Giving a signal report — Ham Radio

Somebody asks how they're coming in, or you need to give a report and don't want to guess.

What to say

You say: “You're five nine, five nine.”

Perfectly readable, very strong. This is by far the most common report given.

You say: “You're five seven — readable but you're fading a bit.”

Readable, moderately strong. An honest and useful report.

You say: “You're three three, I'm having trouble copying you.”

Barely readable and weak. Say this when it's true — it's genuinely useful information for the other operator.

The two numbers

First number — Readability
1 = unreadable · 3 = readable with difficulty · 5 = perfectly readable
Second number — Strength
1 = barely detectable · 5 = fairly good · 9 = extremely strong

What they will say back

They'll usually thank you and give you a report back.

If it goes sideways

There is no wrong answer here. It's a subjective judgment, and everyone knows it.

Why it works this way

It's called an RST report — Readability, Strength, and Tone. On voice you only give the first two numbers, because Tone only applies to Morse code. Be aware that "five nine" gets handed out reflexively even when it isn't true, especially in contests where nobody has time to actually evaluate anything. An honest report is more valuable and more appreciated.

Open this in Pocket Elmer, with your callsign filled in

More things to say