As the band opened, we began to get answers from our CQs by one or more weak stations, often competing with each other and the noise for attention. Some of the openings sometimes went on for hours without signals increasing substantially. Contrary to rumors, we do not run excessive power. Even though the maximum legal output is 1500 Watts PEP, few Americans even run that much. These stations do have some common characteristics that make them successful.
Much effort goes into putting up a good antenna.
If the typical American station has a weakness, it is in the receiver. Many of us have moderate to severe local noise problems, generated by faulty power lines, computers, television sets, leaky cable TV lines, and who knows what else. Commercial receivers just cannot deal with noise, weak signals, and strong adjacent stations simultaneously. Power and antenna differentials can account for this, and even though many of us have great sites, noise is often the limiting factor. You were also hearing stations whose operators happened to be home during the weekdays.