WA3DNM’s advantage over N2LQH stems primarily from operating consistency and reach into mid-distance North American and European corridors. The receiver set-difference is telling: WA3DNM uniquely heard by nearly four hundred stations, with a strong westbound bias and a median skip distance around 2,400 miles, suggests an antenna with good mid-angle radiation filling the Great Plains, Rockies, and secondary European openings that N2LQH’s setup occasionally missed. The fifty-four receivers that only N2LQH worked sit closer on average and tilt slightly more toward the near field, hinting that N2LQH may have a bit more gain at higher angles or simply encountered different propagation windows during its shorter on-air schedule. Both stations achieved comparable DX performance and directional coverage, so the unique-receiver gap is more about duty cycle and consistent mid-skip fill than a dramatic pattern difference.

Among the other GCARC participants, KC2GYU delivered the best miles-per-watt efficiency in the group by a wide margin despite running very modest power, though European and long-haul DX percentages remained limited, pointing to an antenna optimized for domestic and near-skip work rather than low-angle DX. W2MMD showed the tightest regional footprint with a low ninetieth-percentile distance and minimal DX fraction, consistent with either a compromise antenna at modest height or a higher-angle pattern that favors shorter paths over intercontinental runs. A practical next step for the GCARC group would be to experiment with raising antenna height or improving radial systems on the lower-power stations, since even small reductions in takeoff angle can dramatically expand European reach and DX ratio without requiring additional transmit power.

WA3DNM’s dominant reach came largely from working the western hemisphere in volume: the station uniquely heard 265 receivers that N2LQH missed, with the overwhelming majority in North America and a strong westward compass skew, suggesting either better low-angle radiation toward the continent or more favorable operating hours for domestic propagation. N2LQH, by contrast, uniquely captured a small but revealing set of 28 receivers—nearly two-thirds of them European—and those stations were on average farther east, which points to a cleaner high-angle pattern or better timing into European openings. The two stations reached comparable extreme distances and European percentages overall, but WA3DNM’s five-fold advantage in total spot count reflects either longer on-air time each day or a more omnidirectional pattern that filled in short- and mid-range paths across all compass quadrants.

Among the other GCARC operators, KC2GYU achieved a respectable DX ratio and the best miles-per-watt figure in the club despite running very low power, hinting at an efficient antenna with decent takeoff angle. WB2MNF maintained the most consistent schedule—on the air every day—and logged competitive DX performance at the same modest power level, though the European fraction remained closer to the club median. W2MMD’s severely constrained geographic footprint and minimal DX percentage indicate either a compromised antenna with high takeoff angle, limited operating hours during favorable propagation windows, or both, leaving most intercontinental paths out of reach. The group as a whole would benefit from experimenting with elevated radial systems or vertical phasing to lower takeoff angles, especially for stations currently showing strong domestic coverage but weak transatlantic penetration.

KD3ANN and N2LQH delivered nearly identical headline performance, but the receiver set-difference reveals subtle pattern distinctions. KD3ANN uniquely reached nearly two and a half times as many stations as N2LQH missed, with that advantage heavily concentrated westward—169 westerly receivers versus 116 easterly—and skewed toward closer North American stations at shorter median distance. This suggests KD3ANN’s antenna exhibits a slightly more favorable low-angle launch toward the continental interior and Caribbean, likely from modestly higher mounting or better ground reflectivity boosting mid-distance coverage. The receivers N2LQH uniquely worked, though fewer in count, averaged noticeably farther and showed better east-west balance, hinting at a slightly elevated main lobe that bridges the Atlantic more consistently even if it sacrifices some domestic fill-in. Both stations achieved excellent DX ratios and European penetration, so the differences are matters of nuance rather than fundamental capability.

Among the other GCARC participants, KC2GYU posted the strongest spots-per-day rate and a spectacular miles-per-watt figure thanks to reduced power, yet the lower European fraction and DX ratio point to an antenna optimized for domestic rather than transoceanic work—perhaps a mid-height doublet or fan dipole. W2MMD operated fewer days and showed the tightest regional footprint with the lowest European percentage, consistent with either a compromise multi-band wire at modest height or unfavorable timing that missed prime European openings. For the group as a whole, experimenting with elevated radial systems or raising existing antennas by even a few feet could compress the takeoff angle enough to lift both DX ratio and European reach without requiring additional power.

WA3DNM and N2LQH demonstrate remarkably similar global reach and propagation characteristics, yet the receiver set-difference reveals a meaningful pattern advantage for WA3DNM. The top performer uniquely reached a substantially larger pool of stations, notably split almost evenly between North America and Europe with a strong eastbound bias, while the median distance of those unique catches sits slightly closer than N2LQH’s exclusive receivers. This suggests WA3DNM benefits from either a modest height advantage yielding better short-to-mid-range fill or a broader azimuthal pattern that captures more opportunities across the Atlantic and domestic paths without sacrificing the high-angle coverage needed for the denser 3,000–4,000 mile zone. N2LQH’s unique receivers skew more distant on average and tilt heavily European, hinting at a lower takeoff angle or slightly narrower main lobe that favors the longer hauls but surrenders some of the intermediate and stateside coverage WA3DNM retained. Despite operating fewer days, N2LQH maintained competitive per-day output and an impressive miles-per-watt figure, indicating an efficient antenna well-suited to the DX game even if its domestic footprint is less saturated. KC2GYU posted the best miles-per-watt in the GCARC group by a wide margin thanks to QRP power, though the lower European and DX percentages point to a pattern or height constraint that favors shorter paths. W2MMD also ran low power with excellent efficiency and the highest spots-per-day rate during active periods, but limited on-air time and a similarly modest European fraction suggest either a compressed operating window or an antenna optimized for mid-range rather than transatlantic work. The GCARC group would benefit from a coordinated experiment raising antenna heights by even a few feet or testing elevated radials to lower takeoff angles, which should simultaneously boost both the European capture rate and the longer-distance DX percentages across all three stations.

N2LQH’s dominance in unique receivers is heavily driven by short- to medium-distance North American coverage, with the vast majority of its exclusive receivers clustered in the western and northern quadrants at a median distance under five hundred miles—a signature of effective NVIS and mid-angle radiation that captures the domestic skip zone W4EO’s lower-angle pattern overshoots. W4EO, running dramatically less power, compensates with a cleaner low-angle profile that delivers proportionally more European contacts and reaches receivers at much greater median distance, particularly eastbound across the Atlantic where N2LQH shows a comparative null. The receiver set-difference makes the trade-off clear: N2LQH’s higher power and likely broader vertical pattern flood the North American interior and near-field, while W4EO’s efficient radiator favors the horizon and pulls in the long-haul DX that requires single-digit takeoff angles.

Among the other GCARC participants, KC2GYU posted the best miles-per-watt efficiency in the group and a notably elevated DX percentage, suggesting a well-optimized low-angle antenna despite modest transmitted power, though European penetration remains middling. W2MMD achieved the highest per-day spot rate and the longest confirmed path to Antarctica, indicating excellent availability during short-path polar openings, but the limited days on-air and relatively few unique receivers hint at a narrow operating window rather than continuous participation. For the group as a whole, experimenting with deliberate antenna-height reduction or loading coils to shift pattern emphasis could help determine whether optimizing for either the domestic fill or the long-path DX is more valuable than the current middle ground, and coordinated operation during early-morning European sunrise would likely boost the EU fraction across all three active stations.