Ten-code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:15, 30 March 2005

Revision as of 01:16, 30 March 2005

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'''Ten-codes''', or '''10-codes''', are used in two-way voice [[radio]] communication as numeric [[codeword]]s for frequently used messages. They originated in the [[United States]] law enforcement community before [[World War II]]. The first set of 10-codes was published by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, or APCO, in January of 1940. There is no universal, official set of 10-codes, and the meanings of a particular 10-code can vary between one jurisdiction and another: a code meaning "I have the suspect in custody" in one state can mean "Send an ambulance" in a second state, and have yet another meaning in a third. To overcome large 10-code lists some agencies have adopted other code lists such as 11-codes, 12-codes, and so forth.

Ten-codes were adopted with enthusiasm by the [[Citizen's Band]] craze, first in the US, then shortly afterwards in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and elsewhere. The codes were extended and changed to reflect the sorts of things that CBers wanted to refer to, rather than law enforcement usage, etc. During the [[CBC B Radio in the United Kingdom|height of the fad]] in the UK (around [[1980]]), new ten codes were seemingly made up on the spot, used in the local area for a short time, then disappeared again.

The following is a sample of commonly used 10-codes, submitted for purposes of illustration. It is common for a 10-code to have numeric gaps.