This a lift from a radio club slide on propagation: Types of Propagation ●Ionospheric waves (sky waves): Main portion of the radiation that leaves the antenna

This a lift from a radio club slide on propagation: Types of Propagation ●Ionospheric waves (sky waves): Main portion of the radiation that leaves the antenna at angles above the horizon ●Tropospheric waves: Radiation kept close to the earth’s surface due to bending in the lower atmosphere (higher HF or lower VHF) ●Ground waves (surface waves): Radiation directly affected by the earth’s surface - Earth-guided surface wave - Vertically polarized and absorbtion increases with freq - **Travels much further over water than over land** So I agree it’s not the sole criteria for dxers. But they a better chance of hitting some distant stations for QSOs with propagation over water. I suspect it’s why the am stations in the Jersey swamps have their towers over water. 73