QRZ, the name of the web site, is the "Q" amateur radio code for "Who is calling me?" and corresponds to the site's purpose of assisting amateur radio operators with the lookup of ham radio call signs from every country in the world.

What does QSO mean in ham?

Ham Radio operators still make liberal use of them today. A QSO is another word for “contact,” as in “I made 783 QSOs during Field Day last year!” or “Making QSOs with European stations was difficult during the contest.” Many Hams enjoy keeping a record of stations they've made QSOs with by writing them in a log book.

What does QRM mean in ham radio?

Today, QRM stands for human-made noise, as opposed to QRN, which indicates noise from natural sources. If you hear an operator say, “I'm getting some QRM,” it means there's man-made interference affecting your transmission.

What does QSL mean in radio talk?

A Q code message can stand for a statement or a question (when the code is followed by a question mark). In this case, 'QSL?' (note the question mark) means "Do you confirm receipt of my transmission?" while 'QSL' (without a question mark) means "I confirm receipt of your transmission."

Why do hams say 73?

73 is an old telegraph code that means "best regards". 73, as well as 88 (which means "hugs and kisses") are part of the language of ham radio.

How to effectively use QRZ.com

What is the difference between QSO and QSL?

QSL = the DXCC entity of the station confirmed in the QSO. If there is no information in the QSL box then the QSO is not confirmed. In the matrix above the QSO with WA0EIR is not confirmed. The QSO with KK4FYV is confirmed because United States of America is displayed in the QSL box.

What is a ham radio contact called?

An amateur radio contact, more commonly referred to as simply a "contact", is an exchange of information between two amateur radio stations. The exchange usually consists of an initial call, a response by another amateur radio operator at an amateur radio station, and a signal report.

Who runs QRZ?

The QRZ CDROM has been used on all 7 continents (yes, including Antarctica) has been carried on the Space Shuttle, the MIR space station, and is in use today aboard the International Space Station. QRZ remains a small business that is owned and operated by Hams.

How do you end a ham radio conversation?

Amateur operators in the U.S. are required to sign off (end communications) by stating both your callsign and the station's that you are in contact with.

How do you reply to CQ?

How to answer a CQ: First, use the callsign of the station you're calling. Follow that by your own callsign, and your approximate whereabouts. If the station you're calling is very strong, just once will do. If he's very weak, you might double up the call.

Do ham radio operators still send QSL cards?

Today ham radio operators send QSL cards for a variety of reasons. It is interesting to collect them. Having made contact with a particular ham radio station it is often nice to have a card from them to remember the contact.

Do hams still use QSL cards?

The term QSL now more commonly means to confirm a radio contact. Early on this was done mainly with postcards. Some hams still do send out QSL cards, or send them in reply or if requested. Collecting cards is a fun aspect of ham radio.

How do you confirm QSO in LoTW?

For your QSO to be confirmed via LoTW, it must match the information your QSO partner submits. In particular, the callsign you log must match the callsign your QSO partner uses to submit your QSO. the callsign you use to submit your QSO must match the callsign your QSO partner logs.

What in ham lingo is a lid?

“Lid” is ham-speak to denote a poor operator; one who is inept at the practice of the radio amateur art. It is someone with very poor operating technique, a newbie or an experienced ham that acts like a neophyte. This old term likely originated from the days of wired telegraphy.

What are 73s?

And, of course, 73 is still used by amateur radio operators to mean "best regards". Making any of these numbers plural (73s, 88s, etc.) is incorrect since they are already plural. 73s would mean best regardses and 88s would mean love and kisseses.

What is a CW radio?

Essentially CW refers to a Morse transmission using a radio signal - the abbreviation coming from the fact that it uses a Carrier Wave, or Continuous Wave that is interrupted. There is no modulation (apart from the breaks caused by the Morse characters).

Where is QRZ com located?

QRZ.COM is operated by QRZ LLC in Scottsdale, Arizona.

What can you hear on a ham radio?

Ham radio operators use the 2-meter band for general conversations as well as for emergency communications. Ham radio operators are often the first called upon to assist in major disasters with communications between the public and emergency services such a law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services.

What does FB mean in Morse code?

F-N Morse Code Abbreviations

Not only can it be used in beeps, but it works with lights too. Send your signals for “from” to “now” using these abbreviations. FB - Excellent. FM - Frequency modulation; from. GA - Go ahead; good afternoon.