[Boatanchors] What is "QRA"?

Sat, 1 Nov 2003 19:44:44 -0600

CORRECT!  The "name" is and was never the callsign.  If you are familiar with
aeronautical radio usage, they more frequently use "name" or QRA instead of
callsign.  This applies to aircraft as well as the land stations.  Callsigns used to
be
used on the HF CW circuits on transoceanic flights, but "names" are more common on
voice circuits.  I don't know of any aeronautical CW circuits left anywhere in the
world.
Most ship callsigns were four letters (USA stations), aircraft were five letters to
differentiate between aircraft and ships using common frequencies (like the old
500 khz calling/distress channel) on CW.
73,
Sandy W5TVW
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray V." <[email protected]>
To: "Sandy, W5TVW" <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] What is "QRA"?


| Right! The correct commercial use of QRA was the name of the
| vessel/shore station/etc. In ham use it seems to have been "modified" to
| indicate callsign usage.
|
| 73, Ray  W2EC
|
| Sandy, W5TVW wrote:
|
| > The commonest use of "QRA?" was for one ship's Radio Officer to
| > ask another what the ship's name was!  During the old HF aircraft CW
| > days (when the ocean crossing aircraft carried a "sparks"), QRA? usually was a
| > request for the flight name and number.  Such as "Clipper 230" for Pan American
| > flight 230, etc.
| > 73,
| > Sandy W5TVW
| > ----- Original Message ----- 
| > From: "Ray V." <[email protected]>
| > To: <[email protected]>
| > Cc: "Carlos Avellanet [kf4rrn]" <[email protected]>
| > Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 1:06 PM
| > Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] What is "QRA"?
| >
| >
| > | The technical definition is that QRA means "what is the name of your
| > | station (callsign)" or "the name of my station (callsign) is".
| > |
| > | It also seems to be some form of award seeker group, he's probably in
| > | some form of contest, check out this web page:
| > |
| > | "http://www.uksmg.org/qra.htm"
| > |
| > | 73, Ray  W2EC
| > |
| > | Carlos Avellanet [kf4rrn] wrote:
| > |
| > |  > Isn't QRA-- what's your name?  That's what I've always thought it meant.
| > |  >
| > |  > Carlos. KF4RRN
| > |  >
| > |  >
| > |  >
| > |  >>Right now there is a station sending CQ "QRA".  I thought I know the most
| > |  >>common "Q" codes but this one is new to me and it's not listed in my '93
| > |  >>handbook.
| > |  >>
| > |  >>73 from the "Beaconeers Lair".
| > |  >>Phil, KO6BB
| > |  >>
| > |  >>In daily combat with QRM & QRN.
| > |  >>We may lose a battle but we'll win the war!
| > |  >>[email protected]
| > |  >>Merced, Central California
| > |  >>37.18N  120.29W  CM97sh
| > |  >>
| > |  >>
| > |  >>
| > |  >>---
| > |  >>avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
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| > |  >>Tested on: 11/1/03 6:31:37 PM
| > |  >>avast! is copyright (c) 2000-2003 ALWIL Software.
| > |  >>http://www.avast.com
| > |  >>
| > |  >>
| > |  >>
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| ** List Administrator - Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE **
| ** For Assistance: [email protected] **
| $$ For vintage radio info, see the HCI web site $$
| http://www.w9wze.org
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