Q code

Later use

Over the years the original Q-codes were modified to reflect changes in radio practice. For example, QSW / QSX originally stood for, "Shall I increase / decrease my spark frequency?", but in the 1920s spark-gap transmitters were gradually being banned from land stations, making that meaning obsolete. By the 1970s, the Post Office Handbook for Radio Operators listed over a hundred Q-codes, covering a wide range of subjects including radio procedures, meteorology, radio direction finding, and search and rescue.

Some Q-codes are also used in aviation, in particular QNE, QNH and QFE, referring to certain altimeter settings. These codes are used in radiotelephone conversations with air traffic control as unambiguous shorthand, where safety and efficiency are of vital importance. A subset of Q-codes is used by the Miami-Dade County, Florida local government for law enforcement and fire rescue communications, one of the few instances where Q-codes are used in ground voice communication.

The QAA–QNZ code range includes phrases applicable primarily to the aeronautical service, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The QOA–QQZ code range is reserved for the maritime service. The QRA–QUZ code range includes phrases applicable to all services and is allocated to the International Telecommunication Union. QVA–QZZ are not allocated. Many codes have no immediate applicability outside one individual service, such as maritime operation (many QO or QU series codes) or radioteletype operation (the QJ series).

Many military and other organisations that use Morse code have adopted additional codes, including the Z code used by most European and NATO countries. The Z code adds commands and questions adapted for military radio transmissions, for example, "ZBW 2", which means "change to backup frequency number 2", and "ZNB abc", which means "my checksum is abc, what is yours?"

Used in their formal question / answer sense, the meaning of a Q-code varies depending on whether the individual Q-code is sent as a question or an answer. For example, the message "QRP?" means "Shall I decrease transmitter power?", and a reply of "QRP" means "Yes, decrease your transmitter power", whereas an unprompted statement "QRP" means "Please decrease your transmitter power". This structured use of Q-codes is fairly rare and now mainly limited to amateur radio and military Morse code (CW) traffic networks.

Under U.S. F.C.C. Regulations, CFR 47 97.113(a)(4), amateurs are not permitted to 'transmit codes or ciphers' (historical description), allowing only that 'plain-language communications' may be transmitted. The term 'Q-Signal' has been historically used in that context, not 'Q-Code,' - the use of 'Code' is technically a violation of F.C.C. Regulations. This essentially demonstrates the historic separation between Amateur and Commercial/Military radio services in the U.S.

Use since the International Telecommunication Convention in Atlantic City, 1947

The Q-code was first specified in ITU International Radio Regulations from 1947, Appendix 9, Section 1 which defines:

While some ranges of the Q-codes are for the use of all services, some bands of Q-codes were assigned specifically for the Aeronautical Mobile and the Maritime Mobile Service, which are:

"1. The series of groups QRA to QUZ listed in this Appendix, is for use by all services."

"2. The QAA to QNZ series are reserved for the aeronautical service and the QOA to QQZ series are reserved for the maritime services. These series are not listed in these regulations."

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) specified the Q-codes for aeronautical purposes initially in COM/504/1 - Doc 6100. Amendment "Communication Codes and Abbreviations. Q Code" published 1952.April.01 While not all Q-codes published in 1952 in Doc-6100 are still in use today, the Q-codes used today are documented in ICAO DOC-8400, "ICAO Abbreviations and Codes"

The Q-codes for the Maritime Mobile Service used today are documented in ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1172, "Miscellaneous Abbreviations and Signals to be used for Radiocommunications in the Maritime Mobile Service", 1995.

"5. Abbreviations are given the form of a question when followed by a question mark. When an abbreviation is used as a question and is followed by additional or complementary information, the question mark should follow this information."

"3. Certain abbreviations may be given an affirmative or negative sense by sending “C” or “N” respectively, immediately following the “Q” code abbreviation." To distinguish the use of a Q-code transmitted in radiotelegraphy communication as a question from the same Q-code transmitted as a statement, operators either prefixed it with the military network question marker "INT" ( ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ) or suffixed it with the standard Morse question mark UD ( ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ).

"4. The meanings assigned to “Q” code abbreviations may be amplified or completed by the addition of appropriate other groups, call signs, place names, figures, numbers, etc. It is optional to fill in the blanks shown in parentheses. Any data which is filled in where blanks appear should be sent in the same order as shown in the significations." For the Aeronautic Radio Service QNH 1015 identifies "QNH‡ "Altimeter Sub-Scale Setting to obtain Elevation when on the Ground" 1015 hPa.

"‡ "When radiotelephony is used, the abbreviations and terms are transmitted using the individual letters in non-phonetic form".

"7. All time should be given in Greenwich mean time (G.M.T.) unless otherwise indicated in the question or reply." GMT was replaced in 1972 by UTC (Universal Coordinated Time).

Although Q-codes were created when radio used Morse code exclusively, they continued to be employed after the introduction of voice transmissions. To avoid confusion, transmitter call signs are restricted; countries can be issued unused Q-Codes as their ITU prefix e.g. Qatar is QAT.

"Q" has no official meaning, but it is sometimes assigned a word with mnemonic value, such as "question" or "query", for example in QFE: "query field elevation".

Listing according to service

• QAA to QNZ – Assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• QNA to QNZ – The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has also developed its own QN Signals for message handling located in this range. Even though they overlap with other signals, the ARRL determined that their exclusive use in NTS nets limits confusion.
• QOA to QQZ – For the Maritime Mobile Service.
• QRA to QUZ – Assigned by the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R).

Aeronautical Code signals (QAA–QNZ; ICAO)

First defined in ICAO publication "Doc 6100-COM/504/1" and in "ICAO Procedures for Air Navigation Services, Abbreviations and Codes (PANS-ABC)" [Doc8400-4] (4th edition 1989), the majority of the Q-codes have fallen out of common use; for example today reports such as QAU ("I am about to jettison fuel") and QAZ ("I am flying in a storm") would be voice or computerised transmissions. But several remain part of the standard ICAO radiotelephony phraseology in aviation. These are also part of ACP131, which lists all ITU-R Q-codes, without grouping them by aeronautical/marine/general use. The currently applicable version of ICAO Doc-8400 has the title "Procedures for Air Navigation Services, ICAO Abbreviations"

and Codes, edition 8, 2010.November.18

Maritime Mobile Service (QOA–QQZ)

This assignment is specified in RECOMMENDATION ITU-R M.1172.

Q signals are not substantially used in the maritime service. Morse code is now very rarely used for maritime communications, but in isolated maritime regions like Antarctica and the South Pacific the use of Q-codes continues. Q-codes still work when HF voice circuits are not possible due to atmospherics and the nearest vessel is one ionospheric hop away.

All services (QRA–QUZ)

First defined by the Washington 1927 ITU Radio Regulations. Later defined by ITU-R in Appendix 9 to the Radio Regulations Annex to the International Telecommunications Convention (Atlantic City, 1947). The current callsign table is found in ITU-R Appendix 42. Current interpretation of the Q-code can be found in ITU-R Appendices 14 and 15.

ITU Radio Regulations 1990, Appendix 13: Miscellaneous Abbreviations and Signals to be Used in Radiotelegraphy Communications Except in the Maritime Mobile Service:

Amateur radio

Amateur radio has adapted two different sets of Q-codes for use in amateur communications. The first set comes from the ITU civil series QRA through QUZ. Most of the meanings are identical to the ITU definitions; however, they must be looked at in the context of amateur communications. For example, QSJ? asks what the charges are for sending the telegraph. Since, by regulation, amateur communications are without charge, this Q-code couldn't make sense.

The second set is the set of QN Signals, used only in ARRL NTS nets. These operating signals generally have no equivalent in the ACP 131 publication or ITU publications, and are specifically defined only for use in ARRL NTS nets. They are not used in casual amateur radio communications.

Selected Q-codes were soon adopted by amateur radio operators. In December 1915, the American Radio Relay League began publication of a magazine titled QST, named after the Q-code for "General call to all stations". In amateur radio, the Q-codes were originally used in Morse code transmissions to shorten lengthy phrases and were followed by a Morse code question mark ( ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ) if the phrase was a question.

Q-codes are commonly used in voice communications as shorthand nouns, verbs, and adjectives making up phrases. For example, an amateur radio operator will complain about QRM (man-made interference), or tell another operator that there is "QSB on the signal" (fading); "to QSY" is to change your operating frequency, or to break in on a conversation QSK is often used even on VHF and UHF frequencies. (See also Informal usage, below.)

Q-codes as adapted for use in amateur radio

Notes for response to radiotelegraph Q-codes

Responses to a radiotelegraph Q-code query or a Q-code assertion may vary depending upon the code. For Q-code assertions or queries which only need to be acknowledged as received, the usual practice is to respond with the letter "R" for "Roger" which means "Received correctly". Sending an "R" merely means the code has been correctly received and does not necessarily mean that the receiving operator has taken any other action.

For Q-code queries that need to be answered in the affirmative, the usual practice is to respond with the letter "C" (Sounds like the Spanish word "Si"). For Q-code queries that need to be answered in the negative, the usual practice is to respond with the letter "N" for "no". For those Q-code assertions that merely need to be acknowledged as understood, the usual practice is to respond with the prosign SN (or VE) which means "understood". On telegraph cable networks "KK" was often used at the end of a reply to a Q-code to mean "OK" or "Acknowledged". This practice predates amateur radio as telegraph operators in the late 19th century are known to have used it.

Informal usage

QAC - Taken from the Articles of Association of the South Hampshire International Telegraphy Society, para 9: "...and amongst themselves they shall promote the Use of the Code QAC, which shall be taken as implying "All Compliments" and shall include:- VY 73 73 OM CUL BCNU & mni tnx fer nice/FB/rotten QSO GL GB hpe cuagn wid gud/btr/wrse condx mri Xms Hpi Nw Yr mni hpi rtrns gtgs fer Rosh Hoshanah/Id el Fitr/May Day/Tksgvg 88 to XYL/YL/Widow Ciao Cheerio & gud/FB/best DX or any Part or Parts thereof in any Permutation or Combination.

QLF – "Are you sending with your left foot? Try sending with your left foot!" A humorously derogatory comment about the quality of a person's sending.

QNB – QNB? “How many buttons on your radio?” “QNB 100/5” Means there are 100 and I know what 5 of them do.

QSK – "I can hear you during my transmission" – refers to a particular mode of Morse code operating often called QSK operation (full break-in) in which the receiver is quickly enabled during the spaces between the dits and dahs, which allows another operator to interrupt transmissions. Many modern transceivers incorporate this function, sometimes referred to as full break-in as against semi-break-in in which there is a short delay before the transceiver goes to receive.

QSY – "Change to transmission on another frequency"; colloquially, "move [=change address]". E.g., "When did GKB QSY from Northolt to Portishead?"

QTH – "My location is ____"; colloquially in voice or writing, "location". E.g., "The OCF [antenna type] is an interesting build but at my QTH a disappointing performer."

QTHR – "At the registered location ____"; chiefly British use. Historically, the location in the printed Callbook; modernly, "as given in online government records for my callsign". E.g., "You can contact me QTHR".

QBL – “Quit Being a Lid”. QBL is used among amateur radio operators to indicate humor in their CW transmission. While QBL is generally used by a small subsection of operators who can properly decode, it is available to anyone. "Lid" is said to be short for "Literal Idiot". The QBL moniker has been adopted by some radio operators as a term of endearment, like the QBL Radio Club.

German use during World War II

During World War II, according to Bletchley Park’s General Report on Tunny, German radio teleprinter networks used Q-codes to establish and maintain circuit connections.

In particular: QEP was to indicate the Lorenz cipher machine setting for each message and, QZZ to indicate that the daily key change was about to take place at the sender's station.