CW abbreviations in Morse code

Meaning

Best regards

The universal CW sign-off. 'Best regards' — sent at the close of nearly every ham QSO. Originated in the Western Union 92 Code (1859) for use on landline telegraphy. The original definition was 'best regards' and it has held that meaning unchanged in amateur use for over 160 years. Always singular: '73' is correct, '73s' is informal and slightly frowned on.

Meaning

Love and kisses

Informal CW sign-off meaning 'love and kisses' — used between operators in romantic relationships, or as a warm closer. Also from the Western Union 92 Code. Today it's most often sent op-to-spouse or between close friends; sending it to a stranger is overly familiar. Combined as '73 88' to a couple operating together.

Meaning

Good morning

Standard CW greeting for morning hours. Greeting choice tracks the operator's local time. Hams often open with the appropriate G* greeting after exchanging call signs. On long DX paths the greetings may not match (GM here, GE there).

Meaning

Good afternoon / go ahead

Good afternoon as a greeting, or go ahead when handing the contact back; context tells you which. Used after roughly local noon. On HF, you'll commonly hear stations exchanging different G* greetings because the propagation path crosses time zones.

Meaning

Good evening

Standard CW greeting for evening hours. Used roughly between sunset and about 10 pm local. The most common greeting on amateur HF because evenings are peak operating hours.

Meaning

Good night

Standard CW closing for late-night QSOs. Used as a goodbye when one or both operators are signing off for sleep. Often paired with '73' or 'SK' (end of contact).

Meaning

Thanks

Universal CW shorthand for 'thanks'. Sometimes sent as TKS. One of the most-sent abbreviations on CW. The form TKS is older; modern operators almost always use TNX. Pair with FER ('for') to thank someone for a specific thing: TNX FER CALL.

Meaning

Thank you

Shorter form of 'thank you'. Often the final word of a contest QSO. TU is preferred in contests where every keystroke matters; TNX is more conversational. A contest exchange typically ends 'TU QRZ?' meaning 'thanks, who's next?'

Meaning

See you later

Informal CW closer meaning 'see you later'. Implies expecting another QSO with this operator. Sent when the operator expects to hear the other station again — same band same time tomorrow, next contest, next sked. Less formal than '73 SK'.

Meaning

Good luck

Friendly closer, often sent just before 73 at the end of a contact. Heard most in contests and on DX pileups, where it doubles as 'good luck working the others'. 'GL ES 73' is a standard ending.

Meaning

Old man (any male op)

Generic friendly term for any male amateur operator, regardless of age. 'OM' is gender-specific but age-neutral — a 17-year-old male op is still 'OM' on the air. The 'old' is a term of affection, not literal. Female operators use YL.

Meaning

Young lady (female op)

Generic term for any female amateur operator. Age-neutral, like OM. Some YLs prefer first-name address on the air rather than the YL/XYL distinction; pay attention to how they sign and reciprocate.

Meaning

Wife (ex-young lady)

An operator's wife. The 'X' prefix dates to mid-20th-century slang for 'former'. Send greetings 'TO UR XYL' to the other operator's wife if she's mentioned during the QSO. Mostly heard in casual rag-chew QSOs.

Meaning

From / this is

The 'this is' separator in a CW call. Always sent between the called station and the calling station. Structure of a CQ: CQ CQ CQ DE [your call] [your call] K. The DE is mandatory because CW has no audible 'this is now me speaking' — DE plays that role.

Meaning

Your / you're

Shorthand for 'your' or 'you're'. Same abbreviation handles both based on context. Most common in signal reports and operator identification: 'UR RST 599' or 'UR NAME?' One of the highest-frequency abbreviations after DE and TNX.

Meaning

Calling any station

The general call. 'CQ' invites any listening station to reply. ITU-R M.1172 defines CQ as a general call to all stations. Amateurs often read it as 'seek you'; its origin in early telegraphy is commonly traced to the French sécurité, though accounts differ. Standard call structure: CQ CQ CQ DE <call> <call> K. For a DX-only call, append DX: CQ DX CQ DX DE <call>.

Meaning

Long distance

DX = a long-distance station, especially across oceans or to a rare country. Used as both noun and adjective. A 'DX contact' is a long-distance contact; 'DXing' is the hobby of chasing rare entities. Threshold varies — on 160m a 1000-km contact is DX; on 20m it means transcontinental.

Meaning

Signal report (Readability/Strength/Tone)

Standard 3-digit signal report: Readability 1–5, Strength 1–9, Tone 1–9. On CW you always send three digits (TONE is included); on phone you drop the T and send only two. '599' is the universal contest report; '5NN' is the same with N-shapes substituted for 9 to save keying time.

Meaning

Fine business (excellent)

All-purpose approval: 'fine business' = great, excellent, well done. Originated in commercial telegraph slang. Today the meaning is just 'great' or 'awesome'. Compounds well: 'FB SIG' (great signal), 'FB QSO' (great contact).

Meaning

Again

Request the other operator to repeat what they just sent. Sent when copy fails. 'AGN?' is the explicit request; bare 'AGN' is a statement that you missed something. Often followed by the specific element needed: 'NAME AGN?' = 'repeat your name'.

Meaning

Please

Standard CW politeness particle. Frequent in QRS PSE (please slow down) and similar. Always appended, not standalone. Common combinations: PSE QRS (please send slower), PSE AGN (please repeat), PSE QRX (please standby).

Meaning

How copy?

Asks how well the other station is receiving you. Equivalent to 'how do you read?' on voice. Often answered with an RST and a comment: 'HW?' → 'UR RST 579 SOLID CPY'. A polite check during a borderline-condition QSO.

Meaning

Weather

Standard rag-chew topic. 'WX HR' = 'the weather here is …' WX often gets a small report: 'WX HR SUNNY 18C' or 'WX RAIN 12C ES WIND'. Operators in different climates love comparing notes.

Meaning

Radio equipment

The radio itself, sometimes including the entire station setup. Exchanging 'RIG HR' info is a rag-chew staple: 'RIG HR FT-991 100W ANT G5RV' = Yaesu FT-991, 100 watts, G5RV antenna.

Meaning

Antenna

Generic abbreviation for antenna. Often follows RIG in equipment exchanges. Common follow-on: 'ANT HR DIPOLE AT 30FT' or 'ANT MOXON ON 20M'. Antenna details drive QSO topics — gain, height, multi-band capability.

Meaning

Power

Transmitter output power, usually in watts. 'PWR 100W' = 100 watts, 'PWR 5W' = QRP (5 watts), 'PWR 1KW' = legal-limit station. Spelling out the unit is optional — 100W is the same as 100.

Meaning

Yes / correct

The one-letter 'yes'. ITU-R M.1172 defines C as yes, or 'the previous group should be read in the affirmative'. Faster than spelling YES, and it doubles as the affirmative answer to a Q-code: 'QRL? C' means 'yes, the frequency is in use'. Its opposite is NO.

Meaning

No (negative)

The negative reply, listed in ITU-R M.1172 alongside C for yes. Sent after a Q-code it reverses the meaning, the mirror of C. Because it is two letters it is sometimes replaced by N in contest exchanges.

Meaning

We agree / it is correct

Confirms that what you sent was understood and agreed. ITU-R M.1172 defines OK as 'we agree' or 'it is correct'. Close to R (received), but OK confirms agreement rather than only reception. Common when settling a schedule or a repeat: 'OK QSY 14050'.

Meaning

And

CW shorthand for 'and', from the Morse character for the ampersand (·-···). Used wherever you'd write 'and' on paper. The single character & is sent as a 5-element prosign, so 'ES' (two characters) is actually less keying.

Meaning

Number

Precedes a numeric value — contest serial, message number, frequency. Contest QSOs send 'NR 001' for serial 1, 'NR 042' for serial 42. NTS traffic messages use 'NR 12 ROUTINE…' to identify the message number.

Meaning

About

Approximation: 'ABT 50 MILES', 'ABT 1985'. Saves typing 'approximately'. Use ABT when the value is close-enough rather than exact. Common with ages, distances, dates, signal-strength estimates.

Meaning

By the way

Casual rag-chew interjection. Same meaning as the texting abbreviation. Predates the texting era — has been used on CW since the 1950s. Rare in contests, common in casual rag-chews.

Meaning

Will / well

Both 'will' and 'well' map to WL — context disambiguates. 'WL CU LTR' = 'will see you later'. 'GUD CPY WL' = 'good copy, well/fine'. Compact substitute for two of the most common short English words.

Meaning

Sorry

Apology, usually for a missed copy or a mistake in sending. Nearly always followed by the reason: 'SRI QRM' (sorry, interference) or 'SRI AGN?' (sorry, again?). Sending SRI alone is rare.