Signal Reporting Conventions
Edit on GitHubRST-style reports and how to describe what you hear from the beacon
Signal Reporting Conventions
Overview
When you test with another radio operator, a structured signal report makes results comparable. Amateur radio uses RST (readability, strength, tone); for the beacon’s CW signal the same language applies.
RST Explained
| Letter | Meaning | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| R | Readability | 1-5 |
| S | Signal strength | 1-9 |
| T | Tone quality | 1-9 |
For the Beacon’s CW
| Component | What to judge |
|---|---|
| R | Can you copy the payload? |
| S | Meter or ear strength (1-9) |
| T | Clean keying vs chirpy/buzzy (1-9) |
A clean report for the beacon might be “599” - perfectly readable, strong, clean tone.
Strength Words
| Plain-English term | Rough dBm |
|---|---|
| Barely there | Below -110 |
| Weak | -100 to -90 |
| Fair | -90 to -80 |
| Good | -80 to -70 |
| Strong | -70 to -60 |
| Very strong | Above -60 |
Reporting to Another Operator
Example exchange:
- “I’m copying your CW 599 at 433.500 MHz.”
- “Signal 559, keying clean, no chirp.”
This tells the beacon owner their radio, antenna and timing are working.