The ham radio call sign and codes ham radio secrets. Also, there are some informal qcodes that slightly differ in meaning. Some of the common codesestablishing communication. Q signals, prosigns and abbreviations for the ham radio. This compilation is alphabetically indexed for fast look up and ease. In most cases, you dont need to be a member of the sponsoring club to use their repeater.
Learn a couple basic q codes and how to interact on the air. The infographic above covers what bands each license class has access to, common q codes, the phonetic alphabet, and morse code. Additionally some of the q codes have taken on special significance. Here are a few examples of some of the most common abbreviations you will hear on the ham radio bands assuming you can read morse code. This handy guide for ham operators includes charts on amateur radio bands, frequency ranges, wavelengthfrequency conversion formulas, the phonetic alphabet and common ham radio q signals. Too bad the ham and fcc world doesnt think that way. Your operating needs could be similar to one of them.
Each q signal may take the form of a question or an answerstatement, as noted below. Ham radio terms this is glossary contains general definitions of typical amateur radio terms. Morse code influences on ham radio lingo lukes life. Qse what is the estimated drift of the survival craft. Not all of the definition listed may apply to your specific model of radio. If heshe uses them, you are more apt to do so as well. Here i will present some of the more common signals as we use them in the ham bands on cw. The q codes are typically used when there is a needdesire to express a particular idea and do so as quickly and simply as possible. Much information can be exchanged quickly using q signals that mean the same thing in every language, when using morse code to ommunicate. Its version b, with changes 15, and is dated in 1976.
Amateur radio q codes signal question answer, advice or order qrg will you indicate my exact frequency in kilohertz. Qts send call sign for tuning or frequency measurement. Do not use cw abbreviations or q signals in phone traffic handling. The q code is a standardized collection of threeletter codes all of which start with the letter q.
Amateur radio operators mainly use q codes as abbreviations see other page on ham radio codes. General codes, second letter of which is r, s, t or u. A complete list of ham radio q signals, including those used on nets and repeaters, is. Some hams have such a wonderful speaking voice and smooth style q codes are not necessary. Often q codes will be heard used in normal speech by radio amateurs. Spell phonetically all difficult or unusual wordsdo not spell out common words. The phonetic alphabet or radio phonetic alphabet is used to spell out words in a way that the letters can be understood. Qsignals qsignals are a system of radio shorthand as old as wireless and developed from even older telegraphy codes. There are several sets of codes and abbreviations that are in common use. Below a number of q signals are listed whose meanings most often need to be expressed with brevity and clarity in amateur radio work. Q signals take the form of a question only when each is sent followed by a question mark. Cw abbreviations cw specific abbreviations and qsignals. Raelessons by 4s7vj qcodes usefull for radio amateurs qcode questions answers or advice qra what is the name of your station.
Common radio codes code description 1001 reception is poor 1002 reception is good 1003 stop transmittingchange channels 1004 message received 1005 relay message 1006 busy, out on call 1007 out of service, leaving air 1008 in serviceavailable for assignment 1009 repeat last transmission 1010 out of service radio on. Ham speak know the lingo if youve heard somebody use terminology youre not familiar with, look it up here and youre likely to find the definition. Qsignals are commonly used with phone mode voice also. They may be used as a question with a question mark. Qtq can you communicate by international code signals.
These q signals are the ones used most often on the air. These ham radio bands or frequency allocations are open to radio hams around the world to use although the actual ham radio allocations do vary slightly from country to. Prosigns, q signals and cw abbreviations used in amateur ham radio procedural signals prosigns for morse code c q calling any station does any ham not know this one. The amateur ham radio operator uses a subset of full international q code and they extensively use these q codes very easily. The standard time stations below will give you some indication of propagation conditions on ham radio frequencies. Mar 20, 2018 to me q codeuse entirely depends on who you are speaking with. Even though qcodes were designed for use in continuous wave mode also known as cw mode, the mode for sending morse code, several of the qcodes are still around today on the phone modes the mode a radio must be in to send and receive voices, and are very common in ham manuals. While qsignals were developed for use by morse operators, their use is common on phone, as well.
The most commonly used qcodes are listed separately from the, not so commonly used qcodes. The qcode is a standardized collection of threeletter codes all of which start with the letter q. The most common qsignals heard on vhf and uhf fm repeaters are highlighted in blue. A major part of ham radio is scanning different frequencies, and one of the most popular kinds of ham radio textfiles are lists of interesting frequencies to try. You will find a list of common qsignals and a list of common ham terms under the learning menu, in section 1. Other meanings that may be used in other services do not apply. From the 1969 arrl the radio amateurs operating manual many of the expressions. My old copy of acp 1 is divided by tab markers for easy reference. Once you choose a profile, fill in the details by reading the vhfuhf or hf sections that. Ham radio technician class practice test updated 2020.
The table below lists the most common qsignals used by hams. Here are the q signals most commonly used in daytoday operation. Much of if could be unfamiliarity with the common abbreviations and qcodes used during a cw conversation between amateur stations. This table shows how 10 codes have evolved between 2 periods, years apart. As youll see, the terminology is a bit different in this mode versus standard am transmissions. Raelessons by 4s7vj q codes usefull for radio amateurs q code questions answers or advice qra what is the name of your station.
Morse trainer for ham radio im always on the lookout for useful tools to help increase my copy speed and enjoyment of cwmorse code. Ham radio qcodes everything you need to know about ham. Qsignals are three letter combinations used to represent common phrases or sentences for cw operation. Q codes are commonly used in voice communications as shorthand nouns. Study material for this question can be found in the following resources. Qrb how far, approximately, are you from my station.
Hams are required to know this in order to get an amateur license, or ticket as a license is. Common profiles you may find it useful to start with one of our four common ham profiles. Cw prosigns and abbreviations clovis amateur radio. I was just searching for cb radio 10 codes but here i found lots of information such cb radio slang and cb q codes also. Each signal can be a question or an answer, as shown in the meaning column. The is no red army q codes at all its still used on radiotelegraphy while nato codes are dead today 73 tom the above comments were originally topposted on 15. Qn signals need not be followed by a question mark, even though the meaning may be.
Each qsignal may take the form of a question or an answerstatement, as noted below. These codes were found on the inside cover of a 1965 arrl amateur radio. But, keep in mind that they transmit at much higher power levels than the ham radio maximum legal power limit in other words, when you can receive a signal from chu or wwv, it does not necessarily mean that the closest amateur radio band is usable. Tencodes, officially known as ten signals, are brevity codes used to represent common phrases in voice communication, particularly by law enforcement and in citizens band cb radio transmissions. A complete list of ham radio q signals, including those used on nets and repeaters. These codes were found on the inside cover of a 1965 arrl amateur radio station log book. Ham radio cw international qsignals radioing amateur. However, though they are short, they are very effective. Within amateur radio, the q codes have started to appear in voice communications, and their use is somewhat less formal than when it is used for morse communications. The international q code can be arranged in three types of code groups according to the second letter in the threeletter q code. We will cover some common qsignals, prosigns, terminology, and ham speak there will be a quiz at the end for fun. Kb6nus nononsense technicianclass license study guide page.
Ham operators send them as short codes to eliminate sending long massages. The amateur ham radio operator uses a subset of full international qcode and they extensively use these qcodes very easily. Qra what is the name of your station qrb how far, approximately, are you from my station qrc what authorityadministration settles the accounts of your station qrd where are you bound and where are you from qre what is your estimated time of arrival at place qrf are you returning to place. The most common q signals heard on vhf and uhf fm repeaters are highlighted in blue. Feel free to share this graphic on your site, all we ask is that you link back to. International q code is an abbreviated way to exchange a great deal of information with a simple code. Icao procedures for air navigation services pans, abbreviations and codes doc8400.
It provides both encode and decode for both q and z signals. There is a good variety of ham bands or amateur radio allocations within the hf portion of the short wave spectrum. The qn signals q codes are special arrl signals for use in amateur cw nets only. If you dont find it, contact us at the support center and we will consider adding it to the list.
Consult the manufacture for further clarification of modelspecific terms. Amateur radio q codes 1 code question answer or statement qra what is the name or call sign of your station. When we communicate in morse code cw, we make heavy use of abbreviations. Also requesting to write a post on some top quality cb apps. Morse code prosigns and abbreviations procedural signals prosigns for morse code c q calling any station does any ham not know this one. It is an operating signal initially developed for commercial radiotelegraph communication and later adopted by other radio services, especially amateur radio.
Qsignals are a system of radio shorthand as old as wireless and developed from even older telegraphy codes. Links the websdr project listen to radio receivers from all over the world. Presented in the table below are some common qcodes used by radio amateurs. Learn to operate your amateur radio the easy way with the amateur radio quick reference card. As you will see, there are many more ham radio codes with special purposes. Common ham radio q codes by wb7c q signals in the list above came from the web site credited in the header of the document. To distinguish the use of a qcode transmitted as a question from the same qcode transmitted as a statement, operators either prefixed. Hopefully the qso makes more sense to you now, and you have a little better idea of typical ham conduct on the air. Q codes marked with an are the most commonly used today. Amateur radio or ham radio is a fascinating hobby that has captivated the interest of countless thousands and provides a stimulating technical hobby for people around the globe. Amateur ham radio frequency table amateur ham radio frequency table this information is presented for people that are not hams, or amateur radio operators, that want to know something about the frequencies that hams are legally allowed to use. International q signals the q code were developed by the international radiotelegraphic convention in 1912. Zcodes are mainly used over commercial and military teleprinter, facsimile and high speed automatic telegraphy links and are not normally used by radio amateurs, even when using rtty, but the list is included for general interest. Here is a link to the expanded apco 10 codes more commonly used today.
The q code consists of threeletter groups with each group having a specific meaning. Ham radio ham or amateur radio is a fascinating hobby for all it incorporates many aspects of technology and communication enabling anyone to make what they want of it. Amateur radio, more commonly known as ham radio, is once again growing in popularity after experiencing years of declining interest in the united states. The best feature of q signals, to me, is that they are universally recognized in all languages as long as the person receiving them knows morse code. Ham radio terms glossary this is glossary contains general definitions of typical amateur radio terms. Q codes take the form of a question only when sent followed by a question mark. In informal ham language, some codes have slightly diverted from their. A question is indicated by the use of the interrogation sign. Q signals or q abbreviations q signals take the form of a question only when each is followed by a question mark. The qcodes are sets of abbreviations that were in use from the beginning of the last century in order to simplify radiotelegraphy communication among the ham operators.
Presented in the table below are some common q codes used by radio amateurs. Today, there are over 700,000 people who hold an amateur radio license. Q signals, prosigns and abbreviations for the ham radio operator. Consult the manufacture for further clarification of modelspecific. The police version of tencodes is officially known as the apco project 14 aural brevity code. They are not for use in casual amateur conversation. The ham radio q code is a subset of a very much larger set of codes that is used by a variety of radio services from maritime, to aeronautical and much more. Their intent was to shorten, or make more efficient, certain aspects of morse code communications click here for my morse code page. Qsignals are a set of abbreviations for common information that save time and allow communication between operators who dont speak a common language. You will find a list of common q signals and a list of common ham terms under the learning menu, in section 1. The following list of current q codes is compiled from various sources. Q signals are commonly used with phone mode voice also. Qnz series are reserved for the aeronautical service. Archived from the original pdf on 6 september 2012.
1147 742 1529 737 806 949 391 95 787 1203 898 71 28 1171 545 395 224 151 333 1416 370 1256 727 1072 1329 274 1214 1441 959 603 1271 221