Q codes, RST and CW abbreviations (printable card)

The Q codes radio amateurs use with their ITU meanings, the RST report scale with S-meter levels, and the common CW prosigns and abbreviations: one table per page, for the shack wall or the logbook.

Indicative values; verify before use.

Q codes used in amateur radio

Code	Question (sent with ?)	Answer or statement	On the air
QRG	Will you tell me my exact frequency (or that of …)?	Your exact frequency (or that of …) is … kHz (or MHz).	Also simply “frequency”: “on that QRG”.
QRK	What is the intelligibility of my signals (or those of …)?	The intelligibility of your signals (or those of …) is … 1 bad, 2 poor, 3 fair, 4 good, 5 excellent.	Not the same scale as the R in RST.
QRL	Are you busy?	I am busy (or I am busy with …). Please do not interfere.	Send QRL? before calling: is this frequency in use?
QRM	Is my transmission being interfered with?	Your transmission is being interfered with … 1 nil, 2 slightly, 3 moderately, 4 severely, 5 extremely.	“I have QRM”: I am getting interference. Compare QRN.
QRN	Are you troubled by static?	I am troubled by static … (1–5 as for QRM).	Noise of natural origin (atmospherics).
QRO	Shall I increase transmitter power?	Increase transmitter power.	–
QRP	Shall I decrease transmitter power?	Decrease transmitter power.	The band plans use it for low-power operating, e.g. CW QRP centres of activity.
QRQ	Shall I send faster?	Send faster (… words per minute).	–
QRS	Shall I send more slowly?	Send more slowly (… words per minute).	QRS 10 = please send at 10 WPM.
QRT	Shall I stop sending?	Stop sending.	“Going QRT” = closing down the station.
QRU	Have you anything for me?	I have nothing for you.	In CW often a polite hint that the contact can end.
QRV	Are you ready?	I am ready.	“Being QRV” = ready, available on the air.
QRX	When will you call me again?	I will call you again at … hours on … kHz (or MHz).	On its own: wait a moment. QRX 3 = wait three minutes.
QRZ	Who is calling me?	You are being called by … (on … kHz (or MHz)).	QRZ? = who was calling me?
QSB	Are my signals fading?	Your signals are fading.	–
QSK	Can you hear me between your signals and if so may I break in on your transmission?	I can hear you between my signals; break in on my transmission.	Full break-in CW.
QSL	Can you acknowledge receipt?	I am acknowledging receipt.	QSL card = paper card that confirms a contact.
QSO	Can you communicate with … direct (or by relay)?	I can communicate with … direct (or by relay through …).	A radio contact.
QSP	Will you relay to …?	I will relay to ….	–
QSX	Will you listen to … on … kHz (or MHz), or in the bands … / channels …?	I am listening to … on … kHz (or MHz), or in the bands … / channels ….	–
QSY	Shall I change to transmission on another frequency?	Change to transmission on another frequency (or on … kHz (or MHz)).	PSE QSY 7020 = let’s move to 7020 kHz.
QTH	What is your position in latitude and longitude (or according to any other indication)?	My position is … latitude, … longitude (or according to any other indication).	Location: “my location is …”.
QTR	What is the correct time?	The correct time is … hours.	ITU: all times in UTC.

A Q code is a question when it is followed by a question mark in telegraphy, or by RQ in radiotelephony (ITU); on phone, amateurs simply use a questioning tone (IARU). A number after QRK, QRM or QRN gives the degree: QRM 4 = severe interference. The meanings are from ITU-R M.1172, the ITU list of Q codes that the Radio Regulations incorporate by reference (Appendix 14 of the Radio Regulations is the phonetic alphabet, not the Q code). The "On the air" column is how radio amateurs use them, from IARU and ARRL guides.

RST signal reports

R = readability, S = strength, T = tone. On phone only R and S are given (“59”); in CW all three (“599”). There is no formal standard for the wording (IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook); it is ARRL's below, with IARU's in brackets where it differs.

R	Readability
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
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 (IARU: “Very strong signals”)

T	Tone (CW only)
T1	Sixty cycle a.c. or less, very rough and broad (IARU: “Extremely rough hissing note”)
T2	Very rough a.c., very harsh and broad (IARU: “Very rough AC note, no trace of musicality”)
T3	Rough a.c. tone, rectified but not filtered
T4	Rough note, some trace of filtering
T5	Filtered rectified a.c. but strongly ripple-modulated
T6	Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation
T7	Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation
T8	Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation
T9	Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind

S-meter levels (IARU Region 1 recommendation)

S	HF, below 30 MHz		VHF/UHF, above 30 MHz
S	dBm	in 50 Ω	dBm	in 50 Ω
S1	−121	199.3 nV	−141	19.93 nV
S2	−115	397.6 nV	−135	39.76 nV
S3	−109	793.4 nV	−129	79.34 nV
S4	−103	1.583 µV	−123	158.3 nV
S5	−97	3.159 µV	−117	315.9 nV
S6	−91	6.302 µV	−111	630.2 nV
S7	−85	12.57 µV	−105	1.257 µV
S8	−79	25.09 µV	−99	2.509 µV
S9	−73	50.06 µV	−93	5.006 µV
S9 + 10 dB	−63	158.3 µV	−83	15.83 µV
S9 + 20 dB	−53	500.6 µV	−73	50.06 µV
S9 + 40 dB	−33	5.006 mV	−53	500.6 µV

1 S-unit = 6 dB; S9 = −73 dBm (50 µV) on HF and −93 dBm (5 µV) above 30 MHz. Above S9, report the dB over S9: “59 plus 10”. Many S-meters do not follow this calibration. Convert other levels with the dBm to watts table.

Suffixes, cut numbers, examples

Letter	Added to the report for
X	Steadiness of crystal control (ARRL)
C	Chirp (ARRL)
K	Key click (ARRL)
a	Distorted by auroral propagation (IARU Region 1, Vienna 2010)
s	Distorted by scatter propagation (IARU Region 1)
m	Distorted by multipath propagation (IARU Region 1)

Cut numbers (CW contests, never in call signs):

1 = A

2 = U

3 = V

5 = E

7 = G

8 = D

9 = N

0 = T

599 = perfectly readable, extremely strong, perfect tone; often sent as 5NN.
57 on phone = perfectly readable, moderately strong signals.
58a = fairly good signal via aurora; 59s = good signal via scatter (IARU examples).
In the big contests 59 or 599 is sent almost always, whatever the signal (IARU).

CW prosigns and procedure

Sign	Morse	Meaning
K	−·−	Invitation to transmit: over, anyone may answer (after CQ).
KN	−·−−·	Over to the station called only; others please keep out. Not standardised by regulators; same Morse character as “(”.
<AR>	·−·−·	End of message or transmission; ARRL: after a call to a specific station before the contact is made. Same character as “+”.
<AS>	·−···	Wait, stand by.
<BT>	−···−	Separator between parts of a message (written “=”).
<SK>	···−·−	End of contact, sent before the final call sign. The ITU calls the same character VA, “end of work”.
BK	–	Break: interrupt the transmission in progress (break-in conversation).
CL	–	Closing down the station; will not answer further calls.
R	–	Received (correctly and in full). Not necessarily “yes”.
E E	–	Two spaced dits at the very end: a friendly goodbye.

Signs in angle brackets are sent as one character, without the gap between letters. Morse from ITU-R M.1677-1. Typical CQ: CQ CQ CQ DE (call ×3) K. End of a contact: 73 (name) CUL DE (call) <SK> E E.

Common CW abbreviations

Abbr.	Meaning	Abbr.	Meaning
73	Best regards	HW	How (HW CPY? = how do you copy?)
88	Love and kisses	MNI	Many
AGN	Again, please repeat	NR	Number
ANT	Antenna	NW	Now
B4	Before	OM	Old man: a male operator
CFM	Confirm, I confirm	OP	Operator
CQ	General call to all stations	PSE	Please
CU	See you	PWR	Power
CUL	See you later	RIG	Equipment
DE	From (before the calling station’s call sign)	RPT	Repeat, I repeat
DX	Long distance, usually another continent	RST	Readability, strength, tone report
ES	And	RX	Receiver
FB	Fine business: good, excellent	SKED	Scheduled contact, agreed in advance
FER	For	SRI	Sorry
GA	Go ahead; also good afternoon	TNX, TKS	Thanks
GE	Good evening	TU	Thank you
GL	Good luck	TX	Transmitter
GM	Good morning	UR	Your
GN	Good night	VY	Very
GUD	Good	WX	Weather
HI	Laughter	XYL	Wife, spouse
HR	Here	YL	Young lady

Many are also used in RTTY and other text modes. Also printable: the Region 1 HF band plan chart and the Region 1 VHF/UHF band plan chart.

Sources (checked 2026-11-02):

Q codes and miscellaneous abbreviations (AR, AS, BK, BT, CL, CQ, DE, K, R, VA …): Recommendation ITU-R M.1172 (10/1995), incorporated by reference in the Radio Regulations: https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1172/en
ITU-R M.1172, PDF: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/m/R-REC-M.1172-0-199510-I!!PDF-E.pdf
Morse characters for the prosigns: Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1 (10/2009), International Morse code: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/m/R-REC-M.1677-1-200910-I!!PDF-E.pdf
Q codes and abbreviations as used by amateurs, RST tables, cut numbers: IARU, Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, 4th edition, revision 4.2.0 (2026): https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IARU-Ethics-and-Operating-Procedures-for-the-Radio-Amateur-4th-Ed-v4.2.0_F.pdf
Most used CW abbreviations: IARU, Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, edition 3 (January 2009): https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/27-Ethics-operating-EN-ARRL.pdf
RST system with X, C and K suffixes, and K, AR, KN, AS, R, SK and CL: ARRL Quick Reference Operating Aids: https://www.arrl.org/quick-reference-operating-aids
Q signals used by hams: ARRL: https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Get%20on%20the%20Air/Comm%20w%20Other%20Hams-Q%20Signals.pdf
S-meter recommendation and the tone suffixes a, s and m: IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook, version 10.03, signal reporting system: https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/VHF_Handbook_V10_03_final.pdf

Ohmsums. Indicative values; verify before use.