It was more than just that - I have worked many California 1.5kW stations on 160M using tall antennas. They can put a good solid signal to me in Winter. And TX5K was like 5 or 6 S-units louder than any of them have ever been. TX5K were just as loud as a typical North Carolina or New England station using 1.5kW and a tall antenna, which is, "very loud".
I suspect it had to do with all that saltwater :-)
HK0NA was also putting out a real good signal on 160M, but it was just "comparable" to a California legal limit station with a good antenna.
And now I have the card too! Thanks to everyone who helped put together TX5K!
Tim.