PJ6Y Saba Island
Author: CQAdmin (Page 5 of 10)
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: In the US, the FCC has continued its actions against foreign-owned laboratories that test imported electronics for sale and use in the country. Kent Peterson KCØDGY has that report.
KENT: Four foreign-controlled testing laboratories that evaluate electronics imported for use in the United States have been denied recognition by the Federal Communications Commission.
Just days before the shutdown that affected much of the US government, including the FCC, the commission announced that the four laboratories, like the 11 the commission denied in early September, were controlled by Chinese interests. That makes for a total of 15 such labs rejected so far by the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, as part of the administration’s goal to give US-owned companies the responsibility of certifying electronics for import and sale in the US. All approved equipment must demonstrate that it is not a threat to US national security and must comply with FCC standards.
This move is the latest following the commission’s adoption in May of the order. At the time the order was announced, the FCC disclosed that about 75 percent of all electronics sold in the US are being tested by Chinese labs.
This is Kent Peterson KCØDGY.
2nd Annual Hidden Valleys Amateur Radio Club FREE HAMFEST
October 18, 2025 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Grant County Fair Youth and Ag Building 916 East Elm Street (County Road A) Lancaster, WI 53813
Hamtober Fest hamfest in SW Indiana 10/18/2025 Hamtober Fest is a fun and free hamfest located in Lynnville Indiana right off I-64 in Warrick County. Sponsored by the Tri-state Amateur Radio Society in Evansville
RF Hill ARC Annual Hamfest Sunday October 19th. Rain or Shine.
Location- Bucks County Community College- Perkasie Campus
Use GPS Address 346 Blooming Glen Rd. Perkasie, PA 18944
Gates Open at 8am for the General Public.
The Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club (W9ZL) is holding our annual Fall Hamfest on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, from 8 am to 1 pm at our NEW Convenient Venue Location “Sunnyview Exposition Center” located at 500 E. County Rd Y, Oshkosh, WI 54901. General Admission in advance is $6 or at the door $8 per person.
Bonham, Texas, Fannin County Amateur Radio Club “Fall Ham Fest” November 15, 2025 at the Armory Pavilion located at the corner of Hwy 121 and Hwy 56 in Bonham, Texas.
K4KDI FALL TAILGATE NOV.22/2025 South Conway Road Baptist Church 6099s Conway Road Orlando Fl 32812
The Club meeting for November will be held on the 13th the 2nd Tuesday
The Club meeting for January will be held on the 8th the 2nd Thursday
Video credit to ARRL
video credits to
Ham Radio 2.0
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FA5K3Ymzt/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Invention and Implementation of Q Codes in Morse Communication 📡
In the early 20th century, long before voice radio became widespread, Morse code was the primary means of wireless communication across ships, aircraft, and telegraph stations. However, language barriers often made international communication difficult. A British initiative solved this problem by introducing the Q Code system, a standardized set of three-letter abbreviations beginning with the letter “Q.”
The Origin of Q Codes
The Q Code was first developed by the British government in 1909, primarily by the British Post Office, to simplify and standardize radio communication among ships and coastal stations. The goal was to create a common language that could be universally understood, regardless of nationality or spoken language.
Since English was not universally spoken by all radio operators, these three-letter codes helped operators quickly exchange important information using only Morse code. Each code represented a complete question or statement.
For example:
QRM – “Is my transmission being interfered with?” or “Your transmission is being interfered with.”
QRN – “Are you troubled by static noise?” or “I am troubled by static noise.”
QTH – “What is your location?” or “My location is ___.”
This made international communication both faster and more reliable.
Adoption and Expansion
By 1912, the International Radiotelegraph Convention officially adopted the Q Code system, and it soon became a global standard. It was expanded beyond maritime use to include aviation, military, and amateur radio communications.
The codes were grouped by function:
QRA–QRZ: General operational information
QSA–QSZ: Signal quality and strength
QTA–QTZ: Message handling and procedures
QRA–QRZ: Identification and station details
This organization allowed operators to instantly identify the meaning based on the prefix range.
Implementation in Morse Code
In Morse code, each Q Code consists of three letters, each transmitted in dots and dashes. For example:
QTH in Morse:
– –.– – ….
During communication, the operator would send these letters followed by a question mark (if it was a query) or by relevant data (if it was an answer).
For instance:
“QTH?” → “What is your location?”
“QTH London” → “My location is London.”
This short format dramatically reduced transmission time, saving valuable bandwidth and minimizing operator fatigue during long shifts.
Q Codes in Amateur (Ham) Radio
With the rise of amateur radio (ham radio) in the 1920s and beyond, hobbyists quickly adopted Q Codes because they were concise and universally understood. Even today, Morse code operators and voice radio users continue to use many Q Codes, often mixed into casual speech.
For example:
“My QTH is Paris.”
“There’s heavy QRM tonight.”
Such expressions remain part of ham radio culture, linking modern operators with their historical roots.
Conclusion
The invention of Q Codes represents one of the most practical and enduring solutions in communication history. Created over a century ago to overcome language barriers, these compact three-letter groups made Morse code faster, clearer, and truly international.
Even in the era of satellites and the Internet, Q Codes continue to remind us of the ingenuity of early radio pioneers who turned simple dots and dashes into a universal language of connection.
Stones River Amateur Radio Club Winter Field Day 2025
Come out and enjoy Winter Field Day with us! Whether you stay for an hour or for the full event, we would love to have you as a guest! WFD is a great opportunity to exercise your portable gear and hang out with other hams. You do NOT need to be a club member or a licensed operator to join in the fun. We will have multiple stations setup for both the contest portion of the event, as well as demonstrations of various modes of operation.
When: Saturday & Sunday, January 25 & 26, 2025
Where: Barfield Crescent Park Pavilions #3 & #4
Address: 697 Veterans Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Contact: Mark Swicord, KD4EYF, mswicord@mindspring.com
Talk-In: 145.230- T114
The Winter Field Day event runs from 10AM CST on Saturday through 4PM CST on Sunday.
For the contest participants, please familiarize yourself with the Winter Field Day rules.
Please join us for a Parks On The Air Rally
November 9, 2024 at 0900
Standing Stone State Park, Shelter #3
We will have a presentation on “how to POTA” where we will
cover several topics, including:
Creating an account
Equipment
What to say (aka – the exchange)
Logging contacts
Awards
For those interested, we will also be camping at the park
November 8-10.
Lunch will be provided!
Sponsored by the Macon Area Ham
Radio Society and the Stones River Amateur Radio Club
