Q code
radiotelegraphy message code
The Q-code is a standardised collection of three-letter codes that each start with the letter "Q". It is an operating signal initially developed for commercial radiotelegraph communication (used e. g. by the Maritime Mobile Service or Amateur Radio Service), later also for TeleTYpe (TTY. e. g. for AFTN, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network) and RadioTeleTYpe (RTTY e.g. used by the Maritime Mobile Service or Amateur Radio Service) and in voice communications (e.g. Aeronautical mobile service). Most Q-codes defined in 1947 are still in use today, date back to the International Telecommunication Convention in Atlantic City, 1947 and are standardized in the ITU International Radio Regulations from 1947 (ITU-RR).
Early development
The original Q-codes were created, circa 1909, by the British government as a "List of abbreviations ...
The public source identifies “Q code” as radiotelegraphy message code. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around code, radiotelegraphy and message.
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A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Q code”, the useful work is to connect “radiotelegraphy message code” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q507696. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1947 and 1909.
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This entry incorporates text from “Q code” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.