- "43 km line of sight with USB WiFi stick (2005)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30541576

- Kreosan English's modded lunar rover WiFi antenna videos: "100s of km" https://youtu.be/Nk-nj_BwoBE?si=0iwpQBFs9ZqFP0p8 ... 10x: https://youtu.be/GWq6L94ImX8?si=V2R8hpa3vAosbhvi

When you have unobstructed line of sight, a 5W handheld can reach all the way up to ISS without problem. It's very different on the ground, though, especially on high frequencies, where much smaller objects can prevent propagation.

Are helically-polarized emissions more likely to have higher S/N at range and through e.g. plasma? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39119248#39132365