How to Call CQ

When a Ham Radio operator is trying to make contact with another Ham Radio operator on the HF (high frequency) amateur radio bands, he or she calls "CQ." Whether by voice, by Morse Code (CW), or by one of the digital modes such as Packet Radio or PSK31, calling CQ indicates to other Ham Radio operators that you are on a frequency and looking for other hams to talk to.

The best CQ calls are kept short with concentrated periods of listening. This maximizes the chance of other Ham Radio operators, who may be tuning around the band, stumbling upon your CQ. If your CQ calls are too long, you run the risk of a potential contact getting bored waiting for a chance to respond to your call. And if your CQ calls are too short, with too long of a time between CQs, then a potential contact tuning around the band may never hear your call at all. The best CQ calls find a happy medium between being too short and too lengthy.

Regardless of the transmission mode, CQ calls are often made in a three-by-three format. This means that you repeat "CQ" three times, followed by "this is," and followed by your call sign three times. For example, my amateur radio call sign is KD6DXA. To call CQ by voice, I would say the following: "CQ, CQ, CQ, this is KD6DXA, KD6DXA, KD6DXA, over." The phrase "over" or "standing by" can be used to indicate that you are done transmitting and ready to receive a reply to your CQ.

Calling CQ on CW (Morse Code) is similar, except you use "de" instead of "this is," and you use the letter "K" to end your transmissions and indicate that you are awaiting a response. For example, in CW you would call CQ thus: "CQ CQ CQ de KD6DXA KD6DXA KD6DXA K." The same basic CQ pattern is used for digital modes, except you would type out the CQ instead of sending it with a telegraph key.

There are variations on a traditional CQ call. For example, during amateur radio operating contests, it is common to use the phrase "CQ Contest" to indicate that you are participating in a contest and not looking for a casual QSO. Similarly, you can make a geographic CQ call such as "CQ Japan" to indicate that you are looking to make a contact with a Japanese station. Regardless of which variation of CQ call that you are using, remember the rule that you should keep a CQ call short and follow it by a short period of listening for a response before retransmitting your CQ.

Of course, you can also choose to wait to answer a CQ call instead of sending one yourself. If you choose to tune around the bands to find a CQ to respond to, you will likely notice that the CQ calls that are most appealing are the calls that adhere to the time-honed guidelines for calling CQ as described above.