CW abbreviation · Operating
RST in Morse code
Standard 3-digit signal report: Readability 1–5, Strength 1–9, Tone 1–9.
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 RST instead of spelling out “Signal report” cuts 81% of the airtime — 92 dot-units of keying saved every time you send it.
| Speed | RST | “Signal report” | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 WPM | 1.9s | 10.4s | 8.5s |
| 20 WPM | 1.3s | 6.8s | 5.5s |
| 25 WPM | 1.0s | 5.4s | 4.4s |
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
RST — Signal report (Readability/Strength/Tone)
When this is used
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.
Examples
| On the air | Plain English |
|---|---|
| UR RST 599 | Your signal: perfect readability, strong, clean tone. |
| RST 5NN | Same as 599 in contest shorthand. |
| RST 449 | Readability 4, strength 4, clean tone. |
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