QRZ asks 'who is calling me?'. It is one of the three-letter Q-codes standardized so operators can exchange routine information regardless of language — QTH is 'my location', QSL is 'I confirm receipt'.

What does 73 mean in ham radio?

'73' means 'best regards' — a sign-off inherited from the 1859 Western Union number code list. '88' means 'love and kisses', so use 73 unless you know the operator very well.

Do I need a license to listen to ham radio?

No — listening (shortwave listening, SWL) is legal in most countries with any receiver. Transmitting requires an amateur licence; in New Zealand that is the General Amateur Operator Certificate administered by RSM.

What is an RST report?

RST scores a signal by Readability 1–5, Strength 1–9 and Tone 1–9 (tone applies to Morse/CW only). '599' — perfectly readable, extremely strong, pure tone — is the classic contest report.

Ham Radio Q-Codes — Complete Reference for Amateur Radio Operators

Q-codes are three-letter shorthand (QTH = my location, QSL = I confirm receipt) that let amateur radio operators exchange standard information regardless of language. This page covers the most-used Q-codes plus abbreviations, the HF band plan and RST signal reports.

Q-Codes — Operating

QRL

Are you busy / Frequency in use

Always check before transmitting

QRM

Man-made interference

Other stations causing noise

QRN

Natural static / noise

Lightning, atmospheric noise

QRO

Increase transmitter power

QRP

Decrease power / Low power ops

Under 5W — popular contest category

QRQ

Send faster

Increase CW speed

QRS

Send more slowly

Reduce CW speed

QRT

Stop sending / Closing station

Signing off

QRU

I have nothing for you

No traffic

QRV

I am ready / Are you ready?

Station available

QRX

Stand by / Wait

Pause transmission

QRZ

Who is calling me?

Also a callsign lookup website

QSB

Signal fading

Propagation variation

QSK

Break-in operation

Can hear between dits

QSL

I confirm receipt / Confirmation card

QSL card = proof of contact

QSO

Direct two-way contact

A QSO = a ham radio contact

QSP

Relay to...

Pass message via third station

QST

General call to all stations

Bulletin follows — ARRL use

QSY

Change frequency to...

Move to another freq

QTH

My location is...

Most used Q-code in casual ops

QTR

The time is...

Time check

QTC

I have messages for you

Traffic follows

Q-Codes — Station Info

QRA

Name of station

QRB

Distance between stations

QRG

Your exact frequency is...

QRH

Frequency varies

QRI

Tone of transmission 1-3

QRK

Readability 1-5

QSA

Signal strength 1-5

QSX

Listening on frequency...

Split operation

QDM

Magnetic heading to reach you

Direction finding

Q-Codes — Propagation

QSB

Signal fading

Common on HF bands

QSD

Defective sending

CW keying issues

QSK

Can you hear between signals?

Full break-in CW

QSN

Did you hear me on this frequency?

QSM

Repeat last message

Send again

Common Abbreviations

Best regards

Universal ham farewell

Love and kisses

Sent to YL/XYL

Best success

Courtesy number

Calling any station

CQ DX = calling DX only

From this is

ZL2ABC DE ZL1XYZ

Long distance / rare contact

Chasing DX = working rare countries

And

Shorthand in CW

Fine business — excellent

FB OM = well done

Laughter in CW

Morse equivalent of LOL

Old man — any male operator

Friendly regardless of age

Operator

OP here is Eric

PSE

Please

PSE QSL = please confirm

RIG

Radio equipment

My rig is an IC-7300

RST

Readability Signal Tone report

59 = perfect phone signal

TKS

Thanks

TKS FR QSO = thanks for contact

Thank you

Common CW sign-off

Your

UR RST is 59

Very

VY 73 = very best regards

Weather

WX here is sunny 22C

XYL

Wife ex-young lady

Young lady — any female operator

AGN

Again

PSE AGN = please again

Go ahead — any station

Open invitation

Go ahead — specific station only

Closed invitation

End of contact / Silent key

Also means deceased operator

End of transmission

No reply expected

Break / partial break-in

Quick interruption

CUAGN

See you again

Common sign-off

HF Band Plan

160m (1.8 MHz)

Top band — night DX, noisy

Challenging, respected by operators

80m (3.5 MHz)

Regional night, DX at night

Popular for nets and rag-chewing

40m (7 MHz)

Best all-rounder — day/night DX

Most active HF band globally

30m (10 MHz)

WARC — CW/digital only

No phone/SSB allowed

20m (14 MHz)

International DX workhorse

Always open somewhere

17m (18 MHz)

WARC — excellent DX

Often less crowded than 20m

15m (21 MHz)

DX when solar active

Best during solar cycle peaks

10m (28 MHz)

Global DX when open

Amazing when open, dead when not

6m (50 MHz)

Magic band — sporadic E

Unpredictable, exciting DX

2m (144 MHz)

Local/regional — FM repeaters

Most common VHF band

70cm (430 MHz)

Local FM, satellites, digital

Common handheld band

RST Signal Report

Unreadable

Cannot copy

Barely readable

Occasional words

Readable with difficulty

Readable little difficulty

Perfectly readable

Faint signal

Fair signal

Moderately strong

Extremely strong

Perfect — 59 is ideal phone report

Extremely rough tone

CW only

Perfect tone

599 = perfect CW report

ITU Regions and NZ Callsigns

Region 1

Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia

Region 2

Americas

North and South America

Region 3

Asia-Pacific

NZ, Australia, Japan, China

ZL prefix

New Zealand

ZL1=Auckland · ZL2=Wellington · ZL3=Christchurch · ZL4=Dunedin

VK prefix

Australia

Nearest neighbour — lots of ZL-VK contacts

W/K prefix

United States

Most active DX country

JA prefix

Japan

Strong ham culture, good DX from ZL

DXCC

DX Century Club — 100+ countries confirmed

Most prestigious ham achievement

Essentials

Callsign format: Prefix (country) + number (region) + suffix · e.g. ZL2ABC = NZ region 2
NZ prefix ZL: ZL1=Auckland/Northland · ZL2=Wellington · ZL3=Christchurch · ZL4=Dunedin

73 = Best regards · 88 = Love and kisses · CQ = Calling any station · SK = End of contact

Ham Radio Reference