The Q code is a standardised system of three-letter codes, all beginning with the letter Q, used in international radio communications. Originally created for commercial maritime communications at the beginning of the 20th century, it is now widely used by radio amateurs all over the world.
The main advantage of the Q code is its ability to convey complex information concisely and unambiguously, whatever language the operators speak. Each Q code can be used as a question (by adding a question mark) or as a statement.
⚠️ Important note: Q codes can be used in two ways: as a question by adding “?”, or as a statement. For example, “QRZ?” means “Who is calling me?”, while “QRZ HB9HPG” means “You are being called by HB9HPG”.
The most common Q codes in amateur radio
Here are the essential Q codes every radio amateur should know. They are used every day in HF and VHF communications and in digital modes.
| Code | Question | Answer / statement |
|---|---|---|
| QRL | Are you busy? | I am busy |
| QRM | Are you being interfered with? | I am being interfered with (interference) |
| QRN | Are you troubled by static? | I am troubled by static |
| QRO | Shall I increase power? | Increase power |
| QRP | Shall I decrease power? | Decrease power / Low power |
| QRQ | Shall I send faster? | Send faster |
| QRS | Shall I send more slowly? | Send more slowly |
| QRT | Shall I stop sending? | Stop sending / I am closing down |
| QRU | Have you anything for me? | I have nothing for you |
| QRV | Are you ready? | I am ready |
| QRX | When will you call me again? | I will call you again at... / Stand by |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? | You are being called by... |
| QSB | Are my signals fading? | Your signals are fading |
| QSL | Can you acknowledge receipt? | I acknowledge receipt / QSL card |
| QSO | Can you communicate with...? | I can communicate with... / Contact |
| QSY | Shall I change frequency? | Change frequency to... |
| QTH | What is your location? | My location is... / Location |
Complete Q codes: the full list
This section lists all the official Q codes, organised in alphabetical series. Although not all of them are used every day in amateur radio, this complete list can serve as a reference.
QRA - QRZ series: identification and calling
| Code | Question | Answer / statement |
|---|---|---|
| QRA | What is the name of your station? | The name of my station is... |
| QRB | How far approximately are you from my station? | The distance between our stations is... |
| QRC | By what private enterprise are your station accounts settled? | My accounts are settled by... |
| QRD | Where are you bound for and where are you from? | I am bound for... from... |
| QRE | What is your estimated time of arrival at...? | My estimated time of arrival is... |
| QRF | Are you returning to...? | I am returning to... |
| QRG | What is my exact frequency? | Your exact frequency is... kHz/MHz |
| QRH | Does my frequency vary? | Your frequency varies |
| QRI | How is the tone of my transmission? | The tone of your transmission is... (1-5) |
| QRJ | How many radiotelephone calls have you to book? | I have... radiotelephone calls to book |
| QRK | What is the readability of my signals? | The readability of your signals is... (1-5) |
| QRL | Are you busy? | I am busy, please do not interfere |
| QRM | Are you being interfered with? | I am being interfered with (1-5 depending on severity) |
| QRN | Are you troubled by static? | I am troubled by static (1-5) |
| QRO | Shall I increase transmitter power? | Increase transmitter power |
| QRP | Shall I decrease transmitter power? | Decrease transmitter power |
| QRQ | Shall I send faster? | Send faster (... words per minute) |
| QRR | Are you ready for automatic operation? | I am ready for automatic operation |
| QRS | Shall I send more slowly? | Send more slowly (... words per minute) |
| QRT | Shall I stop sending? | Stop sending |
| QRU | Have you anything for me? | I have nothing for you |
| QRV | Are you ready? | I am ready |
| QRW | Shall I inform... that you are calling him? | Please inform... that I am calling him on... kHz/MHz |
| QRX | When will you call me again? | I will call you again at... hours on... kHz/MHz |
| QRY | What is my turn? | Your turn is number... or in the order... |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? | You are being called by... on... kHz/MHz |
QSA - QSZ series: quality and reception
| Code | Question | Answer / statement |
|---|---|---|
| QSA | What is the strength of my signals? | The strength of your signals is... (1-5) |
| QSB | Does the strength of my signals vary? | The strength of your signals varies (fading) |
| QSC | Are you working with a ship? | I am working with a ship |
| QSD | Are my signals mutilated? | Your signals are mutilated |
| QSE | What is the estimated drift of the...? | The estimated drift of the... is... |
| QSF | Have you effected rescue? | I have effected rescue |
| QSG | Shall I send... telegrams at a time? | Send... telegrams at a time |
| QSH | Are you able to home with your direction-finding equipment? | I am able to home with my direction-finding equipment |
| QSI | Have I interfered with your operations? | You have interfered with my operations |
| QSJ | What is the charge to be collected? | The charge to be collected is... per word |
| QSK | Can you hear me between your signals? | I can hear you between my signals |
| QSL | Can you acknowledge receipt? | I acknowledge receipt |
| QSM | Shall I repeat the last telegram? | Repeat the last telegram |
| QSN | Did you hear me on... kHz/MHz? | I heard you on... kHz/MHz |
| QSO | Can you communicate with... direct? | I can communicate with... direct |
| QSP | Will you relay to...? | I will relay to... free of charge |
| QSQ | Have you a doctor on board? | I have a doctor on board |
| QSR | Shall I repeat the call? | Repeat your call, I did not hear you |
| QSS | What working frequency will you use? | I will use the working frequency... kHz/MHz |
| QST | - | General message to all stations |
| QSU | Shall I send on this frequency? | Send on... kHz/MHz |
| QSV | Shall I send a series of Vs? | Send a series of Vs |
| QSW | Will you send on... kHz/MHz? | I am going to send on... kHz/MHz |
| QSX | Will you listen to... on... kHz/MHz? | I am listening to... on... kHz/MHz |
| QSY | Shall I change to transmission on... kHz/MHz? | Change to transmission on... kHz/MHz |
| QSZ | Shall I send each word or group twice? | Send each word or group twice |
QTA - QTZ series: traffic and operations
| Code | Question | Answer / statement |
|---|---|---|
| QTA | Shall I cancel telegram number...? | Cancel telegram number... |
| QTB | Do you agree with my counting of words? | I do not agree, I will recount |
| QTC | How many telegrams have you to send? | I have... telegrams for you |
| QTD | What has the rescue vessel picked up? | The rescue vessel has picked up... |
| QTE | What is my true bearing from you? | Your true bearing is... degrees |
| QTF | Will you give me the position of my station? | The position of your station is... |
| QTG | Will you send two dashes of 10 seconds each? | I am sending two dashes of 10 seconds each |
| QTH | What is your position in latitude and longitude? | My position is... lat/long or locator |
| QTI | What is your true course? | My true course is... degrees |
| QTJ | What is your speed? | My speed is... knots/km/h |
| QTK | What is your airspeed? | My airspeed is... km/h |
| QTL | What is your true heading? | My true heading is... degrees |
| QTM | What is your magnetic heading? | My magnetic heading is... degrees |
| QTN | At what time did you depart from...? | I departed from... at... hours |
| QTO | Have you left port/the airfield? | I have left port/the airfield |
| QTP | Are you going to enter port/land at the airfield? | I am entering port/landing at the airfield |
| QTQ | Can you communicate with my station by means of the International Code of Signals? | I am communicating with your station by means of the International Code |
| QTR | What is the correct time? | The correct time is... UTC |
| QTS | Will you send your call sign? | I am sending my call sign |
| QTT | Is the identification signal being transmitted? | The identification signal is being transmitted |
| QTU | What are the hours during which your station is open? | My station is open from... to... hours |
| QTV | Shall I stand guard for you on... kHz/MHz? | Stand guard for me on... kHz/MHz |
| QTW | What is the condition of survivors? | The condition of survivors is... |
| QTX | Will you keep your station open? | I will keep my station open |
| QTY | Are you proceeding to the position of the incident? | I am proceeding to the position of the incident |
| QTZ | Are you continuing the search? | I am continuing the search |
QUA - QUZ series: special operations
| Code | Question | Answer / statement |
|---|---|---|
| QUA | Have you news of...? | Here is news of... |
| QUB | Can you give me information on: visibility, height of clouds, direction and speed of surface wind at...? | Here is the information requested... |
| QUC | What is the number of the last message you received from me? | The number of the last message received is... |
| QUD | Have you received the urgency signal sent by...? | I have received the urgency signal sent by... at... hours |
| QUE | Can you speak in...? | I can speak in... |
| QUF | Have you received the distress signal sent by...? | I have received the distress signal sent by... |
| QUG | Will you be forced to alight on the sea/land? | I am forced to alight on the sea/land |
| QUH | Will you give me the present barometric pressure at sea level? | The present barometric pressure is... |
| QUI | Are your navigation lights working? | My navigation lights are working |
| QUJ | Will you indicate the true course for me to steer towards you? | The true course for you to steer towards me is... degrees |
| QUK | Can you tell me the condition of the sea observed at...? | The sea at... is... |
| QUL | Can you tell me the swell observed at...? | The swell at... is... |
| QUM | May I resume normal working? | Normal working may be resumed |
| QUN | Will you manoeuvre in accordance with the Regulations? | I am manoeuvring in accordance with the Regulations |
| QUO | Shall I search for aircraft, ship, etc. in the area...? | Please search in the area... |
| QUP | Will you indicate your position by searchlight? | I am indicating my position by searchlight |
| QUQ | Shall I establish communication with your station by Morse signalling lamp? | Establish communication by Morse signalling lamp |
| QUR | Have survivors received lifeboats/life jackets? | Survivors are equipped with... |
| QUS | Have you sighted survivors or wreckage? | I have sighted... at... hours in position... |
| QUT | Is the position of the incident marked? | The position of the incident is marked by... |
| QUU | Shall I establish communication with your aircraft? | Establish communication on... MHz |
| QUW | Are you in the specified search area? | I am in the search area |
| QUY | Is the position of the incident lit? | The position of the incident is lit |
| QUZ | Is airship... controllable? | Airship... is controllable |
RST reporting scales
The RST system (Readability, Strength, Tone) is used alongside Q codes to give a full report on signal quality. The system is universal and allows the quality of a transmission to be assessed objectively.
R - Readability
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| R1 | Unreadable |
| R2 | Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable |
| R3 | Readable with considerable difficulty |
| R4 | Readable with practically no difficulty |
| R5 | Perfectly readable |
S - Signal strength
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| S1 | Faint signals, barely perceptible |
| S2 | Very weak signals |
| S3 | Weak signals |
| S4 | Fair signals |
| S5 | Fairly good signals |
| S6 | Good signals |
| S7 | Moderately strong signals |
| S8 | Strong signals |
| S9 | Extremely strong signals |
T - Tone (CW only)
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| T1 | Extremely rough note, 60 Hz alternator |
| T2 | Very rough note, modified alternator |
| T3 | Rough note, unfiltered AC |
| T4 | Rather rough note, moderately filtered AC |
| T5 | Musically modulated note |
| T6 | Modulated note, trace of filtering |
| T7 | Near pure note, trace of modulation |
| T8 | Pure note with slight imperfections |
| T9 | Perfectly pure note |
💡 Example: “You are 59” or “QSL 59” means the signal is perfectly readable (5) and extremely strong (9). In CW, you might say “579” to indicate a near pure tone (7) as well.
Tips for use
The Q code makes radio communication much easier, particularly in difficult conditions or when the operators speak different languages. Here are a few recommendations for using it well:
- Use Q codes appropriately: don't overload your communications with unnecessary Q codes. Use them to clarify and speed up exchanges.
- Combine them with the RST system: to give a full report, use Q codes with the RST scale (for example: “QSL, you are 59”).
- Question or statement: remember that a Q code followed by a question mark is a question, and without a question mark it is a statement.
- The most common codes: in amateur radio, focus first on QRL, QRM, QRN, QRZ, QSL, QSO, QSY and QTH, which are the most frequently used.
- International context: the Q code is recognised worldwide, which makes it a valuable tool for DX (long-distance) contacts.
Further resources
To deepen your amateur radio knowledge, have a look at the other technical articles on the HB9V blog:
- QTH locators and the Maidenhead system
- Guide to digital modes (C4FM, DMR, D-STAR)
- Configuring YSF reflectors
- Introduction to MMDVM and WPSD systems
Article written by HB9HPG for HB9V.ch
Radio Amateurs of Canton Vaud
Last updated: November 2025
73 and good QSOs to all!
