Morse Code Abbreviations
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Abbreviations differ from prosigns for Morse Code in that they observe normal interletter spacing; that is, they are not "run together" the way prosigns are.
| AA | All after (used after question mark to request a repetition) |
| AB | All before (similarly) |
| ARRL | American Radio Relay League |
| ABT | About |
| ADR | Address |
| AGN | Again |
| ANT | Antenna |
| BK | Break (to pause transmission of a message, say) |
| BN | All between |
| BUG | Semiautomatic mechanical key |
| B4 | Before |
| C | Yes |
| CBA | Callbook address |
| CFM | Confirm |
| CK | Check |
| CL | Call; callsign; I am closing my station |
| CLG | Calling |
| CQ | Calling any station |
| CQD | Original International Distress Call |
| CUD | Could |
| CUL | See you later |
| CUZ | Because |
| CW | Continuous wave (i.e., radiotelgraph) |
| CX | Conditions |
| DE | From (or "this is") |
| DSW | Goodbye (Russian: до свидания [Do svidanya]) |
| DX | Distance (sometimes refers to long distance contact), foreign countries |
| ES | And |
| FB | Fine business (Analogous to "OK") |
| FCC | Federal Communications Commission |
| FER | For |
| FM | From |
| FREQ | Frequency |
| GA | Good afternoon or Go ahead (depending on context) |
| GE | Good evening |
| GG | Going |
| GM | Good morning |
| GN | Good night |
| GND | Ground (ground potential) |
| GUD | Good |
| HI | Laughter |
| HR | Here, hear |
| HV | Have |
| HW | How |
| LID | Poor operator |
| MILS | Milliamperes |
| MSG | Message |
| N | No; nine |
| NIL | Nothing |
| NR | Number |
| NW | Now |
| OB | Old boy |
| OC | Old chap |
| OM | Old man (any male amateur radio operator is an OM) |
| OO | Official observer |
| OP | Operator |
| OT | Old timer |
| OTC | Old timers club |
| OOTC | Old old timers club |
| PSE | Please |
| PWR | Power |
| QCWA | Quarter Century Wireless Association |
| R | Are; received as transmitted (origin of "Roger"), or decimal point (depending on context) |
| RCVR | Receiver (radio) |
| RFI | Radio Frequency Interference |
| RIG | Radio apparatus |
| RPT | Repeat or report (depending on context) |
| RPRT | Report |
| RST | Signal report format (Readability-Signal Strength-Tone) |
| RTTY | Radioteletype |
| RX | Receiver |
| SAE | Self-addressed envelope |
| SASE | Self-addressed, stamped envelope |
| SED | Said |
| SEZ | Says |
| SIG | Signal or signature |
| SIGS | Signals |
| SKED | Schedule |
| SN | Soon |
| SMS | Short message service |
| SRI | Sorry |
| SSB | Single sideband |
| STN | Station |
| T | Zero |
| TEMP | Temperature |
| TFC | Traffic |
| TKS | Thanks |
| TMW | Tomorrow |
| TNX | Thanks |
| TU | Thank you |
| TVI | Television interference |
| TX | Transmit, transmitter |
| U | You |
| UR | Your or You're (depending on context) |
| URS | Yours |
| VY | Very |
| W | Watts |
| WA | Word after |
| WB | Word before |
| WDS | Words |
| WKD | Worked |
| WKG | Working |
| WL | Will |
| WUD | Would |
| WTC | Whats the craic? (Irish Language:Gaeilge: [Conas atá tú?]) |
| WX | Weather |
| XCVR | Transceiver |
| XMTR | Transmitter |
| XYL | Wife |
| YF | Wife |
| YL | Young lady (used for any female) |
| 73 | Best regards |
| 88 | Love and kisses |
[edit] An amateur radio conversation in Morse code
The skill to have sensible conversations with Morse is more than knowing just the alphabet. To make communication efficient, there are many internationally agreed patterns of communication.
A sample CW conversation between station 1 (S1) and station 2 (S2)
S1:
CQ CQ CQ DE S1 K Calling anyone (CQ), this is (DE) S1, listening (K)
S2:
S1 DE S2 K Calling S1, this is S2, back-to-you (K) (Now we have a connection)
S1:
S2 DE S1 = GA DR OM UR RST 599 HR = QTH TIMBUKTU = OP IS JOHN = HW? S2 DE S1 K Good afternoon dear old man. You are RST 599 here. (Very readable (5), very strong signal (9), very good tone (9)) I'm located in Timbuktu. The operator's name is John. How do you copy?
S2:
S1 DE S2 = TNX FB RPRT DR OM JOHN UR 558 = QTH HIMALAYA = NAME IS YETI S1 DE S2 K Thanks for the nice report dear old man John. I read you 558. I am in the Himalayas. My name is Yeti.
S1:
S2 DE S1 = OK TNX QSO DR YETI = 73 ES HPE CUAGN S2 DE S1 K Okay, thanks for this conversation, dear Yeti. Best regards and hope to see you again.
S2:
S1 DE S2 = R TU CUAGN 73 S1 DE S2 SK Understood. Thank you. Best regards. (signing off)
With heavy use of the Q code and Morse Code Abbreviations, surprisingly meaningful conversations can be had. Note that very few English words have been used ("is" and "name"), only abbreviations. S1 and S2 might not speak the same native language.
Of course, real rag-chewing (lengthy conversations) cannot be done without a common language. On the worldwide amateur bands this is often English.
Contesters often use a very specialized and even shorter format for their contacts. Their purpose is to process as many contacts as possible in a limited time (e.g. 100-150 per hour).
[edit] See also
- Q code. These abbreviations are used in conjunction with the Q codes common to amateur radio.
- Morse Code
- Prosigns for Morse Code
