CW QSO Reference
Signal Report, 1 & 2 – Phone | 1, 2 & 3 – CW
1) READABILITY
1–Unreadable
2–Barely readable
3–Readable w difficulty
4–Readable
5–Perfectly readable
2) SIGNAL STRENGTH
1–Faint
2–Very weak
3–Weak
4–Fair
5–Fairly good
6–Good
7–Moderately strong
8–Strong
9–Extremely strong
3) TONE
1–60 cycle a.c or less
2–Very rough a.c.
3–Rough a.c. tone
4–Rough note
5–Filtered rectified a.c.
6–Filtered tone
7–Near pure tone
8–Near perfect tone
9–Perfect tone
CW Prosigns
Prosigns are symbols formed by running together two characters into one(without the intercharacter space)to make an abbreviation for the most common procedural signals.
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AR | End of message |
| AS | Stand by |
| BK | Invite receiving station to transmit |
| BT | 'Break' Pause; Break For Text; Between Thoughts |
| KA | Beginning of message |
| CL | Going off the air (clear) |
| CQ | Calling any amateur radio station |
| K | 'Over' Go, invite any station to transmit |
| KN | 'Over' Go only, invite a specific station to transmit |
| R | 'Roger' All received OK |
| SK | 'Out' End of contact (sent before call) |
| VE | Understood |
Q-Signals For Amateur Radio Operators
| MEANING | |
|---|---|
| QRL | Is the frequency busy? The frequency is busy. Please do not interfere. |
| QRM | Abbreviation for interference from other signals. |
| QRN | Abbreviation for interference from natural or human-made static. |
| QRO | Shall I increase power? Increase power. |
| QRP | Shall I decrease power? Decrease power. |
| QRQ | Shall I send faster? Send faster (__words per minute [wpm]). |
| QRS | Shall I send more slowly? Send more slowly (__wpm). |
| QRT | Shall I stop sending or transmitting? Stop sending or transmitting. |
| QRU | Have you anything more for me? I have nothing more for you. |
| QRV | Are you ready? I am ready. |
| QRX | Stand by. |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? |
| QSB | Abbreviation for signal fading. |
| QSL | Did you receive and understand? Received and understood. |
| QSO | Abbreviation for a contact. |
| QST | General call preceding a message addressed to all amateurs. |
| QSX | I am listening on ___ kHz. |
| QSY | Change to transmission on another frequency (or to ___ kHz). |
| QTH | What is your location? My location is ____. |
CW Abbreviations
| Abbrev | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AA | All after (used after question mark to request a repetition) |
| AB | All before (similarly) |
| ARRL | American Radio Relay League |
| ABT | About |
| ADEE | Addressee |
| ADR | Address |
| AGN | Again |
| ANR | Another |
| ANT | Antenna |
| ARND | Around |
| AS | Wait |
| BCI | Broadcast interference |
| BCL | Broadcast listener |
| BCNU | Be seeing you |
| BK | Break (to pause transmission of a message, say), Break in |
| BN | All between |
| BTR | Better |
| BTU | Back to you |
| BUG | Semiautomatic mechanical key |
| BURO | Bureau (“Please send QSL card via my local/national QSL bureau”) |
| B4 | Before |
| C | Yes; correct |
| CBA | Callbook address |
| CFM | Confirm |
| CK | Check |
| CL | Clear (I am closing my station) |
| CLD | Called |
| CLG | Calling |
| CNT | Can’t |
| CONDX | Conditions |
| COS | Because |
| CS | Callsign |
| CTL | Control |
| CU | See you |
| CUD | Could |
| CUL | See you later |
| CUM | Come |
| CUZ | Because |
| CX | Conditions |
| DA | Day |
| DE | This is; From |
| DIFF | Difference |
| DLD | Delivered |
| DN | Down |
| DR | Dear |
| DX | Distance (sometimes refers to long distance contact), foreign countries |
| EMRG | Emergency |
| ENUF | Enough |
| ES | And (&) |
| FB | Fine business (Analogous to “good”) |
| FER | For |
| FM | From |
| FREQ | Frequency |
| FWD | Forward |
| GA | Good afternoon or Go ahead (depending on context) |
| GE | Good evening |
| GG | Going |
| GL | Good luck |
| GM | Good morning |
| GN | Good night |
| GND | Ground (ground potential) |
| GUD | Good |
| GX | Ground |
| HEE | Humour intended or laughter – often repeated twice i.e. HEE HEE |
| HH | Error in sending |
| HI | The telegraph laugh; Humour intended |
| HR | Here, hear |
| HV | Have |
| HW | How; How copy |
| II | I say again |
| IMP | Impedance |
| K | Over |
| KN | Over; only the station named should respond (e.g. W7PTH DE W1AW KN) |
| LID | Poor operator |
| MH | Meters high (antenna height) |
| MILS | Milliamperes |
| MNI | Many |
| MSG | Message |
| N | No; nine |
| NIL | Nothing |
| NR | Number; Near |
| NW | Now |
| NX | Noise; noisy |
| OB | Old boy |
| OC | Old chap |
| OK | Okay |
| OM | Old man (any male amateur radio operator is an OM regardless of age) |
| OO | Official observer |
| OP | Operator |
| OT | Old Timer |
| PLS | Please |
| PSE | Please |
| PWR | Power |
| PX | Prefix |
| R | Are; received as transmitted (origin of “Roger”), or decimal point (depending on context) |
| RCVR | Receiver |
| 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, radio |
| SAE | Self-addressed envelope |
| SASE | Self-addressed, stamped envelope |
| SED | Said |
| SEZ | Says |
| SFR | So far (proword) |
| SIG | Signal or signature |
| SK | Out (prosign), end of contact |
| SK | Silent Key (a deceased radio amateur) |
| SKED | Schedule |
| SN | Soon |
| SNR | Signal-to-noise ratio |
| SRI | Sorry |
| SSB | Single sideband |
| STN | Station |
| T | Zero |
| TFC | Traffic |
| TKS | Thanks |
| TMW | Tomorrow |
| TNX | Thanks |
| TRE | There |
| TT | That |
| TU | Thank you |
| TVI | Television interference |
| TX | Transmit, transmitter |
| TXRX | Transceiver, transmitter + receiver |
| TXT | Text |
| U | You |
| UFB | Ultra Fine business (Analogous to “very good”) |
| UR | Your or You’re (depending on context) Alt: YR |
| URS | Yours |
| VX | Voice; phone + French “Vieux” (Old Man as per English “OM”) |
| VY | Very |
| W | Watts |
| WA | Word after |
| WB | Word before |
| WDS | Words |
| WID | With |
| WKD | Worked |
| WKG | Working |
| WL | Will |
| WUD | Would |
| WX | Weather |
| XCVR | Transceiver |
| XMTR | Transmitter |
| XYL | Wife (Extra Young Lady, i.e. wife) |
| YF | Wife |
| YL | Young lady |
| YR | Your or You’re (depending on context could be year) |
| Z | Zulu time i.e. UTC (GMT) |
| ZX | Zero beat |
| 30 | I have no more to send |
| 33 | Used as a greeting between YLs (as half of an 88) |
| 44 | Handshake, half of 88. Often used in Flora and Fauna connections |
| 55 | Wishing success (originates from German “Viele Punkte” — Many dots/points) |
| 72 | Best Wishes QRP (Low Power) often used by low power station operators |
| 73 | Best regards |
| 77 | Long Live CW (Morse Code), wishing you many happy CW contacts |
| 88 | Love and kisses |
| 99 | Get lost! |
| 161 | Best regards, love and kisses (73+88=161) |