Q-Codes and Callling CQ - Ham Radio Q&A 

Saying QSL is ok once or twice... it’s the people that end every sentence with “QSL” that gets me...its like hearing nails on a chalk board...especially on FM.. it’s like the guy who learns one Italian word and ends all his conversations with Ciao Ciao with everyone on the radio

I just passed my Technician and General exams today! You and several others on RU-vid inspired me to do so. Thank you for all of your videos. They have been so helpful.

Simple but practical advice and translations . I just need to get over my "stage "fright.

Mike that was done very well. Excellent for new hams. Even though I'm not new I still enjoyed watching it again for any Refreshers.

Subscribed in appreciation of your effort with this channel. Thanks!

I’m glad you did the subtitles. For the longest time I thought you were using QSO instead of QSL. I was scratching my head on that one.

Very informative. Loved that you explained the RST. I have watched a lot of POTA videos, but nobody ever explains how they come up with the RST values. Great Video!!

Hey Michael. I love that older Motorola speaker on your shelf. It reminds me of the time back in the day during my LEO days. I had one in an unmarked car. Wish I had kept it. '73 / Steve / K4SRF

Watching this just before 2021 Field Day. Very helpful, especially the downloads.

Very informative. Nice of you to put links to the info for newer hams to download and print for their shack. Great job Michael. Even us older hams with senior moments lol.

Hey Michael, Great video! You definitely helped me with the proper procedures for Calling CQ. I just got started in the Hobby this passed March, and was about to take my General Exam, when all of this craziness with the Pandemic closed our Radio Club, the West Essex Amateur Radio Club, in Essex Fells, NJ. I wanted to know how to work POTA, or any other Contest, but didn't know how. Now with this video, I'm a little more comfortable trying. I look forward to all your videos as that they are very informative and not Crazy Technical. I don't have a background in electronics, so all the electronic jargon is like speaking Chinese to me. No Offense to our Chinese Friends. LOL!! Non the Less, I am a Student of the Hobby, and look forward to learning more, and more. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to pass on some knowledge to someone else. Keep up the Great work, and I look forward to your next video. 73. KD2TSC.

I just got my Gereral License and my new equipment. Im looking forward to putting this into practice. This video is extremely helpful. thanks !

Great stuff as always, Michael. Very informative. How about an episode on QRP rigs and setups?

I am a Air Force Radio Operator (military retiree), we in Air Force used "Q" and "Z" signals as shorthand on our radio log. The only time I was allowed to use "Q" signals was if there was "communications difficulties". If your curious in where these "Q & Z" signals are posted do a search for "ACP131" can find the publication in pdf format.

Thank you KB9VBR. As a new operator I'm very grateful for all your fantastic videos! 73 M7LON

Recently got into cb. I enjoy making contacts a lot, and i'm thinking to move on to HAM radio and get my license. Enjoyed your vid sir, thank you for sharing your experience. Greetings from the Netherlands, T.

Great video Michael, really educational and appreciated. Thanks!

Quite helpful for me. I have just started using HF. I recently bought a QRP transceiver I learned about from Steve, KM9G, on his RU-vid channel Temporarily Offline. My callsign is N7MRF, I have a general class license.

Great video thanks I’m new to HF and learning a lot.

Excellent step by step instructions! Thank you!

Michael, I found this video helpful. Something I have heard you do and others is to give the call sign incredibly fast. Perhaps I will improve on understanding these, but at this point with only a few vhf contacts and no hf contacts, I find it challenging. Keep the videos coming!

Thanks so much. This was very clear and easy to understand as I study to get licensed.

This is very helpful Michael. Thanks.

I really got a lot of information on QSO's from this video and I have a lot more confidence the next time I want to reply to a POTA CQ and when I try my first CQ that things will go better. BTW on Sunday when the DX Commander goes on-line for the first time I'll try CQ for the first time! Just building radials tonight and waiting for my helping hand to get here tomorrow. 73

This is excellent info!!! Thanks for the video and sharing.

Great video!! I needed this information!!!

Great video Mike.

Asking if the frequency is also useful on all the bands. Because on 2m and 70cm you may hear half the conversation because one side is within range of you while the other station might be further then 2m and 70cm can propagate to you.

Thanks! Best explanation video.

Thank you for this great info! This helps a lot.

Thank you for all the videos. KD9OUW La Crosse, WI.

always a good vid

As always, great content!

Great tutorial, thank you!

Best Regards from Poland

Great Video. Along these lines perhaps it would be good to do a video how and why we log contacts.

Nice job. I'm very new, so this is good and confusing too.

The editing is sick!

Hi, nice informative video again, well done. Actually this evening in a cw qso, my mind went blank when the other station sent qrq. Some q codes are not heard that often, so may catch folk out. It's not a big problem at all, as I simply asks the guy to remind me of the definition. Therefore, I would say, if your young or old, new op or not, don't freak out if you cannot remember every Q code. Meeting people and enjoying the contact is more important. Sig reports, I always give true reports, especially if their are weak, that way folk know to repeat more important info if required. 73 zl3xdj

Response to "The frequency is in use" should be a polite word of apology, or maybe "thanks for letting me know", your call sign, and "QSY". That works well for me. Thanks for the explanatory talk. Also, have some alternate phonetics available in case of language barrier.

Greetings from Indianapolis Indiana

Michael I need to ask a question. I am an Extra Amateur licensee. I use the ARRL Amateur Radio Band chart to properly utilize my licensed spectrum. I find an open frequency to use phone ssb on a band. I can call CQ (using examples of calling like you have demonstrated) until I'm blue in the face. I know the band is open because there is lots of rag chewing on the band. After exhausting the frequency and my patience I will change to another open frequency and repeat the flogging CQ again. And again I get silence. I don't jump around quickly and hang around giving the frequency a good long try. I know my HF equipment is in good working order tuned up and the antenna is working because I can check into my state ARES and Traffic nets. My SWR forward and reflective meters are working. I have been at 75 watts forward and near zero reflected (SWR 1.1 to 1.2). Michael without trying to get or sound whiney how in the name of God do you choose frequencies that people are watching and how do you get a warm body to respond? Beyond calling CQ and use Q codes maybe you could do a video on (how to get hams to successfully establish a QSO.) Last note other than the nets I mentioned the only contact I have made since getting my HF rig for Christmas was by politely shoe horning in on an existing QSO, not my first choice. It turned out to be a group of Christian Hams having a rag chew/bible study. They were exceptionally welcoming and conversational. Tried that again on another ongoing QSO and I had my ass handed to me by some Southern Hams would spent a few minutes continuing to berate me after I put my mic down for the night. I wasn't attempting to take over their conversation or frequency. When asking for a signal report I only got more abuse. Again I don't make a habit of interupting QSOs but after months of failure I resorted to this as a way to at least get something in a log book. Not a great way to welcome a ham to the HF portion of the hobby. Hearing you jump from QSO to QSO to QSO like you did on the Parks on the Air video, sorry seems like a cruel impossibility.

I received KA4RDW when I got my novice in 1980 before the VE program began and when I upgraded to General in 1981 if I had elected to get a new callsign I would have gotten an N4??? call which was before the code requirement was dropped. When I upgraded to Extra in 1982 the 20wpm code test was still required and had I elected to change my call then I would have gotten an N?4? callsign.

"You have been holding down your PTT button for too long, Please QRT." haha

Hi Michael, thanks for the Q explanations. I tend to listen to guys like you and others to find out how to do the ham radio thingee. Being a bit of a tyro, I have gathered some sage stuff from seasoned hams. I try to keep the calls and contacts very informal and refrain from the official Q signaling, it being a little irritating to these guys who grew up in the days of CW and AM. They are not too swift, regarding SSB (slop bucket) saying it is not too cool at all. I do not know CW. I acknowledge their ways, as my dad taught me to respect my elders. KC3BXZ Joe 73

Thanks!

Thanks

Thanx for the info and the links! Is "CQ" shorthand for "Seek You"? Neil KD9RYV

Thanks again Mike. I needed this tutorial

Thanks for the sharing sir... De 9W2DYG QTH Malaysia. -73-

Another great video sir! 73 de N4EJM

Very informative video.....thanks!!! I'm curious if there's a way (and how to say it) for trying to make contact with a specific country? Would you say something like... CQ DX Germany CQ DX Germany? Or something similar?

Perfect video! 73s

thanks bud

Do you ever slow the call sign down? Never get that down first time in less than perfect conditions

Tq sir for information. I want learn HAM

Very instructive and quality video! 73 from Brazil de PX2Q2328

I spent time at a mars station goose bay Labrador 1950s

thank you KB9VBR

QSC for any, I am QRP, however I feel I may be affected by QRM braodcasting QHT from QLD region3 DXing to the world, however, my QYL is asking me to stop so I will have to QQ and TTFN...👀⁉

I say " Roger " way to much on the air, but I have been a boat captain for almost 3 decades and that's protocol on VHF Marine band.

Great info, Michael. As a new Tech this has been very helpful. QK4QOZ, Mike.

Mike, you always have such good content with clear and concise explanations. Maybe you can clear up something for me as I have been inactive for a while. I was told that qrM was MAN made noise and qrN was of a Natural or biological source. Perhaps the hobby has moved on since I went dark.

Are there selected ham radio operators that are designated in a nationwide emergency, i.e. emp or asteroid? Thanx and great channel.

How often should one announce their call sign during conversation?

Does "net activity" have the right (it's not a right but not sure what to call it) to ask you to move if you've been on frequency for a while and they have a net scheduled for that frequency. I was always under the understanding the net would have to find a clear frequency at that point.

The signal report is NOT related to the S-meter as you state and is a common mistake of newcomers.. If it was, there would be a signal report like "5 20over9". The first number, R (readability) is one of these: 1. Unreadable 2. Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable 3. Readable with considerable difficulty 4. Readable with practically no difficulty 5. Perfectly readable The second number, representing S (strength), has these choices: 1. Faint-signals barely perceptible 2. Very weak signals 3. Weak signals 4. Fair signals 5. Fairly good signals 6. Good signals 7. Moderately strong signals 8. Strong signals 9. Extremely strong signals I know you want new hams to have correct information and will edit your video. Be sure and mention that on CW, there are three numbers with the last number representing the tone quality (or note) of the station's transmitter (can be found in the R-S-T system Wiki). 73, Bob K5WA

Excellent information and explanations. De VA2LRA

Do you use CQ when on VHF/UHF?

Thank you very much Michael. Have been learning a lot from your incredible videos. Meanwhile, I have different question for you. I am a new Ham from New Delhi, India and my budget for a HF transceiver with all modes (HF, VHF, UHF + VHF & AM SSB, CW mode) is 500 USD. I am looking for an approriate rig which can be used as a Base Station in my shack as well as portable enough for field operations and help me talk to you one fine day from my New Delhi QTH. May I request you for a suggestion. Thank you! 73s

Is this stuff only used in HF? Would I sound like a dork if I called CQ on my local repeater?

What are the minimum bits of information that a Fox Hunt transmission MUST include?

sometimes it is really simple... cq = seek you

Trains sound code at every crossing. Two long, short, and long--da da di da, the letter Q. This comes from the UK--"quarantine the crossing."

Q-Codes or 10-Codes? When and why? Over.

Where can i find the Qcode list?

QRP at

Great information clearly presented. Thnx. KD9SEZ Steve

i thought is the frequency clear is QRL?

Q codes were never designed for use by voice. I appreciate that they are widely used by amateurs but It is almost impossible to distinguish the difference by voice whether you are asking a question or stating a fact. It is only by intonation - after saying QSL for example that you might guess QSL is being used as a question, rather than as an acknowledgement. (I always thought "Roger" was an acknowledgement of receipt) I've never heard Q codes being used by professionals. They use simple plain language and I never came across them used in voice communications.

Where can you find the “K” number of a state park

if the "Q" codes are ok, then why are the ten codes bad? and the rules say no codes are allowed? a bit mixed up is it not?

Good Info, New tech. Need all the help I can get:) 73's KO4TFF

Tango yankee on that !

Overall a good video, but. I have only one criticism on it. Listening to your on air CQ calls you demonstrated "On Air", I feel you say them too quickly. If you were to say your call sign more slowly it would be a advantage when conditions are poor. Then listener's would be able to get you callsign first time round, instead of having to listen to several QSO's before being able to decrypt it correctly. I also find it annoying when a lot of callers state the frequency in their CQ calls. This is is absolutely not needed as the listener all ready knows what frequency your on as its shows on the listeners own radio. For me I tend to put my initial CQ call out SLOWLY in both the International listed phonetics (not home made ones, which tend at times to include country names etc., which can be confusing) and also the normal letters and numbers. In the CQ call I also tend to state the country and town I'm in as I understand that a lot of other county listeners may not know offhand the country prefix that I am in. I also make that initial CQ about 12 to 15 seconds time to give the listener a change/time to tune on to the frequency I am using.

The hobby is leaning more and more to "Chicken Band" status. Soon we'll be told to tear up our licenses cuz we don't need them. It's time to bring the dignity and class back to amateur radio.

why are “Q” codes ok. while “10” codes are not? nothing is hidden. both are well known.

I've banned using Q codes from my vernacular unless there's a genuine language or legibility barrier. These guys who repeatedly say "QSL?" instead of "Over" Arghhhhhh!

The CQ CQ CQ on 2 meter repeaters is a little laughable, as well as the guy that identifies every 10 seconds looking for a contact. We have one guy around my parts that will hit every repeater with his call 3 or 4 times, then on to the next. He will do that for hours. Maybe if he wasn't drunk, more people would talk to him. LOL.

Q codes belong in CW, otherwise use your words.

Please don't call "CQ 20 meters" , as if you (1) don't know what band you're on, or (2) want somebody to answer on a harmonic.

Lower your camera a bit! Looks like you are talking to the ceiling and straining your neck!