An R-S-T signal report is how trained radio operators give useful feedback to the operator at the other end of the radio circuit. The report tells the guy you have been talking what the technical quality of his transmitted radio signal has been. And he should give you a report as well, so you know how well your radio equipment is functioning.

R-S-T stands for Readability, Signal Strength and Tone. (The tone part of a signal report is used between Morse Code operators only.)

Readability

1—Unreadable
2—Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.
3—Readable with considerable difficulty.
4—Readable with practically no difficulty.
5—Perfectly readable.

Signal Strength

1—Faint signals, barely perceptible.
2—Very weak signals.
3—Weak signals.
4—Fair signals.
5—Fairly good signals.
6—Good signals.
7—Moderately strong signals.
8—Strong signals.
9—Extremely strong signals.

Tone

(Used for Morse Code transmissions only.)

1—Sixty Hz ac or less, very rough and broad.
2—Very rough ac, very harsh and broad.
3—Rough ac tone, rectified but not filtered.
4—Rough note, some trace of filtering.
5—Filtered rectified ac but strongly ripple-modulated.
6—Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation.
7—Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation.
8—Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation.
9—Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind.

Therefore a perfect quality R-S-T report to a voice operator, using AM or single-sideband radio, would be to tell him his signal is Five Nine or Five by Nine (written in the log book as 59 or 5×9).

Between Morse Code radio operators, using CW signals sent with a Morse key or paddle,  then a perfect, best-possible report would be Five Nine Nine (recorded in the log book or written on a QSL Card as 599).

But please, don’t automatically give the other guy a 5×9 or a 599 report because you think it will make him feel happier. It is far more useful to give him an accurate report… so he can tell if his station setup can be improved upon, or if he has any technical problems to fix.

It would be like saying “I read you loud and clear” to someone when the signal was actually terrible. If the signal is weak, or too quiet, or distorted; or if sombody was talking on top of the transmission, then tell the other operator what he needs to know to fix it.

Saying “I read you Four by Seven” means you could understand him with almost no difficulty at all, and that he had a moderately-strong signal. That’s a good report, and it is useful to the other guy.

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