On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:47:58 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:

Now don't go nuts on me, but years ago I had a Radio Shack "Base Station"
CB radio. I bought it because it was easily "peaked up" to about 30 watts
PEP on sideband, and a few other illegal modifications. On quiet Sunday
mornings I could occasionally talk to a guy in Italy from the south shore of
MA using it and a "Big Stick".

You need very cooperative sun spots for that sort of thing. Right now
we are near the bottom of a *very* low 11 year cycle, probably leading
to global cooling before you know it. :-)