BSA Radio Merit Badge – Requirement Nine – A3


Merit Badge Navigation
Home
Getting Started
Requirement One
Requirement Two
Requirement Three
Requirement Four
Requirement Five
Requirement Six
Requirement Seven
Requirement Eight
Requirement Nine-A1
Requirement Nine-A2
Requirement Nine-A3
Requirement Nine-A4
Requirement Nine-A5
Requirement Nine-A6
Closing, Links & More
Merit Badge Counselors
Content Courtsey of K2GW
a. AMATEUR RADIO

(3) Explain at least five Q signals or amateur radio terms you hear while listening.

Q Signals are three letter shortcuts used in Morse Code and useful when radio operators don’t speak the same language.  Here are the most common:
QTH: location
QSO: a Conversation
QSL: I acknowlege receipt
QSY: Change frequency
QRM; Manmade Interference
QRN: Noise
QRP: Low Power
QRT: Stopping Transmitting
Other common terms are
CW: Morse Code (comes from Continuous Wave)
DX: Long distance
Ham: An Amateur Radio Operator
Phone: Voice transmissions
RTTY: Radio Teletype
Rig:  My radio
Shack: my radio room
YL: Young Lady
Signal reports on Morse Code are given as:
RST (Readabilty, Strength, Tone);  599 is the best.
Signal Reports on Voice are given as:
RS (Readability, Strength); 59 is the best.