Q code: Difference between revisions

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[[file:l-Telegraph1.png|thumb|right|200px|This is one of a set of articles on telegraphy.]]

The '''Q-code''' is a standardised collection of three-letter codes that each start with the letter "Q". It is an [[Operating signals|operating signal]] initially developed for commercial [[radiotelegraphy|radiotelegraph]] communication and later adopted by other radio services, especially [[amateur radio]]. To distinguish the use of a Q-code transmitted as a question from the same Q-code transmitted as a statement, operators either prefixed it with the military network question marker "{{overline|INT}}" ({{morse|dot|dot|aspace|aspace|dash|dot|aspace|aspace|dash}}) or suffixed it with the standard Morse question mark {{overline|UD}} ({{morse|dot|dot|dash|aspace|aspace|dash|dot|dot}}).

Although Q-codes were created when radio used [[Morse code]] exclusively, they continued to be employed after the introduction of voice transmissions. To avoid confusion, transmitter [[call sign]]s are restricted; countries can be issued unused Q-Codes as their [[ITU prefix]] e.g. [[List of ITU letter codes|Qatar is QAT]].