five by five?

[91100 100 set]

Okay, I've been around awhile, and I've heard this lots of times in response to a radio check request, but I've never met anybody who could explain, (or find a written reference somewhere) what "five by five" means. Volume and clarity? Vice versa? Anybody?

 

[active_herk]

I've always taken it to mean LOUD AND CLEAR on a 5 point scale. In other words, 5 by 5 - loud and clear, 1 by 5 - quiet and clear, 5 by 1 loud and unreadable, etc.

 

[TonyC]

Okay, I've been around awhile, and I've heard this lots of times in response to a radio check request, but I've never met anybody who could explain, (or find a written reference somewhere) what "five by five" means. Volume and clarity? Vice versa? Anybody?

In Voice procedure (the techniques used to facilitate spoken communication over two way radios) a station may request a report on the quality and strength of signal they are broadcasting. In the military of the NATO countries, and other organisations, the signal quality is reported on two scales; the first is for signal stength, and the second for signal clarity. Both these scales are from one to five, where one is the worst and five is the best. The listening station reports these numbers separated with the word 'by'. Five by five therefore means a signal which has excellent strength and perfect clarity - the most understandable signal possible.

Five by five by extension has come to mean 'I understand you perfectly' in situations other than radio communication.

Example of a radio readability transmission



This is an example of how the system might be used, using British military voice procedure. Station callsign Alpha One wishes to know how well another station, Alpha Two is receiving him.

Alpha One:Hello Alpha Two, this is Alpha One. How do you read me? Over. Alpha Two:Alpha Two. I read you five by five. Over. The phrase "five by five" was also popularized by a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer ; the Slayer Faith, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, used it frequently as slang meaning that things were good. "Five By Five" was also the title of an episode which prominently featured Faith.

 

[Bus Driver]

I think in the olden days it was carrier strength and modulation.

 

[jbud]

five by five, is a term used to let other people know that you are a loser..

see also: tally-ho

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I see we have a winner in the above mentioned category....

Good post Tony.

 

[uwochris]

Here is the scale:

Strength:
1. bad
2. poor
3. fair
4. good
5. excellent

Clarity:
1. unreadable
2. readable now and then
3. readable with difficulty
4. readable
5. perfectly readable.

Thus, "five by five" means you hear the person with excellent strength and the clarity is perfect.

Chris.

 

[minitour]

five by five, is a term used to let other people know that you are a loser..

see also: tally-ho

hah...heard that one for the first time the other day...I don't think I stopped laughing until I crossed the numbers...

 

[91100 100 set]

Okay, thanks. I agree with the tally-ho thing. And the accompanying "no-joy".

 

[unreal]

hah...heard that one for the first time the other day...I don't think I stopped laughing until I crossed the numbers...

Heh, I hear it all the time around here. Heck, I've even said it just to mess around.