W4KJD Operating Quick Reference[1]

RST System

Readability

Signal

Tone

1 – Unreadable

1 – Faint signals, barely perceptible

1 – Sixty cycle ac or less, very rough and broad

2 – Barely Readable

2 – Very weak signals

2 – Very rough ac

3 – Readable with Difficulty

3 – Weak Signals

3 – Rough ac tone, not filtered

4 – Readable without difficulty

4 – Fair signals

4 – Rough note

5 – Perfectly readable

5 – Fairly good signals

5 – Strong ripple

 

6 – Good signals

6 – Trace of ripple

 

7 – Moderately strong signal

7 – Near pure tone

 

8 – Strong signal

8 – Near perfect tone

 

9 – Extremely strong signal

9 – Perfect tone

Procedural Codes

Voice

Code

Situation

Go Ahead

K

Used after calling CQ, or at the end of a transmission, to indicate any station is invited to transmit.

Over

AR

Used after a call to a specific station, before the contact has been established.

 

KN

Used at the end of any transmission when only the specific station contacted is invited to answer.

Stand By

AS

A temporary interruption of the contact.

Roger

R

Indicates a transmission has been received correctly and in full.

Clear

SK

End of contact. SK is sent before the final identification.

Leaving the Air

CL

Indicates that a station is going off the air, and will not listen or answer any further calls. CL is sent after the final identification.

Q Signals

Code

Meaning

Code

Meaning

QRL

Are you (or the frequency) busy?

QRZ

Who is calling?

QSL

Can you acknowledge receipt?

QSM

Shall I repeat last message?

QRO

Shall I increase power?

 

 

QRP

Shall I decrease power?

QRM

Am I being interfered with?

QRQ

Shall I send faster?

QRN

Are you troubled by static?

QRS

Shall I send slower?

QSB

Are my signals fading?

 



[1] All information excerpted from ARRL Field service forms FSD-218 and FSD-220.