Morse Code Q Codes — Complete List of All 57 Ham Radio Q Signals

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRA asks for the formal station name or callsign identifier. Used in formal traffic and maritime communication where the full station designation is required, not just a callsign. In modern ham radio, the callsign itself serves this purpose.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRB asks for the distance between stations — useful in maritime navigation, direction finding, and emergency communication. In ham radio, operators often share QRB when making unusual or long-distance contacts. The distance is given in kilometres.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QRC is a legacy commercial telegraphy code used to identify the party responsible for billing. It originated when stations charged per-message fees in maritime and commercial communication. Rarely used in modern amateur radio but retained in the ITU standard.

Category: Location · ITU standard

QRD is primarily a maritime and aeronautical code for voyage information. It gives both the destination and point of departure. Used by coast guard and vessel traffic services to track ship movements. In emergency communications it can convey movement plans.

Category: Location · ITU standard

QRE provides an estimated time of arrival at a specified point. Used in maritime, aeronautical, and emergency communications to coordinate rendezvous and resource planning. Time is always given in UTC. In emergency nets, QRE helps coordinate rescue asset deployment.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QRF indicates a vessel or aircraft is returning to a previously held course or position. Used in maritime and aeronautical control to confirm a course correction or return to base. Rarely heard in amateur radio operation today.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QRG is used to verify an operating frequency, especially when a station may be slightly off frequency. In contest operation, knowing your exact frequency helps avoid inadvertent interference. Spectrum analysers have reduced QRG use but it remains standard in formal nets.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QRH is sent when a station’s transmit frequency is drifting or unstable — caused by an oscillator warming up, power supply issues, or poor temperature compensation. On vintage equipment QRH was common during warm-up periods. Modern synthesized radios rarely suffer from QRH.

Category: Signal · Scale 1–3

QRI rates the audio quality of a CW signal on a three-point scale. A QRI 1 (good) tone is clear and stable. QRI 2 (variable) may have modulation or ripple. QRI 3 (bad) is rough, buzzy, or chirpy. Poor tone often indicates power supply issues, key clicks, or chirp in older transmitters.

Category: Signal · ITU standard

QRJ was used in commercial telegraphy to report traffic volume. It helped supervisors allocate operators during peak periods. In modern amateur operation it is rarely used, though contest operators informally note rate (contacts per hour) which serves the same purpose.

Category: Signal · Scale 1–5

QRK is the readability component of the RST signal report. In CW, readability (R) is rated 1–5 on how well copy can be made. QRK 5 means every character is copied. QRK 1 means signals are present but no copy is possible. Combined with QSA (strength), it gives a complete signal picture.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

Before transmitting on any CW frequency, good operating practice requires sending "QRL?" to check if the frequency is in use. If someone replies "QRL" (yes, busy) you must move on. Skipping this check is a major operating error that causes interference.

Category: Signal · Scale 1–5

QRM covers interference from other radio stations, electrical equipment, or digital noise. The number suffix (QRM 3) rates severity. QRM differs from QRN: QRM is man-made, QRN is natural. "QRM from a nearby station" is extremely common in CW operation.

Category: Signal · Scale 1–5

QRN covers atmospheric noise — lightning crashes, precipitation static, auroral noise. Summer thunderstorm seasons drive QRN levels high on low bands. The distinction from QRM matters: QRN is weather-dependent and affects low frequencies more than high.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRO is the opposite of QRP — it describes high-power operation (typically above 100W, often up to the legal limit of 1500W in the US). "QRO station" implies a well-equipped station with amplifier. Sometimes used informally to contrast with the QRP movement.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRP has become shorthand for the entire low-power operating movement. QRP operators run 5 watts or less, often making contacts across continents. The QRP community is one of the most active in amateur radio, with clubs, contests, and dedicated frequencies worldwide.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRQ is the opposite of QRS — it asks the other station to increase sending speed. Used when an operator is comfortable copying at higher speed and the other station is sending unnecessarily slowly. High-speed CW operators sometimes use QRQ to invite faster exchange during contests.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRS is one of the most beginner-friendly codes — it politely asks the other operator to slow down. No CW operator should feel embarrassed sending QRS. Experienced operators always honour QRS requests graciously.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRT means the station is closing down. "Going QRT" means going off air for the session. Unlike SK (which ends a contact), QRT ends the entire operating session. Often paired with the time: "QRT 1800Z."

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QRU tells a calling station there is no traffic waiting for them. In formal traffic nets, stations check in asking QRU? — is there any message traffic waiting? The net control replies QRU (nothing) or gives the traffic count. A clean reply means the station can proceed or sign off.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRV confirms the station is on frequency, tuned up, and ready to copy. It answers the implicit question before a contact begins. A station calling "QRV?" is asking if the other end is listening and prepared to proceed.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRW asks a third station to relay a calling notice — "please tell W1AW I'm calling on 14.025." Used when a station cannot reach its target directly but can reach a relay. In modern ham radio with internet-linked systems, QRW is rarely needed but remains in the ITU standard.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRX tells the other station to wait — the operator will return at a specified time or frequency. Similar to the prosign AS but more specific: QRX 10 means "stand by 10 minutes." Commonly used when a station needs to attend to something briefly.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRY provides a queue position to a station waiting to transmit — used in formal multi-station nets or coordinated maritime communications. "QRY 3" means you are third in the queue. In busy emergency nets, QRY helps maintain orderly access to the frequency.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRZ is sent when a station hears a call but cannot identify the caller — usually due to QRM or weak signal. It means "repeat your callsign, I didn't copy it." QRZ.com, the world's largest ham radio callsign database, takes its name from this code.

Category: Signal · Scale 1–5

QSA is the strength component of the RS signal report. Scale: 1=scarcely perceptible, 2=weak, 3=fairly good, 4=good, 5=very good. Combined with QRK (readability), QSA gives the full signal picture. In modern ham radio the RST system (1–5, 1–9, 1–9) has largely replaced QSA/QRK in casual contacts.

Category: Signal · ITU standard

QSB describes the rise and fall of signal strength caused by ionospheric propagation changes. Deep QSB can make a strong signal disappear entirely for seconds. Common on HF bands, especially during changing band conditions at dawn and dusk.

Category: Signal · ITU standard

QSD alerts an operator that their keying has problems — broken characters, incorrect dit/dah ratio, key clicks, or incomplete characters. Common causes include a sticky key contact, incorrect keyer settings, or RF getting into the keyer circuitry. Politely sending QSD is a favour to any operator.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QSG regulates message batching in formal traffic nets. "QSG 5" means send five messages in sequence before pausing for acknowledgement. Used in high-volume traffic sessions to improve efficiency — rather than acknowledging each message individually, the receiving station confirms the whole batch.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QSK (full break-in) means the transmitter switches to receive between every dit and dah, allowing the other operator to interrupt at any moment. It is the most conversational CW style. The opposite is semi-break-in (QSK off) where the station listens only between words.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QSL means "confirmed." In CW it confirms you received the other station's transmission. The famous QSL card — a postcard confirming a radio contact — takes its name from this code. Millions are exchanged annually by ham operators worldwide as proof of contact.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QSM requests a retransmission of the preceding message — used when copy was incomplete due to QRM, QRN, or a momentary lapse in concentration. Unlike "AGN?" (again, please repeat) which requests general repetition, QSM specifically requests the formal last message in a traffic sequence.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSN confirms which frequency a station was heard on. Used when a station transmits on one frequency while listening on another (split operation). Confirming the transmit frequency prevents confusion in split-frequency DX pileups where the DX station listens up or down from its transmit frequency.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

A QSO is any completed two-way contact between stations. Operators log QSOs in their station log with date, time, frequency, mode, and signal reports. "I had a great QSO with Japan last night" means a successful contact was made.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QSP requests or confirms message relay through a third station. It is fundamental to traffic net operation — messages are passed from station to station (each saying QSP) until they reach a station close to the final recipient. The phrase "free of charge" echoes QSP's commercial telegraphy origins.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSR directs a station to repeat its call on the designated calling frequency so other stations can also hear it. Used in maritime and aeronautical communication to broadcast a vessel's position or call to all stations simultaneously. Ensures awareness is not limited to the direct contact.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSS establishes the working frequency for a contact after initial exchange on the calling frequency. Similar to QSY but specifically names the agreed working frequency rather than requesting a move. Used in formal maritime and traffic net procedures to confirm the frequency both parties will use.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QST precedes a general bulletin meant for all stations on frequency. The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) publishes its flagship magazine named QST, taken from this code. On air, "QST DE W1AW" means the ARRL station is about to transmit a bulletin for all hams.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSU directs the receiving station where to transmit its reply — on the current frequency or a specified alternative. Used in simplex and duplex arrangements where the listening and transmitting frequencies differ. Ensures both stations are aligned before the reply is sent.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSW confirms a station's transmit frequency — complementing QSX (listen frequency) in split-frequency operation. In DX pileup management, the DX station sends QSW (my transmit frequency) and QSX (where I'm listening) to coordinate split operation clearly. Critical for organized DX expeditions.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSX specifies the frequency a station is monitoring — essential in split-frequency DX operation. A rare DX station transmits on one frequency and listens on another to manage the pileup. "QSX UP 5" means listening 5 kHz above its transmit frequency. Every DX chaser needs to know QSX.

Category: Frequency · ITU standard

QSY is the standard way to move a contact off a busy calling frequency to a working frequency. "QSY 14.025" means move to 14.025 MHz. After contact, QSY keeps calling frequencies clear for others.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QSZ improves copy reliability when signals are marginal — by sending each word twice (or more), missed characters can be filled in from the repeated transmission. Used in formal radiogram traffic under difficult conditions. The word count in the preamble covers only the original, not the repeated words.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QTA cancels a specific numbered message in a traffic sequence. Used when a message was sent in error, superseded, or no longer valid. The message number (from the preamble) must be specified. Formal traffic nets maintain logs and QTA ensures both stations remove the invalid message from their records.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QTB flags a discrepancy between the word count in the message preamble and the actual words received. Formal radiograms include a word count as a check figure. If the counts don't match, QTB triggers a review — the sender retransmits the message text while the receiver counts each word carefully.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QTC is the core of formal traffic net operation. "QTC 3" means "I have 3 messages to pass to you." Traffic nets move formal written messages (radiograms) between operators and ultimately to recipients, often serving as an emergency communications backbone.

Category: Location · ITU standard

QTH is one of the first Q codes every new ham learns. In CW contacts it replaces "where are you located?" In modern use operators give city, state/country, or Maidenhead grid square (e.g. FN31). On digital modes, QTH is still used universally.

Category: Location · ITU standard

QTR exchanges UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Ham radio uses UTC universally to avoid time zone confusion in international contacts. WWV and WWVH broadcast accurate time signals specifically for this purpose. QTR is still used in formal nets and message handling.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QTS requests a station to transmit its callsign continuously so a receiving operator can tune their receiver or antenna for best signal. Before automatic antenna tuners, QTS was standard procedure before a contact. The station sends its callsign repeatedly while the other adjusts for peak signal.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QTX requests or confirms that a station will remain on frequency and operational for continued communication. Used in traffic nets and maritime communication to ensure a relay station stays available. "QTX until 2000Z" means the station will maintain a watch until 20:00 UTC.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QUA requests or provides information about a specific station — its status, location, or latest communication. Used historically in maritime operations when a vessel's position was needed. In modern ham radio, QUA occasionally appears in emergency nets when the status of a specific operator or location is needed.

Category: Traffic · ITU standard

QUC synchronizes message sequence numbers between stations to ensure no messages were missed. If the last confirmed message number doesn't match the sender's records, the gap reveals which messages need to be retransmitted. Critical in high-volume traffic nets where continuity of the message sequence must be verified.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QUD confirms receipt of a maritime urgency signal — one step below distress (SOS). An urgency signal (PAN PAN in voice, or XXX in CW) indicates a serious situation that requires assistance but is not yet life-threatening. QUD ensures all stations in range know the urgency message was received and acknowledged.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QUE addresses language capability in international contacts — one of the original purposes of Q codes as a language-neutral system. Before Q codes, operators struggled to communicate across language barriers. QUE ENGLISH, QUE FRENCH, QUE SPANISH etc. quickly establish a common working language for the contact.

Category: Misc · ITU standard

QUF confirms that a distress signal (SOS or MAYDAY) from a specific vessel or station has been received and acknowledged. All stations receiving a distress signal are required by international convention to acknowledge receipt. QUF creates a formal record of who heard the distress call and ensures rescue coordination can begin.

Category: Operating · ITU standard

QRR confirms readiness for automatic or unattended station operation — where a transmitter runs under computer or timer control without a live operator present. Used in beacon stations, WSPR stations, and automated message systems. The receiving operator knows no human is immediately available at the other end.