Sphagnum - Loose or Packed Tight?

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I heard a lecture on growing Phals in tightly packed moss. I took notes but haven't written them up yet. The gist is the moss is never completely soaked. When the top is crisp just run water over it for one second. That water diffuses through the entire moss ball, leaving it well aerated.

At repotting the moss is dampened but not soaked the night before. It should be flexible, not crisp, yet not feel wet. Wrap it around the roots to form a large ball and stuff it tightly into the pot. That person uses transparent plastic pots so she can see roots. Leave a generous gap below the pot rim for water.

I don't use moss because S/H works well for me. But without S/H I would use moss.

When I receive a new plant in moss I keep it until repotting at the appropriate time. Catts, Catasetinae and Oncidiums use water much faster than Phals. I do soak the moss for those. Note my growing area is warm to hot much of the year.

Alan Koch lectured he uses 7 different potting mixes for different plants to permit watering his hundreds of thousands of plants once a week. Moss is one such mix. He does soak it. I have bought Catts from him potted in moss.