Codes and Alphabets
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CW Abbreviations
These abbreviations are commonly used in CW transmissions to shorten transmission times. Not all CW operators use all of them - most will use very few.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Abbreviation | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | All After | OB | Old Boy | |
| AB | All Before | OC | Old Chap | |
| ABT | About | OM | Old Man | |
| ADEE | Adressee | OP | Operator | |
| ADR | Adress | OPR | Operstor | |
| AGN | Again | OT | Old Timer | |
| AM | Amplitude Modulation | PBL | Preamble | |
| ANT | Antenna | PKG | Package | |
| BCI | Broadcast Interference | PSE | Please | |
| BCL | Broadcast listener | PT | Point | |
| BCNU | Be seeing you | PWR | Power | |
| BK | Break in | PX | Press | |
| BN | Between, Been | R | Received, Are | |
| BT | Separation | RC | Ragchew | |
| BTR | Better | RCD | Received | |
| Bug | Semi automatic key | RCVR | Reveiver | |
| C | Yes, Correct | REF | Refer to | |
| CFM | Confirm, I confirm | RFI | Radio Frequency Interference | |
| CK | Check | RIG | Station Equipment | |
| CKT | Circuit | RPT | Repeat, Report | |
| CL | Closing Station, Call | RTTY | Radioteletype | |
| CLBK | Callbook | RST | Readability Strength Tone | |
| CLD | Called | RX | Receive, receiver | |
| CLG | Calling | SASE | Self addressed stamped envelope | |
| CNT | Cant | SED | Said | |
| CONDX | Conditions | SEZ | Says | |
| CQ | Calling any station | SGD | Signed | |
| CU | See you | SIG | Signature, Signal | |
| CUL | See you later | SINE | Personal initials or nickname | |
| CUM | Come | SKED | Schedule | |
| CW | Continuous Wave | SRI | Sorry | |
| DA | day | SS | Sweepstakes | |
| DE | From, From this | SSB | Single Sideband | |
| DIFF | Difference | STN | Station | |
| DLD DLVD | Delivered | SUM | Some | |
Morse Code
| Symbol | International | American | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- | .- | |
| B | -... | -... | |
| C | -.-. | ..-. | |
| D | -.. | -.. | |
| E | . | . | |
| F | ..-. | .-. | |
| G | --. | --. | |
| H | .... | .... | |
| I | .. | .. | |
| J | .--- | -.-. | |
| K | -.- | -.- | |
| L | .-.. | ---- | |
| M | -- | -- | |
| N | -. | -. | |
| O | --- | .-. | |
| P | .--. | ..... | |
| Q | --.- | ..-. | |
| R | .-. | .-.. | |
| S | ... | ... | |
| T | - | - | |
| U | ..- | ..- | |
| V | ...- | ...- | |
| W | .-- | .-- | |
| X | -..- | .-.. | |
| Y | .-.- | ..-.. | |
| Z | --.. | .... | |
| 1 | .---- | .--. | |
| 2 | ..--- | ..-.. | |
| 3 | ...-- | ...-. | |
| 4 | ....- | ....- | |
| 5 | ..... | --- | |
| 6 | -.... | ..... | |
| 7 | --... | --.. | |
| 8 | ---.. | -.... | |
| 9 | ----. | -..- | |
| 0 | ----- | ----- |
Phonetic Alphabet - Nato
A number of phonetic alphabets exist. the nato version is most common and can be considered to be the "international" phonetic alphabet.
| Letter | Code word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL FAH |
| B | Bravo | BRAH VOH |
| C | Charlie | CHAR LEE |
| D | Delta | DELL TAH |
| E | Echo | ECK OH |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS TROT |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | HO TELL |
| I | India | IN DEE AH |
| J | Juliett | JEW LEE ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY LOH |
| L | Lima | LEE MAH |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | NO VEM BER |
| O | Oscar | OSS CAH |
| P | Papa | PAH PAH |
| Q | Quebec | KEH BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW ME OH |
| S | Sierra | SEE AIR RAH |
| T | Tango | TANG GO |
| U | Uniform | YOU NEE FORM |
| V | Victor | VIK TAH |
| W | Whiskey | WISS KEY |
| X | X-ray or Xray |
ECKS RAY |
| Y | Yankee | YANG KEY |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO LOO |
| Number | Code word | Pronunciation |
| 0 | Zero | ZE RO |
| 1 | One | WUN |
| 2 | Two | TOO |
| 3 | Three | TREE |
| 4 | Four | FOW ER |
| 5 | Five | FIFE |
| 6 | Six | SIX |
| 7 | Seven | SEV EN |
| 8 | Eight | AIT |
| 9 | Nine | NIN ER |
Q-Code
These codes were oringinally developed to shorten transmission times when using CW, but are frequently used in voice transmissions eg. I and going to go QRT, thanks for the QSO.
More information abut the history and usage of Q-codes can be found here.
| Code | Meaning | Sample use |
|---|---|---|
| QRG | Exact frequency | HE TX ON QRG 14205 kHz |
| QRI | Tone (T in the RST code) | UR QRI IS 9 |
| QRK | Intelligibility (R in the RST code) | UR QRK IS 5 |
| QRL | This frequency is busy. | Used almost exclusively with morse code, usually before transmitting on a new frequency |
| QRM | Man-made interference | ANOTHER QSO UP 2 kHz CAUSING LOT OF QRM |
| QRN | Natural interference, e.g. static crashes | BAND NOISY TODAY LOT OF QRN |
| QRO | Increase power | NEED QRO WHEN PROP POOR |
| QRP | decrease power | QRP TO 5 W |
| QRQ | Send faster | TIME SHORT PSE QRQ |
| QRR | temporarily unavailable/away, please wait | WILL BE QRR 30 MIN = THAT STN IS QRR NW |
| QRRR | Distress | Distress call recommended by ARRL |
| QRS | Send slower | PSE QRS NEW TO CW |
| QRT | Stop sending | ENJOYED TALKING 2 U = MUST QRT FER DINNER NW |
| QRU | Have you anything for me? | QRU? ABOUT TO QRT |
| QRV | I am ready | WL U BE QRV IN UPCOMING CONTEST? |
| QRX | will call you again | QRX @ 1500H |
| QRZ | You are being called by ________. | QRZ? UR VY WEAK (Only someone who has previously called should reply) |
| QSA | Signal strength | UR QSA IS 5 |
| QSB | Fading of signal | THERE IS QSB ON UR SIG |
| QSD | Your keying is defective | QSD CK YR TX |
| QSK | Break-in | I CAN HR U DURING MY SIGS PSE QSK |
| QSL | I Acknowledge receipt | QSL UR LAST TX = PSE QSL VIA BURO (i.e. please send me a card confirming this contact). |
| QSM | Repeat last message | QRM DROWNED UR LAST MSG OUT = PSE QSM |
| QSN | I heard you | QSN YESTERDAY ON 7005 kHz |
| QSO | A conversation | TNX QSO 73 |
| QSP | Relay | PSE QSP THIS MSG TO MY FRIEND |
| QST | General call to all stations | QST: QRG ALLOCS HV CHGD |
| QSX | I am listening on ... frequency | QSX 14200 TO 14210 kHz |
| QSY | Shift to transmit on ... | LETS QSY UP 5 kHz |
| QTA | Disregard last message | QTA, DID NOT MEAN THAT |
| QTC | Traffic | STN WID EMRG QTC PSE GA |
| QTH | Location | QTH IS SOUTH PARK CO |
| QTR | Exact time | QTR IS 2000 Z |
RST code
| Number | R - Readability | S - Strength | T - Tone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unreadable | Faint signal, barely perceptible | Sixty cycle a.c or less, very rough and broad | |
| 2 | Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable | Very Weak | Very rough a.c., very harsh and broad | |
| 3 | Readable with considerable difficulty | Weak | Rough a.c. tone, rectified but not filtered | |
| 4 | Readable with practically no difficulty | Fair | Rough note, some trace of filteringfrequency | |
| 5 | Perfectly readable | Fairly Good | Filtered rectified a.c. but strongly ripple-modulated | |
| 6 | not used | Good | Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation | |
| 7 | not used | Moderately Strong | Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation | |
| 8 | not used | Strong | Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation | |
| 9 | not used | Very strong signals | Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind |
RSV code for SSTV transmissions
| Number | R - Readability | S - Strength | V - Video | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unreadable | Faint signal, barely perceptible | Picture unreadable | |
| 2 | Barely readable | Very Weak | picture barely visible | |
| 3 | Readable with difficulty | Weak | Readable with flaws | |
| 4 | Readable with no difficulty | Fair | Very good picture some flaws | |
| 5 | Perfectly readable | Fairly Good | Perfect picture no flaws | |
| 6 | not used | Good | not used | |
| 7 | not used | Moderately Strong | not used | |
| 8 | not used | Strong | not used | |
| 9 | not used | Very strong signals | not used |