From: LWRCLMR@strathost.stratcom.af.mil (LWRCLMR)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Police and Q-Signals
Date: 27 Aug 1992 08:12:19 -0700
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
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From:	WINS%"<scxc3@tincan-sawyer.af.mil>" 27-AUG-1992 10:04:32.10
To:	LWRCLMR
CC:	
Subj:	Police and Q-Signals

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From: MSgt Michael A. Barnes <scxc3@tincan-sawyer.af.mil>
Message-Id: <9208271501.AA21654@tincan-sawyer.af.mil>
Subject: Police and Q-Signals
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu (Info-Hams)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 8:36:28 EDT
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       I saw a recent post about police units using Q-Signals.  The also 
       mentioned  they were Ham Q-Signals.  I hate to burst your bubble, 
       but Q-Signals such as QTH, QSL, QRX, etc were developed and  used 
       by  commercial telegraphers long before any radio, let alone ham.  
       The military also uses Q-Signals as well as Z-Signals.  A  number 
       of  radio  operating  guides  have lists of both Q and Z signals.  
       Police departments which use them probably use them for the  same 
       reasons hams do.  THey don't know any better.  Larger departments 
       which had  several  stations,  used  CW  to  communicate  between 
       stations,  and had regular commercial type radio operators.  When 
       voice came along, the Q-Signals migrated to voice, just  like  it 
       did  in  ham  radio.   When other departments got around to using 
       radio, they often broght in  operators  from  someplace  else  to 
       teach  them  how, so bad habits propagate.  Some departments also 
       found and hired ham operators when they  first  got  into  radio, 
       again bringing their bad(?) habits with them.

       I  have  heard of police in the New York/Washington area using Q-
       Signals, as well as several departments  in  Florida.   I'm  sure 
       there are others also.

       Sometimes,  people do things wrong for so long they become right.  
       Even though *good* operators know  you  don't  use  Q-Signals  on 
       voice,  they  will  always  be  used.  Just like we know that you 
       should always give the called stations Id first, then  your  own, 
       but  don't  even  try  to tell your local police dispatcher he is 
       wrong when he says "Central Dispatch to unit seven".  You will be 
       asked to not let the door hit you on the way out!

       Many  hams  don't  even  know what a lot of the Q-Signals are.  A 
       prime example is QTH.  QTH means "my location is --------", while 
       QTH?  means "What is your location?"  I have heard many folks ask 
       a traveler on two  meters  "What  is  your  QTH?"  and  have  the 
       answering  party  say  "Oh, I'm from Nashville (Podunk, Omaha, or 
       wherever)"  Naturally, the question was where they  were  located 
       now, but you get the idea.  

       I  guess  all  this  goes right along with the guy who make first 
       contact on a local two meter repeater with a good strong  signal, 
       and  has to spell his name (tough ones like Bob, Joe, Bill, Fred) 
       phonetically, or say hi-hi instead of just laughing.  As long  as 
       there  is  ham radio, there will be people doing funny things for 
       us to laugh, whine, discuss, cry, nag, complain, etc about.

       What a hobby!

       Michael
       WA7SKG

       -- 
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       Michael A. Barnes                      Land Mobile Radio and
       scxc3@TINCAN-SAWYER.AF.MIL             Frequency  Management  
       Phone: (906)346-2811                        410 SG/SCX       
              DSN: 472-2811                   240 D AVE Suite 231-A
              FAX: ext-2474                    K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI
                                                   49843-4070        

       Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous
       life.    Proverbs 16:31
              ... or by having teenagers!  Michael 1992     
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