The promoting properties of hard coatings with an amorphous hydrogenated carbon basis to attain dropwise condensation (DWC) of steam on coated copper surfaces were investigated. Using differently produced coatings, equilibrium contact angles of theta(eq) of 65, 74 and 90 degrees could be reached for water. Stable and well reproducible heat transfer measurements could be performed. For a subcooling temperature of the condensor surface of 5 K. the DWC heat transfer coefficient at the vertical wall is 11 times higher for the surface with theta(eq) = 90 degrees than that measured for filmwise condensation (FWC), seven times higher for the surface with theta(eq) = 74 degrees and 3.5 times higher for the surface with theta(eq) = 65 degrees. In comparison to the heat transfer coefficient measured for a contact angle of 90 degrees for the heat flux ranging From 0.4-0.9 MW m(-2) only 53-45% (for theta(eq) = 74 degrees) and 1-7.5% (for theta(eq) = 65 degrees) of the 90 degrees-values were determined. For theta(eq) = 90 degrees the observed DWC keeps very well stable up to a technically achievable maximum heat flux of 1.54 MW m(-2). For theta(eq) = 74 degrees and for theta(eq) = 65 degrees, however, expanded condensation streams (mixed condensation) appeared on the surface at heat fluxes of 1.03 MW m(-2) and 0.7 MW m(-2). In these situations the performance characteristic is less developed in comparison to pure DWC, but still better than for pure FWC.