CW abbreviation · People
OM in Morse code
Generic friendly term for any male amateur operator, regardless of age.
Morse rendering
--- --
Sent letter-by-letter with standard inter-letter gaps.
What it saves you on the air
This is the whole reason CW abbreviations exist. Sending OM instead of spelling out “Old man” cuts 67% of the airtime — 42 dot-units of keying saved every time you send it.
| Speed | OM | “Old man” | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 WPM | 1.9s | 5.8s | 3.9s |
| 20 WPM | 1.3s | 3.8s | 2.5s |
| 25 WPM | 1.0s | 3.0s | 2.0s |
Timed with standard spacing: dit 1 unit, dah 3, letter gap 3, word gap 7. Work out any other speed on the timing calculator.
Meaning
OM — Old man (any male op)
When this is used
'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.
Examples
| On the air | Plain English |
|---|---|
| GE OM | Good evening, sir. |
| TNX FER QSO OM 73 | Thanks for the QSO sir, best regards. |
Keep reading