Q Codes Commonly Used by Radio Amateurs

Amateur ham radio operators use Q signals (or Q codes) as shorthand to speed up non-voice communication. Each Q signal represents information: advice, an answer, or a call for action. You turn the signal into a question by adding a question mark right after the Q signal. This list of common Q signals shows the meanings of the codes as they’d appear with and without a question mark.

Q-codes

Code	Meaning	Sample use
QRG	Exact frequency	HE TX ON QRG 14205 kHz
QRI	Tone (T in the RST code)	UR QRI IS 9
QRK	Intelligibility (R in the RST code)	UR QRK IS 5
QRL	This frequency is busy.	Used almost exclusively with morse code, usually as a question (QRL? – is this frequency busy?) before transmitting on a new frequency
QRM	Man-made interference	ANOTHER QSO UP 2 kHz CAUSING LOT OF QRM
QRN	Natural interference, e.g. static crashes	BAND NOISY TODAY LOT OF QRN
QRO	Increase power	NEED QRO WHEN PROP POOR
QRP	Decrease power	QRP TO 5 W (As a mode of operation, a QRP station is five watts or less, a QRPp station one watt or less)
QRQ	Send more quickly	TIME SHORT PSE QRQ
QRR	Temporarily unavailable/away, please wait	WILL BE QRR 30 MIN = THAT STN IS QRR NW
QRRR	Land distress	A non-standard call proposed by ARRL for land-based or railroad emergency traffic in situations where response from ships at sea (which listened for SOS) was neither needed nor desired.
QRS	Send more slowly	PSE QRS NEW TO CW (QRS operation – a slower dot rate – is useful during weak-signal conditions; a QRSS mode uses an extremely low code rate on a channel less than 1Hz wide to allow reception under extreme QRP conditions)
QRT	Stop sending	ENJOYED TALKING 2 U = MUST QRT FER DINNER NW
QRU	Have you anything for me?	QRU? ABOUT TO QRT
QRV	I am ready	WL U BE QRV IN UPCOMING CONTEST?
QRX	Will call you again	QRX @ 1500H
QRZ	You are being called by ________.	QRZ? UR VY WEAK (Only someone who has previously called should reply)
QSA	Signal strength	UR QSA IS 5
QSB	Fading of signal	THERE IS QSB ON UR SIG
QSD	Your keying is defective	QSD CK YR TX
QSK	Break-in	I CAN HR U DURING MY SIGS PSE QSK
QSL	I Acknowledge receipt	QSL UR LAST TX = PSE QSL VIA BURO (i.e. please send me a card confirming this contact).
QSM	Repeat last message	QRM DROWNED UR LAST MSG OUT = PSE QSM
QSN	I heard you	QSN YESTERDAY ON 7005 kHz
QSO	A conversation	TNX QSO 73
QSP	Relay	PSE QSP THIS MSG TO ________
QST	General call to all stations	QST: QRG ALLOCS HV CHGD
QSX	I am listening on … frequency	QSX 14200 TO 14210 kHz
QSY	Shift to transmit on …	LETS QSY UP 5 kHz
QTA	Disregard last message	QTA, DID NOT MEAN THAT
QTC	Traffic	STN WID EMRG QTC PSE GA
QTH	Location	QTH IS _________
QTR	Exact time	QTR IS 2000 Z

Phonetic Alphabet

Letter	Code word	Pronunciation
A	Alpha	AL FAH
B	Bravo	BRAH VOH
C	Charlie	CHAR LEE
D	Delta	DELL TAH
E	Echo	ECK OH
F	Foxtrot	FOKS TROT
G	Golf	GAHLF
H	Hotel	HO TELL
I	India	IN DEE AH
J	Juliet	JEW LEE ETT
K	Kilo	KEY LOH
L	Lima	LEE MAH
M	Mike	MIKE
N	November	NO VEM BER
O	Oscar	OSS CAH
P	Papa	PAH PAH
Q	Quebec	KEH BECK
R	Romeo	ROW ME OH
S	Sierra	SEE AIR RAH
T	Tango	TANG GO
U	Uniform	YOU NEE FORM
V	Victor	VIK TAH
W	Whiskey	WISS KEY
X	X-ray or Xray	ECKS RAY
Y	Yankee	YANG KEY
Z	Zulu	ZOO LOO
Number	Code word	Pronunciation
0	Zero	ZE RO
1	One	WUN
2	Two	TOO
3	Three	TREE
4	Four	FOW ER
5	Five	FIFE
6	Six	SIX
7	Seven	SEV EN
8	Eight	AIT
9	Nine	NIN ER

Morse Code

Character	Code	Character	Code	Character	Code	Character	Code	Character	Code	Character	Code
A	· —	J	· — — —	S	· · ·	1	· — — — —	.	· — · — · —	:	— — — · · ·
B	— · · ·	K	— · —	T	—	2	· · — — —	,	— — · · — —	;	— · — · — ·
C	— · — ·	L	· — · ·	U	· · —	3	· · · — —	?	· · — — · ·	=	— · · · —
D	— · ·	M	— —	V	· · · —	4	· · · · —	”	· — — — — ·	+	· — · — ·
E	·	N	— ·	W	· — —	5	· · · · ·	!	— · — · — —	–	— · · · · —
F	· · — ·	O	— — —	X	— · · —	6	— · · · ·	/	— · · — ·	_	· · — — · —
G	— — ·	P	· — — ·	Y	— · — —	7	— — · · ·	(	— · — — ·	“	· — · · — ·
H	· · · ·	Q	— — · —	Z	— — · ·	8	— — — · ·	)	— · — — · —	$	· · · — · · —
I	· ·	R	· — ·	0	— — — — —	9	— — — — ·	&	· — · · ·	@	· — — · — ·