heavily in Europe and eastern quadrants at medium-to-long distances, while operating at less than one-eighth the power of W2MMD. This suggests a significantly lower takeoff angle and a more omnidirectional pattern, likely from greater antenna height or a better ground plane, enabling consistent transatlantic and transpacific paths. In contrast, W2MMD’s unique receivers are overwhelmingly North American and at much shorter median distances, indicating a higher-angle lobe that fills in domestic coverage but sacrifices the low-angle punch needed for European and Asian openings—despite running higher power, the zero-percent European fraction and minimal DX ratio point to a pattern with insufficient gain near the horizon.

Among the other GCARC stations, KC2GYU mirrors W2MMD’s profile with no European spots and a similar domestic emphasis, suggesting comparable antenna limitations despite respectable miles-per-watt efficiency. N2LQH stands out with the best P90 distance and a measurable European percentage, hinting at some low-angle capability, though the very poor miles-per-watt figure reveals significant loss—possibly feedline or matching inefficiency—that undermines what the antenna geometry provides. K2ZA shows the tightest footprint of the group with the lowest activity level and a predominantly regional reach, consistent with a compromise antenna or unfavorable siting that caps both distance performance and receiver diversity. For meaningful improvement, the GCARC group should prioritize raising antenna height or switching to a low-loss vertical with an extensive radial system, both of which would lower takeoff angles and unlock the European and Pacific paths that ten meters reliably supports during solar maximum.