Most hams don’t call out CQ on SSB, regardless of the band conditions. I’ve noticed that most lurk on the bands waiting for someone else to call out CQ. Your experiment confirms this… You’re a good ambassador for the hobby.😊

Maybe it's just me, but this video made me feel like I was on the air with them. I really enjoyed it.

So the adage "be the change you seek" proves quite accurate, nice work 👍

Well, you definitely call CQ a lot longer than I do.  I give two sets of 3 CQ's, my call Phonetically 3 times, then my location, followed by two final sets of 3 CQ's.  That's how I was taught when I got my ticket almost two decades ago.  Took me about 12 years to get onto 10 meters HF to make use of it.
I can count the number of contacts on 10-meters on two hands over the last 6-7 years...and none of them have been as clear as the conversation you shared in this video.  Most of my contacts are 2x3 or maybe 3x3 and I have to use headphones to get that.  Sorta like he was when he faded out at the 9 minute mark of your video.
It always gives me hope for the hobby to see other operators having success with their equipment.  Thank you for your time and the effort to put this video together.
Glen KS3IFT

Fairly new to HF and I'm learning that just because there's no traffic doesn't mean no one is out there!   I'll run FT8 and confirm the bands are open.  I then toss out a CQ and yes, I'll get a response! Too many people are just monitoring it seems.

that's normal for 17 m, everybody assumes it's dead and then someone gets on there and proves that it's not.

Don't forget, this weekend is Field Day.  You want to see an amazing band opening?  Bands you thought no one used any longer will amazingly come to life.

22:26 This exemplifies why 17-meters is one of my favorite bands. Thanks for making this video! 73, Jared ~ AC7WH

Interesting conditions.  Just calling CQ is sometimes all that is needed. Nice operating style Quin.

As CW only I find many CW ops on 17 meters almost everyday.

73 de N1XV

Hello, this week with the activation of the WWA Sprint, there are signals both in SSB and CW from WWA stations calling in the 17 meter band during the day and not at night.

Thank you Dr. Q.  Class was very good today.  I appreciate the live real time examples.

73

  Jim
KE9BNG

I guess I’ve been a ham 100 years or so. You taught me something new.  Never thought of listening to digital signals to check band conditions. I used to simply call CQ on dead bands and hope for the best.  Often I was pleasantly surprised.  From now on I’ll listen for digital signals   Thanks for the tip. Al WBØAL

This is great advice. I remember doing the same when 17 was dead about 10 years or so ago. I had a pile up from Japanese staions. Im based in the UK. G7GNS.

Great demonstration, Quin!  Thanks for showing your exemplary operating style, as well...!
It is very interesting to see/hear the different variations in techniques,
with all accomplishing the same end!  73, Every time you key!  ~KN4KZT

POTA, Pot on the Air? 😊

Thanks for that.  Great for this newby

A nice way to find out if the bands are open is to listen out for the cw propagation beacons or the digital noise.
Having confirmed this I call CQ on cw or ssb, just like you Quin.
We have to keep the interest going, brings me back to the early days of tuning around and looking forward to hearing others talk to one another, so natural and very interesting at times
... In fact it still is the best way to participate and demonstrate to the world.

Some people want to go to Mars..
In the Air Force during the Vietnam War, I visited the
MARS station to see it sending messages to Vietnam 🇻🇳 in 1970. 😊

This is why we often times realize "wonderful band openings"... during a contest! 😅

A BIG factor in realizing a band opening is that there MUST be someone else out there that is either calling... or, you call & they respond to you.

Sadly, there has been a very big shift towards the digital modes & consequently SSB activity has decreased significantly.  With the elimination of the Morse Code requirement, there's less activity there as well.