Does a good ground make *that* much difference?

[James N. Price]

-------
For the past 3 months, I've been getting out *very* well compared
to any previous times in my DXing life.  It's kinda scarey.  I can
enter pileups and work stuff in 2 or 3 calls that might have taken
an hour before.

But it's not clear what's happened.  The changes to my station in
the past few months have been:

	--a TS-430S replaced a TS-820S (but both run about 90
watts on CW which is what I use most of the time).  Yes, I only
run barefoot.

	--"Santa Claus," aka my wife, delivered a Heil boomset (the
5, not the 4) which makes a big difference on SSB

	--it's been raining a lot, at least by S. Calif.
standards.

Only the wet ground makes sense to me as a major dB increaser for
DXing.  I am on a canyon rim with a good shot from NW to SE
through East, and a fair shot to the South.  Would wet ground
lower my radiation angle so much that I'd really notice as much
difference as I'm seeing?

Anyone else in Calif. had a similar experience this past few
months?

73--Jim, K6ZH
-------