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Abbreviations in telegraphy
What goes over the air all the time in CW and digital modes. Many abbreviations come from English maritime radio.
- CQ
- general call to all stations
- DE
- from, this is
- K
- end of transmission, over to you
- KN
- end, but only the station called should answer
- AR
- end of message
- AS
- wait a moment
- BK
- break in mid-transmission
- SK
- end of contact
- CL
- closing down the station
- R
- all received
- RST
- report: readability, strength, tone
- OM
- old man, male radio amateur
- YL
- young lady, female radio amateur
- XYL
- wife
- ES
- and
- HR
- here
- UR
- your
- PSE
- please
- TNX
- thanks
- FB
- fine business, good, great
- HW?
- How do you copy me?
- WX
- weather
- ANT
- antenna
- PWR
- power
- RIG
- radio, transceiver
- AGN
- again
- CFM
- confirm
- CUL
- see you later
- GA / GE / GM
- good afternoon, good evening, good morning
- HI
- laughter
- 73
- best regards
- 88
- love and kisses, customary towards a YL
- 55
- good luck, common in contests
- Abkürzungszahlen
- Shortened digits in contests: T for 0, N for 9, A for 1, E for 5. 5NN means 599, 1T7 means 107
- Rauschsperre (CW)
- A CW decoder only starts writing when several strong tones arrive with real gaps between them. With no signal the text stays empty instead of guessing characters out of the noise
Related
More sections in the glossary
Q codes Abbreviations in telegraphy RST report Phonetic alphabet Callsigns in Germany Law and administration Regulation and radio policy DARC, DOK and awards Portable programmes Repeater operation Modes Propagation Shack technology