When conducting a QSO by telegraph, at first you need to stick to the template.
This template was developed by me and “for myself” based on several telegraph radio communications in the 14 MHz range.
Everyone can follow their own format, I don’t impose anything on anyone. :-)

General notes

In order for communication to take place, radio amateurs must transmit the following minimum data to each other:
*report* according to the RST system (readability, strength, tone - information readability from 1 to 5, signal strength from 1 to 9 on the S-meter scale, telegraph tone purity from 5 to 9, where 9 is the best tone quality)
name** operator
*place(QTH) radio station - name of a city or town.
This data is enough to record QSOs in the hardware log.

In addition to the “required fields”, there are rules of politeness: at the beginning of a QSO you must say hello to the correspondent GA OM, или по имени (если знакомы), а конце необходимо попрощаться CU и пожелать всего наилучшего, передав традиционное 73.

QSO classification

According to my observations, there are several types of CW QSO, which are used depending on the circumstances:

1. sports style for competitions (HF/VHF competitions like contest - with the exchange of only reports and control numbers)
2. short format for DXpeditions (the shortest format, only the call sign and report and 73 are transmitted)
3. standard QSO (report, name, place and 73)
4. extended QSO (standard QSO, supplemented with equipment and/or weather information)
5. QSO when working in a group (“round table”) or network: it is distinguished by the radio amateur addressing the presenter only in turn.
6. free radio exchange (usually during QSOs between old friends) with the transmission of call signs only once every 5 minutes (“rag chew”).

Next I look at the template for standard and extended QSO.

Data transmission when working on CQ (general call)

When working on a general call (CQ), the first correspondent transmits the following:

CQ CQ RU1AX RU1AX RU1AX K

(repeat your call sign no more than 3 times.K- end of message, I’ll move on to the reception.

(Assume that it was not possible to fully decipher the call sign)

QRZ?
(if you can make out not a single call sign, audibility is very poor)

US?(repeat of the received part of the call sign, in this case starting with “US” - the prefix of Ukraine, if part of the call sign was accepted)

(Next, the correspondent repeats the call sign, for example,US5..., US5X...), etc. until we fully accept it - in case of a weak signal and a high level of interference).

Or please repeat everything from the beginning again:
AGN(means repeat again).

When the call sign of the responding station has become known, we answer it:

BK US5XY DE RU1AX = (где BK- means “I listen to you during pauses in my program” (from the word “break”)).

Then the correspondent’s call sign, his own, and the separator sign are transmitted =.

GA DR OM, TNX FER UR CALL =(we always say hello to the correspondent!
If the NAME of the radio station operator is known from previous QSOs, instead of OM you can greet a friend by name, for example,GA WLAD).

RST RST IS 549 549 54N =(we give him the report)

MY NAME IS MARK MARK ES QTH QTH NR ST PETERSBURG =(we convey our name and location in one sentence, NR - Near)

US5XY DE RU1AX PSE K(go to gear)

(Now the correspondent reports your report, his name and city - you need to accept the report and name, write it down in the journal. It is also advisable to write QTH)

If you cannot accept the name, please repeat:PSE RPT UR NAME или PSE NAME?.

In response to the message, if everything was copied correctly from the correspondent, then we transmit the confirmation receipt:

R R R FB FB (подтверждение приема и выражение эмоций радости, можно заменить более серьезным SOLID COPI).

US5XY DE RU1AX=(then, two call signs are required)

DR OM WLAD NR KIEV =(we repeat the accepted name and QTH (optional)) or thank you for the good report:

TNX FER UR RPRT

PWR IS 100 WATTS ANT IS DIPOLE UP 20 METERS WX IS WINDY TEMP IS 15C 15C HW?(information about equipment and weather)

AR US5XY DE RU1AX PSE K

When the correspondent answers us with the same information, we complete the QSO:

FB TNX FER UR INFO AND FB QSO WLAD, BEST 73 73 US5XY DE RU1AX TU SK EE(mention the name and say goodbye)

(the correspondent also says goodbye and conveys SK- end of transmission sign (behind which there can only be two farewell dots)

E E(one or two dots means the connection is complete)

Transferring information when working on search (answering CQ)

(Searching for “calling” stations is more suitable for beginners, since you can transmit less and more slowly).

We answer the call, calling our call sign without delay:

US5XY(your call sign)

After the correspondent’s response, we transmit the full report, name and city:

RU1AX DE US5XY GA OM =

UR RST 599 599, OP WLAD WLAD ES QTH KIEV HW? AR (вместо длинного MY NAME можно передавать короткое OP- operator)

RU1AX DE US5XY PSE KN

(Where "AR" means end of message transmission. "KN" -I only listen to you).

If we have an extended QSO format, after the correspondent’s response we transmit information about our antenna and equipment.

R R MY RIG IS YAESU FT-857 PWR 10 WATTS INTO ANTENNA GP, WX TEMP IS 12C 12C HW? RU1AX DE US5XY KN

We are waiting for a response, thank you for the radio communication and say goodbye:

= DR MARK, TNX FER FINE QSO, HPE CU AGN, BEST DX AND 73 73

RU1AX DE US5XY 73 SK E E

We listen to the answer and pass it on T.U. and two dots with pauses between them as a sign of the complete end of the QSO.

TU E E

Notes

1. difference between the signs AR, K and KN:
   *AR*- means the end of the information/message (before the call signs), transmitted together.
   K**- I switch to reception (other correspondents can intervene by calling their call sign).
   *KN- I switch to reception and listen only to you. Complete analogue of K, no one has the right_ to interfere with QSO.
2. when GA, GE, GM are used. In most cases GA is good afternoon. Early morning GM is appropriate. Evening and night - GE.
3. to pause (ask to wait to set up the tuner, etc.) - transmit AS или QRX.
4. during a conversation to change the topic of discussion or make a short pause (per second) or add a couple of separators = =(-...-) (-...-).
5. You need to transmit at your own comfortable speed, but not higher than the speed of the correspondent.
6. Sometimes radio amateurs ask for reception confirmation HW? или HOW COPY? - это одно и то же. На что можно ответить, если всё записали: SOLID COPI, или уточнить (попросить передать ещё раз) непонятную информацию, например, QTH?.
7. error / interruption - 8 or more dot characters (. . . . . . . .)
8. sign SN at the beginning of the transmission means “I fully confirm reception”, used by experienced telegraph operators.
9. at the end of the QSO you can thank the operator with a text TNX FB QSO- means "fine business QSO" or "excellent QSO".

Full QSO template (printable)

| | ....... |
| ........ DE ........ = GA OM UR RST 559 559 ........ ........ ES QTH ........ HW? ........ DE ........ | |
| | ........ DE ........ = GA ........ UR RST 599 599 OP NAME ...... ES QTH ........ ........ DE ........ K|

| R R ........ TNX FER UR INFO ........ ES FB QSO 73 ........ DE ........ K| |
| | 73 ........ DE ........ K|

||TU SK|
| |EE|

| E||

Source:
http://lidscw.org/resources/cq-qso-template

Last change: 05/06/2026

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