CQ (call)
Encyclopedia
CQ is a code used by wireless
operators, particularly those communicating in Morse code
, but also by voice operators, to make a general call (called a CQ call). Transmitting the letters CQ on a particular radio
frequency
is an invitation for any operators listening on that frequency to respond. It is still widely used in amateur radio
.
call sign prefix for a particular country (e.g. CQ VK for "calling Australia
"). The originator of the call can be identified by appending the letters DE (French
for "from", also means "this is...") and the call sign of the transmitting station. In the United States
a CQ call is commonly not used on FM (especially repeaters).
A variant of the CQ call, CQD
, was the first code used as a distress signal
. It was proposed by the Marconi Company
and adopted in 1904, but was replaced between 1906 and 1908 by the SOS
code. When the Titanic sank in 1912, however, it initially transmitted the distress call CQD DE MGY, MGY being the ship's call sign. (The Titanic's radio operator alternated between SOS and CQD afterward.)
The CQ call was originally used by landline telegraphy operators in the United Kingdom
. French was, and still is, the official language for international postal services, and the word, sécurité, was used to mean "safety" or "pay attention". It is still used in this sense in international telecommunications. The letters CQ, when pronounced in French, resemble the first two syllables of sécurité, and were therefore used as shorthand for the word. In English-speaking countries, the origin of the abbreviation was popularly changed to the phrase "seek you" or, later, when used in the CQD
distress call, "Calling all distress".
CQ was adopted by the Marconi Company in 1904 for use in wireless (spark) telegraphy, and was adopted internationally at the 1912 London International Radiotelegraph Convention, and is still used.
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
operators, particularly those communicating in Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
, but also by voice operators, to make a general call (called a CQ call). Transmitting the letters CQ on a particular radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
is an invitation for any operators listening on that frequency to respond. It is still widely used in amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
.
History and usage
In ham radio usage, a CQ call can be qualified by appending more letters, as in CQ DX (meaning "calling all long-distance stations"), or the ITUInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
call sign prefix for a particular country (e.g. CQ VK for "calling Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
"). The originator of the call can be identified by appending the letters DE (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "from", also means "this is...") and the call sign of the transmitting station. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
a CQ call is commonly not used on FM (especially repeaters).
A variant of the CQ call, CQD
CQD
CQD, transmitted in Morse code as — · — · — — · — — · · is one of the first distress signals adopted for radio use...
, was the first code used as a distress signal
Distress signal
A distress signal is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance....
. It was proposed by the Marconi Company
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
and adopted in 1904, but was replaced between 1906 and 1908 by the SOS
SOS
SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
code. When the Titanic sank in 1912, however, it initially transmitted the distress call CQD DE MGY, MGY being the ship's call sign. (The Titanic's radio operator alternated between SOS and CQD afterward.)
The CQ call was originally used by landline telegraphy operators in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. French was, and still is, the official language for international postal services, and the word, sécurité, was used to mean "safety" or "pay attention". It is still used in this sense in international telecommunications. The letters CQ, when pronounced in French, resemble the first two syllables of sécurité, and were therefore used as shorthand for the word. In English-speaking countries, the origin of the abbreviation was popularly changed to the phrase "seek you" or, later, when used in the CQD
CQD
CQD, transmitted in Morse code as — · — · — — · — — · · is one of the first distress signals adopted for radio use...
distress call, "Calling all distress".
CQ was adopted by the Marconi Company in 1904 for use in wireless (spark) telegraphy, and was adopted internationally at the 1912 London International Radiotelegraph Convention, and is still used.