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ITU-R M.1677-1 & ARRL Procedural Signals

Mga Prosign sa Morse Code (Procedural Signals)

Kabisaduhin ang mahahalagang pamamaraang utos (AR, BT, SK, KN, AS, BK) na ginagamit sa radiotelegraphy. Tuklasin ang pagpapangkat ayon sa pamilya, katumbas na ASCII, at may paliwanag na halimbawa ng CW QSO.

โ€ข Nai-publish noong Hulyo 29, 2026 โ€ข Huling Na-update noong Hulyo 29, 2026 โ€ข 6 na Minutong Pagbasa
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Mga Setting ng Audio Synthesizer para sa Prosign

Adjust transmission speed & tone pitch before playing prosigns below.

Bilis (WPM): 20 WPM
Dalas ng Tono: 600 Hz
๐Ÿงฌ Pag-uuri ayon sa Gamit

Mga Prosign ayon sa Pamilyang Operasyonal

Sa radiotelegraphy, ang mga prosign ay gumaganap ng mahalagang tungkulin mula sa paglilipat ng usapan hanggang sa pagwawasto ng mali at emergency.

๐Ÿ“ก

Transmission & Handover

Kinokontrol kung sino ang susunod na magpapadala at nagtatakda ng hangganan ng mensahe.

AR (End of Message) ASCII: +
.-.-.
BT (Break / Separation) ASCII: =
-...-
SK / VA (End of Work) ASCII: Final Sign-off
...-.-
K (Invite Any Station) Open turn-over
-.-
KN (Invite Named Station) ASCII: (
-.--.
๐Ÿ“ข

Calling & Identification

Nagtatatag ng ugnayan at nagpapakilala sa nagpapadalang estasyon.

CQ (General Call) Call to any listening station
-.-. --.-
DE (From) Precedes callsign
-.. .
BK (Break-in Interrupt) Interject into ongoing QSO
-...-.-
QRZ? (Who is calling?) Query identifying station
--.- .-. --.. ..--..
โธ๏ธ

Pause, Error & Ack

Handles timing delays, errors, and receipt confirmations.

AS (Wait / Standby) ASCII: &
.-...
HH / 8 Dits (Error) Erase previous word
........
R (Received Solid) Roger / Acknowledged
.-.
VE (Verified / Understood) ASCII: Message verified
...-.
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Message Structure

Paging, line breaks, and heading markers for formal telegrams.

AA (New Line / Line Break) ASCII: \n
.-.-
INT (Query / Interrogative) Prepended to Q-code
..--.
KA / PACT (Start of Message) Attention pre-amble
-.-.-
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Emergency & Distress

Highest priority radio signals taking immediate precedence.

SOS (Distress Signal) International Mayday
...---...
XXX (Urgency Signal) Pan-Pan Equivalent
-..- -..- -..-
TTT (Safety Warning) Securite Navigation
- - -
๐Ÿ”’

Station Status & Closure

Shutting down operations or declaring no further messages.

CL (Closing Station) Going off the air
-.-. .-..
NIL (Nothing Follows) No further traffic
-. .. .-..
73 (Best Regards) Friendly sign-off code
--... ...--
๐Ÿ“Š Definitive Reference

Complete Morse Code Prosigns Chart

Filter by family or search any prosign, ASCII alternate punctuation, or sound pattern.

Prosign Symbol Concatenated Code Dit-Dah Rhythm Alternate Punctuation / ASCII Operational Meaning Audio
AR <AR> .-.-. di-dah-di-dah-dit + (Plus) End of Message / Out Appended at end of transmission or formal message telegram.
BT <BT> -...- dah-di-di-di-dah = (Equal Sign) Break / New Paragraph Separates thoughts or sections within a continuous text transmission.
SK / VA ...-.- di-di-di-dah-di-dah End of Contact End of Work / Silent Key Final sign-off terminating contact between stations entirely.
K -.- dah-di-dah Over (Open) Invitation to Transmit (Open) Signals any listening station that you are yielding the frequency.
KN -.--. dah-di-dah-dah-dit ( (Left Paren) Invite Named Station ONLY Strict invitation to transmit aimed ONLY at the specified station.
AS .-... di-dah-di-di-dit & (Ampersand) Wait / Standby Requests receiving station to wait for a moment (e.g. AS 2 MIN).
BK -...-.- dah-di-di-di-dah-di-dah Break-In Break-in Interruption Used in full break-in QSK mode to instantly interrupt or request quick reply.
CQ -.-. --.- dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dah General Call General Call to All Stations Call to any listening station inviting a reply to establish contact.
DE -.. . dah-di-dit dit From / This Is From Station / This Is Precedes callsign to identify the transmitting station.
QRZ? --.- .-. --.. ..--.. dah-dah-di-dah di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dit di-di-dah-dah-di-dit Who is calling? Who Is Calling Me? Queries the identity of a station that just called.
HH ........ 8 dits continuous Error / Backspace Error Signal (8 Dits) Signals that the preceding word was sent in error and will be re-transmitted.
R .-. di-dah-dit Roger / Solid Received Solid / Roger Confirms that the last transmission was received completely and understood.
VE ...-. di-di-di-dah-dit Verified Verified / Understood Confirms formal telegram message verification and comprehension.
AA .-.- di-dah-di-dah \n (New Line) New Line / All After Used to force line feed or request text repeat after a word.
INT ..--. di-di-dah-dah-dit ? (Interrogative) Interrogative / Query Prepended to a Q-code to convert an assertion into a question.
KA / PACT -.-.- dah-di-dah-di-dah Attention / Preamble Start of Message / Attention Attention preamble transmitted before the start of a formal message.
SOS ...---... di-di-di-dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit Distress International Distress Signal Concatenated SOS signal requesting immediate maritime or life-safety aid.
XXX -..- -..- -..- dah-di-di-dah dah-di-di-dah dah-di-di-dah Urgency / Pan-Pan Urgency Signal (Pan-Pan) Transmitted three times to signal an urgent safety message concerning a vessel or person.
TTT - - - dah dah dah Safety Warning Safety Warning (Securite) Transmitted three times to introduce a navigational or meteorological safety warning.
CL -.-. .-.. dah-di-dah-dit di-dah-di-dit Closing Station Closing Station / Off Air Signals that the station is shutting down and going off the air.
NIL -. .. .-.. dah-dit di-dit di-dah-di-dit Nothing Follows Nothing Follows / No Traffic Indicates that the station has no further messages or traffic to transmit.
73 --... ...-- dah-dah-di-di-dit di-di-di-dah-dah Best Regards Best Regards / Friendly Sign-off Traditional friendly closing greeting between operators at the end of a contact.
๐Ÿ“– Educational Guide

Understanding Concatenated Prosigns

What makes a procedural signal fundamentally different from ordinary words or standard punctuation?

The Rule of Inter-Character Spacing

When sending normal text in Morse code, ITU-R M.1677-1 dictates a mandatory 3-dot unit pause between individual letters. For example, transmitting the letters A and R as separate words sounds like:

A (.-) + [3 dits pause] + R (.-.) = Separate Letters A and R

In contrast, a prosign is formed by running the constituent letters together with ZERO inter-character pause (1 dit element space between dits and dahs):

A (.-) + R (.-.) = .-.-. (Concatenated as single symbol AR)

Overbar Notation & ASCII Equivalents

Because keyboard software and printed logs need a way to distinguish run-together signals from normal character sequences, two universal conventions were created:

  • Overbar Notation (AR, BT, SK): Used in formal paper logbooks and official ITU manuals.
  • Angle Brackets (<AR>, <BT>): Used in computer telegraphy decoders and loggers.
  • ASCII Punctuation Mapping (+, =, &): Keyboards map .-.-. to + and -...- to = for rapid typing.
๐Ÿ“ป Practical Real-World Example

Annotated Typical Amateur Radio CW QSO

Examine a complete step-by-step Morse code conversation between Station A (W1AW) and Station B (K2GXT), highlighting every prosign and procedural signal in action.

STEP 1: GENERAL CALL OUT (CALLING CQ) Station W1AW
CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW W1AW K
CQ: Calling any station listening on frequency
DE: From (identifying transmitting station)
K: Open invitation to ANY station to respond
STEP 2: ANSWERING THE CALL Station K2GXT
W1AW DE K2GXT K2GXT K

Station K2GXT calls W1AW twice to ensure clarity over noise, ending with K to hand over control.

STEP 3: FIRST EXCHANGE (SIGNAL REPORT, LOCATION, NAME) Station W1AW
K2GXT DE W1AW = TNX FER CALL = UR RST 599 599 = QTH BOSTON MA = NAME IS BOB BOB = HW ? K2GXT DE W1AW KN
= (BT): Paragraph separation break
RST 599: Readability 5, Signal 9, Tone 9
QTH: Station location (Boston, MA)
KN: Strict invite to K2GXT only!
STEP 4: SECOND EXCHANGE (REPLY & STATION RIG) Station K2GXT
W1AW DE K2GXT = R TNX BOB UR 589 IN NY = RIG IS 100W DIPOLE = WX SUNNY 22C = W1AW DE K2GXT KN

Station K2GXT starts with R (Roger / solid copy), uses = (BT) between sections, and ends with KN.

STEP 5: FINAL SIGN-OFF (END OF WORK) Station W1AW & K2GXT
K2GXT DE W1AW = TNX FER FB QSO = 73 ES GOOD DX = K2GXT DE W1AW SK
W1AW DE K2GXT = 73 SK (followed by two dits: . .)

Both stations append SK (...-.-) to indicate final termination of the QSO contact.

โ“ Frequently Asked Questions

Prosigns & CW Signals FAQ

What is the difference between a Prosign and a Q-Code?

A prosign is a single concatenated Morse character (like AR or BT) with zero internal character pauses. A Q-code (like QTH, QSL, QRZ) consists of three standard Morse letters transmitted with normal inter-letter spacing.

Why is K different from KN?

K (-.-) is an open invitation to transmit meant for any station listening on frequency. KN (-.--.) is a strict invitation directed exclusively at the named station, instructing third-party stations not to break in.

How do I send an error signal in Morse code?

If you make a mistake while transmitting, send 8 rapid dits (........) continuous. This instructs the receiving operator to disregard the preceding word and wait for the re-transmission.

Where do the ASCII mappings (+ and =) come from?

In computerized teletype networks and modern amateur radio software (such as FLdigi or N1MM), + generates AR (.-.-.) and = generates BT (-...-), allowing touch-typists to execute prosigns without manual code entry.

Want to translate secret messages, practice Morse code, or check technical ITU standards? Explore our interactive tools and reference guides: