RST Signal Reporting Guide — Partisan Comms Group
RST Signal Reporting Guide
Understanding Readability, Strength, and Tone Reports
The RST system provides a standardized method for describing signal quality during amateur radio contacts. The report consists of three components:
- RReadability
- SStrength
- TTone
For voice operation, only Readability and Strength are normally used. Tone is primarily used during Morse code operation.
| R1 | Unreadable |
| R2 | Barely readable |
| R3 | Readable with difficulty |
| R4 | Readable with little difficulty |
| R5 | Perfectly readable |
Used in all contacts — voice and CW.
| S1 | Barely perceptible |
| S2 | Very weak |
| S3 | Weak |
| S4 | Fair |
| S5 | Fairly good |
| S6 | Good |
| S7 | Moderately strong |
| S8 | Strong |
| S9 | Extremely strong |
Used in all contacts — voice and CW.
| T1 | Extremely rough tone |
| T2 | Very rough tone |
| T3 | Rough tone |
| T4 | Noticeable imperfections |
| T5 | Filtered but ripple present |
| T6 | Good tone with slight ripple |
| T7 | Near pure tone |
| T8 | Nearly perfect tone |
| T9 | Pure tone |
Used only during Morse code (CW) operation. Omitted for voice contacts.
Common Examples
Perfectly readable and extremely strong voice signal.
Perfectly readable with moderately strong signal strength.
Readable signal with fair strength.
The classic Morse code "perfect signal" report.
Additional Notations
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| X | Indicates excellent frequency stability. |
| C | Indicates chirp on a CW signal. |
| K | Indicates key clicks on a CW signal. |
RST reports provide a common language for describing signal quality and remain one of the most widely used operating practices in amateur radio. Understanding signal reports helps operators evaluate station performance, propagation conditions, and overall communication effectiveness.