Amateur Radio Q Codes

The Q-code is an international set of abbreviations that was created at the beginning of the last century to simplify radiotelegraph communication. Each code is composed by three letters always starting with Q. Each code can be a question if followed by a question mark or an answer (or statement) if not. To avoid confusion, no station call-sign begins with Q. Even if initially designed for telegraphy, it's also used in voice communications.

• QRA – What is the name of your station
• QRB – How far, approximately, are you from my station
• QRC – What authority/administration settles the accounts of your station
• QRD – Where are you bound and where are you from
• QRE – What is your estimated time of arrival at …(place)
• QRF – Are you returning to …(place)
• QRG – Will you tell me my exact frequency or that of …(call sign)
• QRH – Does my frequency vary
• QRI – How is the tone of my transmission
• QRJ – How many radio telephone calls have you to book. (See notes at the end of this list for possible alternative meanings).
• QRK – What is the intelligibility of my signals or those of …(call sign)
• QRL – Are you busy
• QRM – Are you being interfered with
• QRN – Are you troubled by static
• QRO – Shall I increase transmitter power
• QRP – Shall I decrease transmitter power
• QRQ – Shall I send faster
• QRR – Are you ready for automatic operation. (Also used by the Russian Military to mean: – Shall I start working using simplex encrypted CW)
• QRS – Shall I send more slowly
• QRSS – Send extremely slowly
• QRT – Shall I stop sending
• QRU – Have you anything for me
• QRV – Are you ready
• QRW – Shall I inform …(call sign) that you are calling him on … kHz/MHz
• QRX – When will you call me again on … kHz/MHz. Must I wait
• QRY – What is my turn
• QRZ – Who is calling me
• QSA – What is the strength of my signals or those of …(call sign)
• QSB – Are my signals fading
• QSC – Are you a cargo vessel
• QSD – Is my keying defective
• QSE – What is the estimated drift of the survival craft. (See notes at the end of this list for a possible alternative meaning).
• QSF – Have you affected rescue. (See notes at the end of this list for a possible alternative meaning).
• QSG – Shall I send … (number) telegrams at a time
• QSH – Are you able to home on your D/F equipment? (See notes at the end of this list for a possible alternative meaning).
• QSI – Will you inform …(call sign) that I have been unable to break in
• QSJ – What is the charge to be collected to …(call sign), including your charge
• QSK – Can you hear me between your signals and, if so, can I break in
• QSL – Can you acknowledge receipt
• QSLL – Officially unrecognized code, but used by the Amateur Radio Service to mean I will send you a QSL card for this contact after I receive one from you
• QSM – Shall I repeat the last telegram which I sent to you
• QSN – Did you hear me or …(call sign) on … kHz/MHz
• QSO – Can you communicate with …(call sign)QSP Will you relay to …(call sign), free of charge
• QSQ – Have you a doctor on board or Is …(named person) on board
• QSR – Shall I repeat the call on the calling frequency. (See notes at the end of this list for a possible alternative meaning).
• QSS – What working frequency will you use
• QST – Unassigned, but adopted by the American Radio Relay League to mean CQ ARRL members. Also the title of the ARRL’s official journal.
• QSU – Shall I send or reply on this frequency or on … kHz/MHz
• QSV – Shall I send a series of V’s on this frequency or on … kHz/MHz
• QSW – Will you send on this frequency or on … kHz/MHz
• QSX – Will you listen to …(call sign) on … kHz/MHz
• QSY – Shall I change to transmission on another frequency
• QSZ – Shall I send each word or group more than once
• QTA -Shall I cancel telegram number …
• QTB – Do you agree with my counting of words
• QTC – How many telegrams have you to send
• QTD – What has the rescue vessel or rescue aircraft recovered
• QTE – What is my TRUE bearing from you or from …(call sign)
• QTF – Will you give me the position of my station according to the bearings taken by the D/F stations which you control
• QTG – Will you send two dashes of ten seconds each followed by your call sign repeated … times on … kHz/MHz
• QTH – What is your position in latitude and longitude (or according to any other indication)
• QTHR – Officially unrecognized code, but adopted by the RSGB to mean Name and address correct in the UK Call Book
• QTI – What is your TRUE track
• QTJ – What is your speed
• QTK – What is the speed of your aircraft in relation to the earth’s surface
• QTL – What is you TRUE heading
• QTM – What is your MAGNETIC heading
• QTN – At what time did you depart from …(place)
• QTO – Are you airborne or Have you left dock/port
• QTP – Are you going to alight/land or Are you going to enter dock/port
• QTQ – Can you communicate with my station by means of the international code of signals
• QTR – What is the correct time
• QTS – Will you send your call sign for tuning purposes or frequency measurement
• QTT – The identification signal which follows is superimposed on another transmission
• QTU – What are the hours during which your station is open
• QTV – Shall I stand guard for you on the frequency of …kHz/MHz
• QTW – What is the condition of survivors
• QTX – Will you keep your station open for further communication with me
• QTY – Are you proceeding to the position of the incident and, if so, when do you expect to arrive
• QTZ -Are you continuing the search