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Author Topic: QRL? or the letter "V".  (Read 604 times)

KG6WNG

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QRL? or the letter "V".
« on: October 16, 2022, 06:35:19 AM »

I've heard people sending a lone letter V followed by silence. I seem to remember someone on the Web stating that "V" can be used in lieu of "QRL?". Is this correct or am I imagining things again?

Thanks, Kim
KG6WNG
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K1KP

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2022, 06:43:23 AM »

'QRL?' means is this frequency busy. 'V' or a string of 'V's has long been used to mean 'TEST'. They should not be used interchangeably. In contests, it is common practice to send '?' or '??' as a brief means of asking if the frequency is in use, and the response is often 'C', kind of shorthand for yes.

-Tony, K1KP
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KG6WNG

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2022, 07:29:21 AM »

Thanks Tony. Another CW mystery resolved.

Kim
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N4MJG

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2022, 04:50:14 PM »

i hear v as well too they are testing cw and wonder why they do that but how  it goes even i test it my as well too by turn power down to zero so no one will hear me when i test it by v or sending my code
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JACKIE GREEN

ZL1BBW

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2022, 01:59:25 PM »

A string of V's eg VVV VVV VVV de XYZ repeat was often used to assist in locating the station, back in the old days when RX's drifted and you were reliant on a grubby little notebook with dial loggin numbers in it.

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ex MN Radio Officer, Portishead Radio GKA, BT Radio Amateur Morse Tester.  Licensed as G3YCP ZL1DAB, now taken over my father (sk) call as ZL1BBW.

WA9VLK

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2022, 08:35:26 PM »

As K1KP (and others)  stated, sending Vs  or a series of Vs is only a test signal and not an inquiry as to whether a frequency is in use. QRL, albeit an appropriate means of determining if a frequency is busy, in my opinion, is not as efficient or courteous as the prosign used from the early days into the 1960s:  sending the letters I E. Didit dit is succinct and gets one's intent across without oozing-out a long, drawn-out Q signal.  After sending a quickie "Didit dit", a station in QSO on the frequency needed only to send the letter "C" meaning "yes." Done!

I feel it is even less courteous to send  "QRL" followed by unnecessary question marks. A protracted "QRL QRL ? ?" consumes seconds which often obliterates a great deal of an unheard station's sending that someone is trying to copy.

DE WA9VLK
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AA4Q

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2022, 03:56:48 PM »

Finally another didit dit advocate!!!! Thanks VLK!

I remember hearing it rarely in the mid 70's when I was first licensed and learning it meant QRL?....  then it disappeared, for decades.... I use didit dit almost every time I get on the air (rarely these days) but I don't think I've heard it except in my own sidetone since the 70's!

its so much nicer and unobtrusive and to the point!

I think we should resurrect didit dit as the official "is this freq in use" query!

AA4Q

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AA4Q

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2022, 04:00:32 PM »

oh, and regarding V V V

I always understood it to be the the paddle/keyer generated CW equivalent to the SSB "Heeelllllllllllloo... Helllllllllloooooooo.... " basically filler noise to produce some RF while tuning up the radio or antenna tuner.

(I always have straight key plugged in so key down can be used for tuning).

AA4Q
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WB0FDJ

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Re: QRL? or the letter "V".
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2022, 10:29:47 AM »

Finally another didit dit advocate!!!! Thanks VLK!

Count me in on this. Back in '72 I was allowed into the inner sanctum of a old timer who'd been been licensed since the late 1930s. His station was an elderly National receiver, a couple of Johnson Viking II's and a rack mounted homebrew KW. And a bug. (I asked him if he had a microphone: he looked around the shack and said "yeah, somewhere" suggesting that merely asking the question was inopportune). While listening on "his frequency" he sent a quick didit dit and got a C in answer. I'd never seen this and he told me that, back in the day, this was the way to query the freq. Makes perfect sense for all of the reasons listed above. This guy was a real curmudgeon but man did he know CW!

Doc WB0FDJ 73
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