Operating Rules and Procedures

Q Codes

Q Codes are standard three-letter codes, developed originally to facilitate commercial Morse transmissions – to speed up the sending of messages and to act as a form of ‘international language’ for messages.  Q codes continue to be used extensively in amateur Morse (CW) transmissions and are also commonly used in amateur voice transmissions, assisting conversations between operators speaking different languages.

Q codes can represent a Question or an Answer.  The Q codes within the scope of the exam syllabus are:

Q code Question Answer
QRK What is the readability of my signals? The readability of your signals is …
QRM Are you being interfered with? I am being interfered with
QRN Are you troubled by static? I am troubled by static
QRO Shall I increase transmitter power? Increase transmitter power
QRP Shall I decrease transmitter power? Decrease transmitter power
QRT Shall I stop sending? Stop sending
QRZ Who is calling me? You are being called by …
QRV Are you ready? I am ready
QSB Are my signals fading? Your signals are fading
QSL Can you acknowledge receipt? I am acknowledging receipt
QSO Can you communicate with … direct? I can communicate … direct
QSY Shall I change to transmission on another frequency? Change transmission to another frequency
QRX When will you call again? I will call you again at … hours on … kHz (or MHz)
QTH What is your position in latitude and longitude (or according to any other indication)? My position is … latitude, … longitude (or according to any other indication)

Q codes can represent a Question q. or an Answer a.
The Q codes within the scope of the exam syllabus are:

QRK  q. What is the readability of my signals?
QRK  a. The readability of your signals is …
QRM  q. Are you being interfered with?
QRM  a. I am being interfered with
QRN  q. Are you troubled by static?
QRN  a. I am troubled by static
QRO  q. Shall I increase transmitter power?
QRO  a. Increase transmitter power
QRP  q. Shall I decrease transmitter power?
QRP  a. Decrease transmitter power
QRT  q. Shall I stop sending?
QRT  a. Stop sending
QRZ  q. Who is calling me?
QRZ  a. You are being called by …
QRV  q. Are you ready?
QRV  a. I am ready
QSB  q. Are my signals fading?
QSB  a. Your signals are fading
QSL  q. Can you acknowledge receipt?
QSL  a. I am acknowledging receipt
QSO  q. Can you communicate with … direct?
QSO  a. I can communicate … direct
QSY  q. Shall I change to transmission on another frequency?
QSY  a. Change transmission to another frequency
QRX  q. When will you call again?
QRX  a. I will call you again at … hours on … kHz (or MHz)
QTH  q. What is your position in latitude and longitude (or according to any other indication)?
QTH  a. My position is … latitude, … longitude (or according to any other indication)