United Kingdom · Licence examWhat do the Q codes in ham radio mean?
| Code | Meaning | In the Intermediate syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| QRA | Call sign | No |
| QRM | Interference from artificial sources | Yes |
| QRN | Interference from natural sources | Yes |
| QRO | High power | Yes |
| QRP | Low power, usually under 5 W | Yes |
| QRS | Please send slower | No |
| QRT | Cease operating | Yes |
| QRV | Ready to operate | No |
| QRX | Wait | No |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? | No |
| QSB | Fading | Yes |
| QSK | Listening, or interrupting, between transmissions | No |
| QSL | Confirmation of contact | Yes |
| QSO | A communication, that is, a contact | Yes |
| QSX | I am listening on (frequency) | No |
| QSY | Change frequency | Yes |
| QTH | Position, for example your address | Yes |
QSL is also the name of the card that confirms a contact.
Signal reports: the RST code
RST stands for readability, signal strength and tone, and the Foundation syllabus asks you to know each scale and which end is best. A voice report gives just R and S, like the 59 in the RSGB’s first-contact guide, while Morse reports add T. The RSGB’s advice is to be accurate: if the other station needs three repeats, it isn’t a 5 and 9.
| Figure | Readability (R) | Signal strength (S) | Tone (T) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unreadable | Faint, barely perceptible | Extremely rough hissing note |
| 2 | Barely readable, occasional words | Very weak | Very rough AC note, no trace of musicality |
| 3 | Readable with considerable difficulty | Weak | Rough, low-pitched AC note, slightly musical |
| 4 | Readable with practically no difficulty | Fair | Rather rough AC note, moderately musical |
| 5 | Perfectly readable | Fairly good | Musically modulated note |
| 6 | - | Good | Modulated note, slight trace of whistle |
| 7 | - | Moderately strong | Near DC note, smooth ripple |
| 8 | - | Strong | Good DC note, just a trace of ripple |
| 9 | - | Extremely strong | Purest DC note |
Readability only goes to 5.
The wording is from the RSGB’s 1981 guide, Becoming a Radio Amateur. Its examples: a fairly clear, medium-strength voice signal is RS47, and a weak Morse signal of good quality is RST339.
Other shorthand you’ll hear
- 73: best wishes, sent when you sign off.
- DX: long distance.
- QRPp: very low power, often well under 1 W.
- QRSs: extremely slow Morse, from seconds to hours per dot.
- QTHR: your address as listed in a callbook.
- CQ: a general call to any station, the only kind of call to anybody listening that the licence allows.
The RSGB asks operators to use amateur codes on the amateur bands and to avoid jargon from CB, PMR, military or marine radio.
Spelling it out: the phonetic alphabet
Foundation candidates must know the phonetic alphabet. Give your call in full and the other station’s first, as in the RSGB’s example: “Delta Six Eight Charlie from Golf Zero Alpha Bravo Charlie”. You usually only need to spell your call sign and location once in a contact.
This is the phonetic alphabet sheet from a 2021 Scout badge lesson plan on the RSGB’s site.
| Letter | Word |
|---|---|
| A | Alfa (or Alpha) |
| B | Bravo |
| C | Charlie |
| D | Delta |
| E | Echo |
| F | Foxtrot |
| G | Golf |
| H | Hotel |
| I | India |
| J | Juliett |
| K | Kilo |
| L | Lima |
| M | Mike |
| N | November |
| O | Oscar |
| P | Papa |
| Q | Quebec |
| R | Romeo |
| S | Sierra |
| T | Tango |
| U | Uniform |
| V | Victor |
| W | Whiskey |
| X | X-ray |
| Y | Yankee |
| Z | Zulu |
Sources: RSGB RadCom · RSGB · RSGB-hosted Scout Communicator badge lesson plan and 4 more. Checked October 2026.
- RSGB RadCom: Abbreviations and acronyms ↗
- RSGB: Combined syllabus specification v1.6b, March 2026 (PDF) ↗
- RSGB: Good amateur radio operating practices (PDF) ↗
- RSGB: EX309 Full reference data, with the licence conditions booklet, February 2026 (PDF) ↗
- RSGB: Making your first QSO ↗
- RSGB-hosted Scout Communicator badge lesson plan, 2021, with phonetic alphabet sheet (PDF) ↗
- RSGB: Becoming a radio amateur, 1981, RST code (PDF) ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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