Amateur Radio Q-Codes, International Phonetic Alphabet, the RST System
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Q-Codes can be downloaded here.
Code | Question | Answer or Statement |
QRA | What is the name of your station? | The name of my station is ___. |
QRG | Will you tell me my exact frequency? | Your exact frequency is ___ kHz. |
QRH | Does my frequency vary? | Your frequency varies. |
QRI | How is the tone of my transmission? | The tone of your transmission is ___ (1-Good, 2-Variable, 3-Bad.) |
QRJ | Are you receiving me badly? | I cannot receive you, your signal is too weak. |
QRK | What is the intelligibility of my signals? | The intelligibility of your signals is ___ (1- Bad, 2-Poor, 3-Fair, 4-Good, 5-Excellent.) |
QRL | Are you busy? | I am busy, please do not interfere. |
QRM | Is my transmission being interfered with? | Your transmission is being interfered with ___(1-Nil, 2-Slightly, 3-Moderately, 4-Severly, 5-Extremely.) |
QRN | Are you troubled by static? | I am troubled by static ___ (1-5 as under QRM.) |
QRO | Shall I increase power? | Increase power. |
QRP | Shall I decrease power? | Decrease power. |
QRQ | Shall I send faster? | Send faster (___ WPM.) |
QRS | Shall I send more slowly? | Send more slowly (___ WPM.) |
QRT | Shall I stop sending? | Stop sending. |
QRU | Have you anything for me? | I have nothing for you. |
QRV | Are you ready? | I am ready. |
QRW | Shall I inform ___ that you are calling? | Please inform ___ that I am calling. |
QRX | When will you call me again? | I will call you again at ___ hours. |
QRZ | Who is calling me? | You are being called by ___. |
QSA | What is the strength of my signals? | The strength of your signals is ___ (1-Scarcely perceptible, 2-Weak, 3-Fairly Good, 4-Good, 5-Very Good.) |
QSB | Are my signals fading? | Your signals are fading. |
QSD | Is my keying defective? | Your keying is defective. |
QSG | Shall I send ___ messages at a time? | Send ___ messages at a time. |
QSK | Can you hear me between you signals and if so can I break in on your transmission? | I can hear you between my signals, break in on my transmission. |
QSL | Can you acknowledge receipt? | I am acknowledging receipt. |
QSM | Shall I repeat the last message which I sent you? | Repeat the last message. |
QSN | Did you hear me on ___ kHz? | I did hear you on ___ kHz. |
QSO | Can you communicate with ___ direct or by relay? | I can communicate with ___ direct (or by relay through ___.) |
QSP | Will you relay to ___? | I will relay to ___. |
QSR | Do you want me to repeat my call? | Please repeat your call. |
QSS | What working frequency will you use? | I will use the working frequency … kHz (or MHz). |
QST | Here is a broadcast message to all amateurs. | |
QSU | Shall I send or reply on this frequency? | Send a series of Vs on this frequency. |
QSW | Will you send on this frequency? | I am going to send on this frequency. |
QSX | Will you listen to … (call sign(s) on … kHz (or MHz))? | I am listening to … (call sign(s) on … kHz (or MHz)). |
QSY | Shall I change to another frequency? | Change to another frequency. |
QSZ | Shall I send each word or group more than once? | Send each word or group twice (or ___ times.) |
QTA | Shall I cancel message number ___? | Cancel message number ___. |
QTC | How many messages have you to send? | I have ___ messages for you. |
QTH | What is your location? | My location is ___. |
QTR | What is the correct time? | The time is ___. |
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Extended Mostly Maritime Q Codes
Code | Meaning | Answer or Statement |
QLF | (slang) Sorry, my sending is poor and it sounds like I am sending with my left foot. | |
QRB | How far are you from my station? | I am ____ km from your station |
QRD | Where are you bound and where are you coming from? | I am bound ___from ___. |
QRR | Are you ready for automatic operation? | I am ready for automatic operation. Send at ___ WPM. |
QRY | What is my turn? | Your turn is number ___. |
QSJ | What is the charge to be collected per word to ___ including your international telegraph charge? | The charge to be collected per word is ___ including my international telegraph charge. |
QSQ | Have you a doctor on board? (Or is ___ on board?) | I have a doctor onboard (or ___ is on board.) |
QSV | Shall I send a series of Vs on this frequency? | Send a series of Vs on this frequency. |
QTB | Do you agree with my counting of words? | I do not agree with your counting of words. I will repeat the first letter or digit of each word or group. |
QTE | What is my true bearing from you? | Your true bearing from me is ___degrees. |
QTG | Will you send two dashes of 10 seconds each followed by your call sign? | I am going to send two dashes of 10 seconds each followed by my call sign. |
QTI | What is your true track? | My true track is ___ degrees. |
QTJ | What is your speed? | My speed is ___ km/h |
QTL | What is your true heading? | My true heading is ___ degrees. |
QTN | At what time did you depart from ___? | I departed from ___ at ___hours. |
QTO | Have you left dock (or port)? | I have left dock (or port). |
QTP | Are you going to enter dock (or port)? | I am going to enter dock (or port.) |
QTQ | Can you communicate with my station by means of the International Code of Signals? | I am going to communicate with your station by means of the International Code of Signals. |
QTS | Will you send your call sign for ___ minutes so that your frequency can be measured? | I will send my call sign for ___ minutes so that my frequency may be measured. |
QTU | What are the hours during which your station is open? | My station is open from ___ hours to ___ hours. |
QTV | Shall I stand guard for you on the frequency of ___ kHz? | Stand guard for me on the frequency of ___ kHz. |
QTX | Will you keep your station open for further communication with me? | I will keep my station open for further communication with you. |
QUA | Have you news of ___? | I have news of ___. |
QUB | Can you give me information concerning visibility, height of clouds, direction and velocity of ground wind at ___? | Here is the information you requested… |
QUC | What is the number of the last message you received from me? | The number of the last message I received from you is ___. |
QUD | Have you received the urgency signal sent by ___? | I have received the urgency signal sent by ___. |
QUF | Have you received the distress signal sent by ___? | I have received the distress signal sent by ___. |
QUG | Will you be forced to land? | I am forced to land immediately. |
QUH | Will you give me the present barometric pressure? | The present barometric pressure is ____ (units). |
International Phonetic Alphabet
A = Alpha N = November
B = Bravo O = Oscar
C = Charlie P = Papa
D = Delta Q = Quebec
E = Echo R = Romeo
F = Foxtrot S = Sierra
G = Golf T = Tango
H = Hotel U = Uniform
I = India V = Victor
J = Juliet W = Whiskey
K = Kilo X = X-ray
L = Lima Y = Yankee
M = Mike Z = Zulu
Readability
1 – Unreadable
2 – Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.
3 – Readable with considerable difficulty.
4 – Readable with practically no difficulty.
5 – Perfectly readable.
The RST System
Signal Strength
1 – Faint signals, barely perceptible.
2 – Very weak signals.
3 – Weak signals
4 – Fair signals.
5 – Fairly good signals.
6 – Good signals.
7 – Moderately strong signals.
8 – Strong signals.
9 – Extremely strong signals.
Tone
1 – Sixty cycle AC or less, very rough and broad.
2 – Very rough AC, very harsh and broad.
3 – Rough AC tone, rectified but not filtered.
4 – Rough note, some trace of filtering.
5 – Filtered rectified AC. but strongly ripple-modulated.
6 – Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation.
7 – Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation.
8 – Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation.
9 – Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind.
If the signal has the characteristic steadiness of crystal control, add the letter X to the RST report. If there is a chirp, the letter C may be added to so indicate. Similarly for a click, add K. The above reporting system is used on both cw and voice, leaving out the “tone” report on voice.