15m is not very quiet?

[Crawdad]

Worked Portugal and Israel on 15m SSB this evening. 100w and an antenna that needs to be higher than what it is (about 3/8 wavelength up), but isn't. 15m and 17m give me my DX fix some days while 10m is rarely open lately at my QTH.

Thought I'd start a thread about something no one ever talks about here, since I don't have a RM Italy to talk about. I expect the thread to die a quick, quiet death.......

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[Blackcat630]

When I still had my HF beam up I worked the world on 15 and 17. 17 had some real diehards that met regularly to rag chew..mostly guys in the western US if I recall. 12 meters always seemed to be a way under used piece of spectrum to me...

 

[Crawdad]

When I still had my HF beam up I worked the world on 15 and 17. 17 had some real diehards that met regularly to rag chew..mostly guys in the western US if I recall. 12 meters always seemed to be a way under used piece of spectrum to me...

I've had some DX success to Europe on 15 and 17 in the past couple of months when everything higher is closed. I'm enjoying both bands quite a bit. Have not tried 12m yet but will before too long, need to cut some wires for it. I do check the clusters for traffic on 12, but don't see a great deal, I believe you are right about under used.........

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[Justme]

Running digital modes mostly here now, 2/70/23 cm with the new IC 9700.
Most used bands 15 and 17 later in the day 20 meter. 15 meter on the Imax 2K vertical gets me on all continents with 100 watts, if i use the SB 1000 2 x a year it is much in SSB.
17 meter with the Fritzel FD-4 OCF at 40 feet up gets me on all continents as well, with 1500 watt AMA 83 balun.

 

[w9cll]

15 and 17 are my favorite bands

 

[Crawdad]

15 and 17 are my favorite bands

They are becoming mine since they seem to be open almost daily to Europe, Africa and South America from here.
I've been pleasantly surprised with the distances of stations worked, since my feedpoint is only 16' AGL. I expected to mostly be cloud-warming and/or stateside contacts at best.

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[The20poundhammer]

I have worked a lot of DX on 15 and 17. It's my daytime places to go if 11 is not open. When it's open to Japan hear a lot of stations from there on 15 and 17.

 

[Crawdad]

Spent the best part of an hour on 15m phone yesterday morning returning the call of two different stations in Indonesia that were coming in 55. No dice, never could bust the big pile-up before they QSB'd away. Too many bounces for my too low antenna I reckon. But it was fun trying to talk 10k+ miles anyway.

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[Crawdad]

15m open to Europe today. Made some nice additions to the log. Sweden, Finland, Poland, Northern Ireland, Croatia, France. Jamaica and the Caymans in the Carib. Fun fun.

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[Crawdad]

I have worked a lot of DX on 15 and 17. It's my daytime places to go if 11 is not open. When it's open to Japan hear a lot of stations from there on 15 and 17.

Saw you on the Dx Cluster working India today on 15m. Nice one!

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[The20poundhammer]

Yes he was pretty strong here. I think he is the 3rd contact I have made into VU. 15 was really good for me yesterday got into Indonesia also and lots of European and Scandinavian countries. When it's open like that it's probably my favorite band to work DX.

 

[Crawdad]

When it's open like that it's probably my favorite band to work DX.

Agreed. The more I'm on 15 the more I like it. It's been open for at least a QSO or two, most days here for the past month or so.

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