The Q-code is an international standardised system of 3-letter mnemonics,
each starting with the letter 'Q', developed around 1909
by the British Government as a List of abbreviations for use aboard
British ships and by coast stations licenced by the Postmaster General.
It improved and facilitated communication between maritime radio operators
speaking different languages [1].
Although initially developed for
commercial radio telegraphy, the codes were soon adopted
internationally by other radio services, including the armed
forces. The use of the Q-codes serves two purposes: (1) is allows
people with different languages or backgrounds to communicate, and
(2) it generally reduces the length of a message.
In commercial radio telegraphy, messages were usually charged per letter
or word. As a Q-code replaces a complete sentence, it made the message
much cheaper. The image on the right [A] shows the
Combined Operating Signals of 1944.
This book contains additional Q-codes and was introduced during WWII for
joint use by American and British armed forces. The same codes were used by
the Germans.
In clandestine telegraphy, short messages reduce the risk
of detection by means of Radio Direction Finding (RDF).
Although the Q-codes were primarily developed for messages in
morse code, they were later also used with
teleprinter traffic and voice communication.
Amateur radio operators still use Q-codes today [1].
Below are a few examples of Q-codes that are still commonly used in radio
communication, in particular by amateur radio operators (HAMs).
For a more complete list, check out [A] or visit Wikipedia.
The (popular) meaning of some Q-codes has changed over time.
Any links shown in red are currently unavailable.
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Crypto Museum. Created: Sunday 28 January 2024. Last changed: Saturday, 12 April 2025 - 07:25 CET.
