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WWII Radio Q Codes

Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:17 pm

I can't remember which forum I was looking at, but someone asked about radio "Q" codes for WWII USAAF. (Might have been ArmyAirForces.com)

Anyway, I just received a nice copy of FM 24-13 "Air Extract Of Combined Operations Signals (CCPB 2-2)" Feb 44

It is a little semi-hard covered book with just about the most Q signals I've ever seen- all WWII radio stuff. If anyone is still looking for that answer, I can try to post some of them.

Scott

Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:03 pm

What are Q-Codes? :?:

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:13 pm

Yes please! The ex-military pilots I flew with in the 1970s and 1980s were always talking about QNH and QNR, I would love to finally know what they were trying to tell me.

Taylor, the Q codes date back to the days of Morse code. Any 3 characters starting with "Q", with the second letter not a "U", were code for common phrases like "the altimeter setting is" (QNH, I think). It was faster to key, and even to say "QNH 2992" than "our current altimeter setting is 29 point 92 inches of mercury".

Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:40 pm

me109me109 wrote:What are Q-Codes? :?:


"Q" codes are CW (Morse code) shorthand- and they have codes for very many situations...

The two Bill mentioned must be postwar or common usage- I went through the booklet, and the only two signal combinations I could not find were "QNH" & "QNR"!

Sorry bout that- I am pretty sure you are right about QNH though

Robbie

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:16 pm

Online listing of Q-Codes

http://www.kloth.net/radio/qcodes.php

Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:11 pm

there's another example of stuff that could have been lost forever being brought back into the light of day-Thanks Robbie :!: :!: :!:

Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:24 am

These are still used.
From an FOM.

QFE Automatic pressure at airport elevation
QNE Standard Altimeter
QNH Station Altimeter Setting

Sully

Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:36 am

QNH is the local barometer, like "30.14". We use inches of mercury while many other nations use millibars (also synonymous with hectopascals).

QFE is still used in many of the former Soviet countries where the altimeter reads zero on the ground and all altitudes reference that.

QNE is the standard 29.92 we set when entering flight levels. In the US, and a number of places in this hemisphere, 18,000' is the first flight level, called FL180.

Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:57 pm

Here's one that you won't fine documented:

QLF -- Are you sending with your left foot? :lol:

(an insult directed at someone with a terrible fist)

Cheers!

Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:53 am

I just read that one online the other day, on the ARRL website!(American Radio Relay League- The Ham guys...) ;)

Robbie
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