Abbre-
viation.

Question.

Answer or Notice.

QRA

What ship or coast station is that?

This is ____.

QRB

What is your distance?

My distance is ____.

QRC

What is your true bearing?

My true bearing is ____ degrees.

QRD

Where are you bound for?

I am bound for ____.

QRF

Where are you bound from?

I am bound from ____.

QRG

What line do you belong to?

I belong to the ____ Line.

QRH

What is your wave length in meters?

My wave length is ____ meters.

QRJ

How many words have you to send?

I have ____ words to send.

QRK

How do you receive me?

I am receiving well.

QRL

Are you receiving badly? Shall I send 20 ...-. for adjustment?

I am receiving badly. Send 20 ...-. for adjustment.

QRM

Are you being interfered with?

I am being interfered with.

QRN

Are the atmospherics strong?

Atmospherics are very strong.

 

Q Codes Commonly Used by Radio Amateurs

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 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

QRQ

Send faster

TIME SHORT PSE QRQ

QRR

temporarily unavailable/away, please wait

WILL BE QRR 30 MIN = THAT STN IS QRR NW

QRRR

Distress

Distress call recommended by ARRL

QRS

Send slower

PSE QRS NEW TO CW

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 MY FRIEND

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 SOUTH PARK CO

QTR

Exact time

QTR IS 2000 Z

Aviation

Although the majority of the Q codes have slipped out of common use, several remain part of the standard ICAO radiotelephony phraseology in aviation.

Altimeter Setting

QNH 

sea level air pressure

QFE 

air pressure at airfield elevation

QNE 

pressure altitude is indicated altitude when an altimeter is set to an agreed pressure setting of 1013.25 millibar

QSL 

used to verify time when communicating with TSC

e.g.

"Runway in use 22 lefthand, QFE 990 millibars."

"Request QNH"

Direction Finding

QDM 

Magnetic heading TO a station

QDR 

Magnetic heading FROM a station

QUJ 

True bearing TO a station

QTE 

True bearing FROM a station

QFU 

The Runway in use

e.g.

"QDM QDM QDM (callsign) request QDM"

"Runway 22 in use, QFU 22"

Radio Procedures

QSY 

To freecall another frequency. (This is not an official part of the standard phraseology any more but is still regularly heard)

EG. Golf Alpha Bravo QSY Doncaster 126.225