Just getting into EME and have been reading conflicting info about power requirements. I've seen claims that 80-100W is sufficient for 70cm Q65 contacts with a decent Yagi, but what about 2m? Currently running 100W into a dual 17-element array with 0.6dB NF preamp. Several sources mention successful 2m EME with just 50W and a directional antenna using JT65, but wondering if Q65 requirements are similar. Anyone making regular contacts with modest power on 144 MHz?

You're in good shape with that setup! For 2m EME, the standard is Q65-60C mode (60-second sequences, submode C). Many ops work EME successfully with 50W and a single Yagi, especially when the moon is low on the horizon. Your dual array gives you at least 3dB more gain than a single Yagi, so 100W should definitely work.

Just worked my first EME contact last month with 75W and a single long-boom 18-element. Many successful QSOs happen between a modest station on one end and a high-power setup on the other. The digital modes like Q65 have really opened up moonbounce to smaller stations. Don't forget accurate time sync - that's critical for the WSJT modes!

You don't need to hear your own echoes to complete EME contacts - it's about whether the other operator can hear you and if their station is powerful enough for you to copy them. Q65's signal averaging really helps - it pieces together information from multiple sequences to achieve decodes. Your 100W dual array setup should handle most EME QSOs fine.