Home Emergency Communications HAM Radio Abbreviations: Q Signals and CW Abbreviations and Beyond

Emergency Communications

HAM Radio Abbreviations: Q Signals and CW Abbreviations and Beyond

February 15, 2020

For new hams, or for anyone who spends time listening to the bands, it can sound like radio operators are speaking another language. Much of what you hear is shorthand that has been in use for more than a century, and once you know the handful of codes that come up over and over, the traffic on the air starts making sense fast.

This page collects the abbreviations, Q signals, prosigns, prowords and phonetics you are most likely to run into, plus the pieces that matter when the power is out and you are the one passing the message. Bookmark it, and print a copy for the go-bag.

Why Do Hams Use Weird Codes and Abbreviations?

It may seem strange to an outsider, but what we are doing has a purpose, and it is not to hide anything from the outside world.

Q codes and most of the common abbreviations come straight out of the days when hams used Morse code (CW) to communicate. They cut down on the amount of code that had to be sent, and they later found their way into voice work, especially for DXers and contesters who may only have a few seconds to work a station. These codes help us pass information quickly and accurately.

There is a second reason, and it matters more once conditions go bad. A weak, noisy, fading signal drops syllables. Short standardized words survive that. “Say again all after ‘water'” gets through when a long sentence will not, and everybody on frequency understands it the same way. That is the whole game in emergency communications: accuracy, brevity, clarity.

The Ham Radio Phonetic Alphabet

With the phonetic alphabet, the point is not speed. The point is making sure both stations understand exactly what was said, especially with something like a call sign, a street name or a medication. “B” and “D” and “E” and “P” and “V” all sound alike through static. Bravo, Delta, Echo, Papa and Victor do not.

Use the standard NATO/ITU words. Cute substitutes (“B for Bob”) slow everyone down and defeat the purpose.

Letter	Pronunciation	Letter	Pronunciation
A	Alpha (AL fah)	N	November (no VEM ber)
B	Bravo (BRAH VOH)	O	Oscar (OSS cah)
C	Charlie (CHAR lee)	P	Papa (pah PAH)
D	Delta (DELL tah)	Q	Quebec (keh BECK)
E	Echo (ECK oh)	R	Romeo (ROW me oh)
F	Foxtrot (FOKS trot)	S	Sierra (see AIR rah)
G	Golf (GOLF)	T	Tango (TANG go)
H	Hotel (hoh TELL)	U	Uniform (YOU nee form)
I	India (IN dee ah)	V	Victor (VIK tah)
J	Juliett (JEW lee ETT)	W	Whiskey (WISS key)
K	Kilo (KEY loh)	X	X-Ray (ECKS RAY)
L	Lima (LEE mah)	Y	Yankee (YANG key)
M	Mike (MIKE)	Z	Zulu (ZOO loo)

Numbers Have Their Own Pronunciation

This part gets skipped a lot and it causes real problems. Five and nine sound nearly identical on a weak signal, and three and eight are not much better. Say numbers one digit at a time, using these:

Digit	Say	Digit	Say
0	ZE-RO	5	FIFE
1	WUN	6	SIX
2	TOO	7	SEV-en
3	TREE	8	AIT
4	FOW-er	9	NIN-er

Say it right: 146.520 is “wun fower six point fife too ze-ro,” not “one forty-six five twenty.” A house number of 1509 is “wun fife ze-ro niner,” not “fifteen oh nine.” If the other station has to guess, you have already failed.

Prowords: Plain-Language Voice Procedure

Prowords are the voice equivalent of prosigns. They are short, fixed words that mean one thing and only one thing, so nobody has to interpret them. If you only memorize one table on this page, make it this one. These are what ARES, RACES, CERT, search and rescue, and every served agency you will ever work with actually use on the air.

Proword	What it means
THIS IS	The station calling is the one named next. “Mercy Hospital, this is Net Control.”
OVER	I am finished talking, your turn. Not used with OUT.
OUT	This contact is finished, no reply expected. Never say “over and out.”
ROGER	I received your last transmission in full. It does not mean yes, and it does not mean I will do it.
WILCO	Received, understood, and I will comply. Never say “roger wilco,” WILCO already includes it.
AFFIRMATIVE	Yes. Clearer than “yeah,” “yep,” or a mushy “uh-huh.”
NEGATIVE	No.
SAY AGAIN	Repeat your transmission. Say this instead of “repeat” — in some services “repeat” has a very different meaning.
I SAY AGAIN	I am repeating what I just sent, usually because it was important or garbled.
ALL AFTER / ALL BEFORE	Narrows down a repeat request. “Say again all after ‘generator’.”
WORD AFTER / WORD BEFORE	Even tighter. “Word before ‘gallons’?”
I SPELL	I am about to spell the last word phonetically. “Lyons, I spell, Lima Yankee Oscar November Sierra.”
FIGURES	Numbers follow. “Figures, tree fife ze-ro.”
INITIAL	A single letter follows, sent phonetically.
CORRECTION	I made an error, disregard what I just said, here is the right version.
WRONG	Your readback was not correct. The right version follows.
READ BACK	Repeat this message back to me exactly as received, so I know it is right.
I READ BACK	Here is the message you asked me to read back.
THAT IS CORRECT	Your readback matches what I sent.
VERIFY	Check the message with the person who wrote it and confirm it.
MESSAGE FOLLOWS	Formal traffic is coming. Get a pencil.
BREAK	Separates parts of a message, or the text from the address. Also used to pause a long transmission so others can get in.
BREAK BREAK	I have urgent traffic and need to interrupt. Use sparingly.
STAND BY / WAIT	Pause, I will be back shortly. “WAIT OUT” means the delay will be longer and I will call you.
DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION	Ignore everything I just sent.
RELAY TO	Pass this message on to the station named.
SPEAK SLOWER	You are talking faster than I can copy.
WORDS TWICE	Conditions are bad. Send every word or phrase twice.
ROGER SO FAR	I have copied everything up to this point. Used to break up long messages.
MORE TO FOLLOW	I am not done, do not transmit yet.

Tactical call signs: During a net or an incident, stations are often given tactical names tied to a location or job — “Shelter One,” “Net Control,” “Water Point.” They are easier to track than call signs when people rotate in and out of a position. You still have to give your FCC call sign at the end of the exchange and at least every ten minutes.

Emergency and Distress Calls

These are the words that stop everything else on the frequency. Know them cold, know the difference between them, and do not use them for anything less than what they mean.

Call	When it is used
MAYDAY	Spoken three times. Grave and imminent danger to life or vessel, immediate assistance required. The highest priority call there is.
PAN-PAN	Spoken three times, pronounced “pahn pahn.” Urgent situation, but nobody is in immediate danger of dying. A broken-down vehicle in a bad spot, an injury that is stable.
SECURITE	Spoken three times, pronounced “say-cure-ee-tay.” A safety message: hazard, obstruction, severe weather warning.
SOS	The Morse distress signal, sent as one run-together character: · · · – – – · · ·
QRRR	The ARRL land distress signal for CW. Sent as QRRR QRRR QRRR DE (your call), three times.
BREAK BREAK BREAK	On amateur voice nets, this announces emergency traffic and clears the frequency.
EMERGENCY	Plain English works. Saying “emergency, emergency, emergency” on a busy repeater will get you help faster than a code somebody has to look up.
DISTRESS	Generic term for a station in trouble, used in message headers and logs.

What to Say When You Are the One Calling

Panic makes people ramble. Work the list in order and you will get help on the way in about fifteen seconds:

Who you are. Call sign, or tactical name, or just your name if you are unlicensed and it is a true emergency.
Where you are. The single most important item. Address, cross streets, mile marker, grid square, lat/long, or a landmark. Give it twice.
What happened. One sentence. “House fire.” “Vehicle rollover, two people trapped.”
How many people are involved and what shape they are in.
What you need. Fire, medical, law enforcement, or just a phone call made on your behalf.
Stay on frequency if you safely can, and answer questions.

The rule that overrides the rules: FCC Part 97.403 and 97.405 say that when there is immediate danger to life or property, and normal communication is not available, any station may use whatever means of radiocommunication it has to call for help — any frequency, any band, licensed or not. That is the legal backstop. It is not a license to use it casually, and a real emergency is the only time it applies.

What Are Q Codes?

Q codes are three-letter shorthand out of the CW world. Each one stands for a whole sentence, which saves a lot of keying, and because they are international, two operators who share no common language can still trade the basics. Modern ham radio uses them constantly, on CW and on voice.

Every Q signal works two ways. Send it as a question and it asks; send it as a statement and it answers. “QRL?” means “is this frequency busy?” while “QRL” means “I am busy.” On CW, always ask QRL? twice before you start calling on a frequency that sounds empty — the other end of a QSO may be somewhere you cannot hear.

Code	Question	Answer or Statement
QNI	May I join the net?	You may check in.
QRA	What is the name (or call sign) of your station?	The name (or call sign) of my station is …
QRG	Will you tell me my exact frequency (or that of …)?	Your exact frequency (or that of …) is … kHz (or MHz).
QRH	Does my frequency vary?	Your frequency varies.
QRI	How is the tone of my transmission?	The tone of your transmission is (1. Good; 2. Variable; 3. Bad).
QRJ	How many voice contacts do you want to make?	I want to make … voice contacts.
QRK	What is the readability of my signals (or those of …)?	The readability of your signals (or those of …) is … (1 to 5).
QRL	Are you busy?	I am busy (or I am busy with …). Please do not interfere.
QRM	Do you have interference? (from other stations)	I have interference.
QRN	Are you troubled by static?	I am troubled by static.
QRO	Shall I increase power?	Increase power.
QRP	Shall I decrease power?	Decrease power.
QRQ	Shall I send faster?	Send faster (… wpm).
QRS	Shall I send more slowly?	Send more slowly (… wpm).
QRT	Shall I cease or suspend operation? / Shut off the radio?	I am suspending operation / shutting off the radio.
QRU	Have you anything for me?	I have nothing for you.
QRV	Are you ready?	I am ready.
QRW	Shall I inform … that you are calling him on … kHz (or MHz)?	Please inform … that I am calling him on … kHz (or MHz).
QRX	Shall I stand by? / When will you call me again?	Please stand by / I will call you again at … (hours) on … kHz (or MHz).
QRZ	Who is calling me?	You are being called by … on … kHz (or MHz).
QSA	What is the strength of my signals (or those of …)?	The strength of your signals (or those of …) is … (1 to 5).
QSB	Are my signals fading?	Your signals are fading.
QSD	Is my keying defective?	Your keying is defective.
QSG	Shall I send … telegrams (messages) at a time?	Send … telegrams (messages) at a time.
QSK	Can you hear me between your signals?	I can hear you between my signals.
QSL	Can you acknowledge receipt?	I am acknowledging receipt.
QSM	Shall I repeat the last telegram (message) I sent you, or some previous one?	Repeat the last telegram (message) which you sent me (or message number(s) …).
QSN	Did you hear me (or … call sign) on … kHz (or MHz)?	I did hear you (or … call sign) on … kHz (or MHz).
QSO	Can you communicate with … direct or by relay?	I can communicate with … direct (or by relay through …).
QSP	Will you relay a message to …?	I will relay a message to …
QSR	Do you want me to repeat my call?	Please repeat your call; I did not hear you.
QSS	What working frequency will you use?	I will use the working frequency … kHz (or MHz).
QST	Should I repeat the prior message to all amateurs I contact?	Here follows a broadcast message to all amateurs.
QSU	Shall I send or reply on this frequency (or on … kHz / MHz)?	Send or reply on this frequency (or on … kHz / MHz).
QSW	Will you send on this frequency (or on … kHz / MHz)?	I am going to send on this frequency (or on … kHz / MHz).
QSX	Will you listen to … (call sign) on … kHz (or MHz)?	I am listening to … (call sign) on … kHz (or MHz).
QSY	Shall I change to transmission on another frequency?	Change to transmission on another frequency (or on … kHz / MHz).
QSZ	Shall I send each word or group more than once?	Send each word or group twice (or … times).
QTA	Shall I cancel telegram (message) No. … as if it had not been sent?	Cancel telegram (message) No. … as if it had not been sent.
QTC	How many telegrams (messages) have you to send?	I have … telegrams (messages) for you (or for …).
QTH	What is your position in latitude and longitude (or other indication)?	My position is … latitude, … longitude.
QTR	What is the correct time?	The correct time is … hours.
QTU	At what times are you operating?	I am operating from … to … hours.
QTX	Will you keep your station open for further communication with me until further notice (or until … hours)?	I will keep my station open for further communication with you until further notice (or until … hours).
QUA	Have you news of … (call sign)?	Here is news of … (call sign).
QUC	What is the number (or other indication) of the last message you received from me (or from … call sign)?	The number (or other indication) of the last message I received from you (or from … call sign) is …
QUD	Have you received the urgency signal sent by … (call sign of mobile station)?	I have received the urgency signal sent by … (call sign of mobile station) at … hours.
QUE	Can you speak in … (language), with interpreter if necessary; if so, on what frequencies?	I can speak in … (language) on … kHz (or MHz).
QUF	Have you received the distress signal sent by … (call sign of mobile station)?	I have received the distress signal sent by … (call sign of mobile station) at … hours.
QRRR	(ARRL land distress signal, CW only.)	I have an emergency and need immediate help.

The ten you will actually use: QRL (busy?), QRM (man-made interference), QRN (static), QRP (low power), QRT (shutting down), QRX (stand by), QRZ (who called?), QSB (fading), QSL (acknowledged), QSY (change frequency), QTH (location). Learn those and you can follow almost any QSO.

QN Signals: Net Operations

The QN series is a separate set used only on ARRL National Traffic System nets, mostly on CW. They exist so a net control station can run a directed net with a couple of characters instead of a paragraph. If you plan to check into traffic nets — and if you are serious about emergency communications, you should — these are worth knowing.

Code	Meaning
QNA	Answer in prearranged order.
QNB	Act as relay between … and …
QNC	All net stations copy. I have a message for all net stations.
QND	Net is directed (controlled by net control station).
QNE	Entire net stand by.
QNF	Net is free (not controlled).
QNG	Take over as net control station.
QNH	Your net frequency is high.
QNI	Net stations report in. / I am reporting into the net.
QNJ	Can you copy me? / Can you copy …?
QNK	Transmit message for … to …
QNL	Your net frequency is low.
QNM	You are interfering with the net, please stand by.
QNN	Net control station is … / What station has net control?
QNO	Station is leaving the net.
QNP	Unable to copy you. / Unable to copy …
QNQ	Move frequency to … and wait for … to finish handling traffic, then send the message.
QNR	Answer … and receive traffic.
QNS	Following stations are in the net. / Request list of stations in the net.
QNT	I request permission to leave the net for … minutes.
QNU	The net has traffic for you, stand by.
QNV	Establish contact with … on this frequency; if successful, move to … and send the traffic.
QNW	How do I route messages for …?
QNX	You are excused from the net.
QNY	Shift to another frequency to clear traffic.
QNZ	Zero beat your signal with mine.

Morse Code Cheat Sheet

Some of us key Morse because we enjoy it. From an emergency communications standpoint, it is also one of the most efficient ways there is to pass information with very little power and very little gear. A CW signal punches through noise that would bury a voice signal running twenty times the power, and the transmitter can be built out of a handful of parts.

It also does not need a radio at all. A flashlight, a mirror, a whistle, a pot lid and a spoon, or knuckles on a pipe will all send Morse.

Letters

A·–

B–···

C–·–·

D–··

E·

F··–·

G––·

H····

I··

J·–––

K–·–

L·–··

M––

N–·

O–––

P·––·

Q––·–

R·–·

S···

T–

U··–

V···–

W·––

X–··–

Y–·––

Z––··

Numbers

1·––––

2··–––

3···––

4····–

5·····

6–····

7––···

8–––··

9––––·

0–––––

Punctuation and Prosigns

Character	Code
Period (.)	·–·–·–
Comma (,)	––··––
Question mark (?)	··––··
Slash (/)	–··–·
Hyphen (-)	–····–
Equals / break (BT)	–···–
Colon (:)	–––···
Apostrophe (‘)	·––––·
Parenthesis, open	–·––·
Parenthesis, close	–·––·–
At sign (@)	·––·–·
Error (HH)	········
SOS (distress)	···–––···

Learning it: Do not learn Morse from a printed chart of dots and dashes — that builds a lookup habit you will spend years unlearning. Learn the sounds at full speed with wide spacing (the Koch and Farnsworth methods) using something like LCWO, G4FON or the Morse Mania and Morse Machine apps. The chart above is for reference and for sending with a flashlight, not for building your copying skill.

CW Abbreviations and On-Air Shorthand

Beyond the Q signals, CW operators use a large set of shortened words. Most of them simply drop the vowels. Once you have heard a few hundred QSOs they read as fast as plain English, and a lot of them have leaked into voice work and into email among hams.

Abbrev.	Meaning
AA	All after
AB	All before
ABT	About
ADR	Address
AGN	Again
ANT	Antenna
BCI	Broadcast interference
BK	Break, or break in
BN	All between, or been
BUG	Semi-automatic mechanical key
B4	Before
C	Yes, correct
CFM	Confirm
CK	Check
CL	Closing station, going off the air
CLG	Calling
CQ	Calling any station
CUD	Could
CUL	See you later
CUZ	Because
CW	Continuous wave, Morse code
DE	From (precedes your call sign)
DR	Dear
DX	Distance, a distant station
ES	And
FB	Fine business, excellent
FER	For
FM	From
GA	Go ahead, or good afternoon
GB	Good bye
GE	Good evening
GM	Good morning
GN	Good night
GND	Ground
GUD	Good
HI	Laughter, the CW equivalent of “ha ha”
HR	Here, or hear
HV	Have
HW	How, as in “HW?” — how do you copy?
LID	A poor operator
MSG	Message
N	No, negative
NCS	Net control station
NIL	Nothing, I have nothing for you
NR	Number
NW	Now
OB	Old boy
OM	Old man, a male operator
OP	Operator
OT	Old timer
PSE	Please
PWR	Power
R	Roger, received, or the decimal point in a number
RCVR	Receiver
RIG	Station equipment
RPT	Repeat, or report
RST	Readability, strength, tone report
RX	Receiver
SED	Said
SIG	Signal, or signature
SINE	An operator’s personal initials, used like a signature
SKED	Schedule, a prearranged contact
SRI	Sorry
STN	Station
TFC	Traffic, formal messages
TKS / TNX	Thanks
TMW	Tomorrow
TU	Thank you
TVI	Television interference
TX	Transmitter, or transmit
U	You
UR / URS	Your / yours
VY	Very
WA	Word after
WB	Word before
WKD / WKG	Worked / working
WL	Well, or will
WUD	Would
WX	Weather
XMTR	Transmitter
XYL	Wife
YL	Young lady, a female operator
5NN	599, a signal report sent in contest shorthand
30	I am finished, end of transmission (from the newsroom)
55	Best success
72	Best regards, used among QRP operators
73	Best regards
88	Love and kisses
99	Go away, get lost

Common mistake: It is “73,” not “73s.” The number already means “best regards,” plural, so “73s” is like saying “best regardses.” Same with 88.

ARRL Communications Procedures and Prosigns

Prosigns are procedural signals. On CW they are sent as one run-together character with no space between the letters, which is why they are written with a bar over them. They tell the other operator what is happening with the contact itself rather than carrying any message content.

Voice	Code	Situation
Go ahead	K	Used after calling CQ, or at the end of a transmission, to invite any station to transmit.
Over	AR	Used after a call to a specific station, before the contact has been established.
Go ahead, specific station only	KN	Used at the end of a transmission when only the station you are working is invited to answer.
Stand by, or wait	AS	A temporary interruption of the contact.
Roger	R	Indicates a transmission has been received correctly and in full.
Clear	SK	End of contact. SK is sent before the final identification.
Leaving the air, closing the station	CL	The station is going off the air and will not listen for or answer further calls. CL is sent after the final identification.
Break, separator	BT	Separates parts of a message, or marks a pause in thought. Written as a long dash in radiograms.
Error	HH	Eight quick dits. I made a mistake, the correct version follows.
Wait, break-in	BK	Invites the other station to transmit immediately, without formal turnover.
Attention	KA	Start of message, used in traffic handling.
Distress	SOS	The international distress call. Sent as one character.

SK has two meanings. As a prosign it ends a contact. Written after a call sign in a club newsletter or a QST listing, “SK” means Silent Key — the operator has passed away.

The RST System

RST stands for Readability, Strength and Tone. It is how you tell another operator what their signal actually sounds like at your end. On phone you give two numbers, readability and strength, so “five nine.” On CW you give all three, so “599.” Tone only applies to CW, since a voice signal has no keyed tone to judge.

Readability (1–5)

Unreadable.
Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.
Readable with considerable difficulty.
Readable with practically no difficulty.
Perfectly readable.

Signal Strength (1–9)

Faint signals, barely perceptible.
Very weak signals.
Weak signals.
Fair signals.
Fairly good signals.
Good signals.
Moderately strong signals.
Strong signals.
Extremely strong signals.

Tone (1–9, CW only)

Sixty cycle AC or less, very rough and broad.
Very rough AC, very harsh and broad.
Rough AC tone, rectified but not filtered.
Rough note, some trace of filtering.
Filtered rectified AC, but strongly ripple-modulated.
Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation.
Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation.
Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation.
Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind.

Give an honest report. Handing out “five nine” to everybody is a contest habit, and in an emergency it is worthless. If you actually need to know whether your antenna is working or whether a relay station can hear you, a real 3-by-5 tells you something and a reflexive 5-9 does not. Beyond the S-meter, plus or minus signs are common: “20 over 9” means 20 dB above S9.

10-Codes

Ten-codes came out of public safety radio in the 1930s and spilled over into CB in the 1970s. Hams generally do not use them, and that is on purpose — the meanings were never standardized, so a 10-33 can mean different things two counties apart. FEMA and the National Incident Management System pushed agencies toward plain language for exactly that reason.

You still need to recognize them, because your local sheriff’s department, your CB-equipped neighbor and a lot of older scanner traffic all use them. These are the most widely shared meanings.

Code	Meaning
10-1	Receiving poorly, bad signal
10-2	Receiving well, good signal
10-3	Stop transmitting
10-4	Acknowledged, message received
10-5	Relay this message
10-6	Busy, stand by
10-7	Out of service, leaving the air
10-8	In service, available
10-9	Repeat your last message
10-10	Finished transmitting, still listening
10-12	Visitors present, stand by
10-13	Advise weather and road conditions
10-17	Urgent business
10-18	Anything for us?
10-19	Return to base, nothing here for you
10-20	My location (“what’s your twenty?”)
10-21	Call by telephone
10-22	Report in person to …
10-23	Stand by
10-24	Last assignment completed
10-26	Disregard last information
10-27	I am moving to channel …
10-28	Identify your station
10-29	Time is up for this contact
10-30	Does not conform to rules
10-33	Emergency traffic, clear the channel
10-34	Trouble at this station, help needed
10-36	Correct time
10-38	Ambulance needed at …
10-39	Your message delivered
10-42	Traffic accident at …
10-43	Traffic tie-up at …
10-50	Break channel
10-62	Unable to copy, use phone
10-70	Fire at …
10-73	Speed trap at …
10-77	Negative contact
10-99	Mission completed, all units secure
10-100	Restroom stop
10-200	Police needed at …

Do not build a family plan around 10-codes. If you are setting up communications for a group, write the meanings down in plain English on a card everybody carries. When the situation gets stressful, people forget codes and remember words.

CB, GMRS and FRS Slang

License-free and low-barrier radio services are where most non-hams end up, so this is the traffic you are most likely to hear from neighbors, truckers and travelers. The slang is its own dialect and worth knowing even if you never key up on 27 MHz.

Term	Meaning
Bear	Law enforcement. “Smokey” and “Bear in the air” for aircraft.
Bear bite	A speeding ticket.
Big road	The interstate or main highway.
Breaker	A station asking to join or interrupt. “Breaker one-nine.”
Back door	Behind you, the last vehicle in a group.
Front door	Ahead of you, the lead vehicle.
Rocking chair	The vehicles in between front and back door.
Copy	Understood, received.
Come back	Reply to me.
Ears on	Radio is turned on and being monitored.
Eyeball	A face-to-face meeting.
Good buddy	Once meant “friend,” now often used sarcastically. “Good neighbor” is the safer term.
Handle	Your on-air nickname.
Hammer down	Driving fast.
Skip	Distant signals bouncing off the ionosphere, common on 11 meters at solar peak.
Wall-to-wall	An extremely strong signal, as in “wall-to-wall and treetop tall.”
Negatory	No.
What’s your twenty?	Where are you? (From 10-20.)
Shooting skip	Deliberately working long distance on CB.
Radio check	Request for a signal report.
Bird dog	A radar detector.

Channels Worth Knowing

CB (27 MHz, no license)

Ch 9 — emergency and traveler assistance
Ch 19 — highway and trucker channel
Ch 17 — north/south truck traffic in some regions
Ch 4 — widely adopted as an unofficial survivalist and prepper calling channel
Ch 36–40 LSB — sideband operation, much greater range

FRS / GMRS

Ch 1 (462.5625) — common general calling
Ch 3 (462.6125) — widely used as a prepper calling channel
Ch 20 (462.6750) — traditional travel and emergency channel, often with a 141.3 Hz tone
Ch 15–22 — GMRS only, higher power and repeater capable, license required

MURS (VHF, no license)

151.820 — Ch 1
151.880 — Ch 2
151.940 — Ch 3, common prepper calling
154.570 — Blue Dot
154.600 — Green Dot

Know what needs a license. CB, FRS and MURS are license-free. GMRS needs an FCC license, but it covers your whole immediate family and requires no test. Amateur radio requires passing an exam. Programming a ham radio to transmit on public safety or business frequencies is not legal, regardless of what the radio is physically capable of.

Passing Real Messages: Traffic Handling

When cell service is gone, somebody has to move actual information between shelters, hospitals, families and incident command. That is traffic handling, and there is a standard format so a message can pass through four different operators on three bands and arrive word for word.

Message Precedence

Every formal message carries a precedence that tells relaying stations how to prioritize it.

Precedence	What qualifies
EMERGENCY	Life and death urgency. Official messages from authorities during a disaster. Always spelled out in full, never abbreviated. Handled ahead of everything.
PRIORITY (P)	Important messages with a time limit. Official traffic not rated Emergency, press dispatches from the disaster area.
WELFARE (W)	An inquiry about the health and welfare of someone in the affected area, or a message from a survivor letting family know they are alive. Handled after Emergency and Priority.
ROUTINE (R)	Everything else. In a disaster, routine traffic is handled last or not at all.

The Parts of a Radiogram

Preamble — message number, precedence, handling instructions, station of origin, check (word count), place of origin, time and date filed.
Address — who it goes to, including a phone number if there is one.
Text — 25 words or fewer, plain language, no punctuation marks. The word X-RAY is spoken in place of a period.
Signature — who sent it.

Net Discipline in Ten Lines

Listen first. Know what is happening before you key up.
Check in only when asked on a directed net, and give call sign only until net control asks for more.
Wait a beat after the other station unkeys. Repeaters and radios need the gap.
Keep transmissions short. Pause every fifteen seconds so emergency traffic can break in.
Write it down before you send it. Composing on the air wastes everyone’s time.
Use prowords, not slang and not 10-codes.
Do not editorialize. Report what you observed, not what you think it means.
Never speculate about casualties or names on the air. Families scan.
Identify with your call sign at the end of each exchange and at least every ten minutes.
If you have nothing to add, stay off. Silence is a contribution.

Practice before you need it. Check into a local traffic net or an ARES net once a month. The first time you handle formal traffic should not be the night the grid goes down.

Frequencies Worth Programming Now

Codes are only useful if you know where to point the radio. These are the calling frequencies and monitoring points that belong in your memory channels before anything happens. Transmitting on most of them requires the right license; listening never does.

Amateur simplex calling

146.520 MHz — 2 m national calling
446.000 MHz — 70 cm national calling
223.500 MHz — 1.25 m calling
52.525 MHz — 6 m calling

HF emergency nets

14.325 MHz USB — Hurricane Watch Net, daytime
7.268 MHz LSB — Hurricane Watch Net, nighttime
14.300 MHz USB — Maritime Mobile Service Net and Intercon
14.265 MHz USB — SATERN (Salvation Army)

Monitoring and reference

162.400–162.550 MHz — NOAA Weather Radio, seven channels
156.800 MHz — Marine VHF Ch 16, distress and calling
121.500 MHz — aviation emergency (AM)
5, 10, 15, 20 MHz — WWV time and propagation reports

Nets move. Frequencies and schedules change with propagation, season and organization. Check the net’s own site before you rely on it, and program alternates.

UTC, and Why Hams Use It

Radio runs on Coordinated Universal Time, also called UTC, Zulu or GMT. The reason is simple: a net that meets “at 0200Z” meets at the same instant for everyone on the planet, with no time zones and no daylight saving arguments. Log entries, net schedules and propagation forecasts are all in UTC.

To convert, add your offset from UTC. Pacific Daylight Time is UTC−7, so 0200 UTC is 7:00 p.m. the previous evening in Las Vegas. Put a second clock on the wall set to UTC and stop doing the math in your head.

Master List of Amateur Radio Terms and Abbreviations

Everything else, A to Z. Use the search box at the top of the page to jump straight to a term, or use the letter index below.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9

A

A/D: Analog-to-digital.
AM: Amplitude modulation.
AMSAT: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.
AMTOR: Amateur Teleprinter Over Radio, a version of RTTY.
antenna: A device that intercepts or radiates radio frequency energy.
antenna tuner: An impedance-matching device that matches the antenna system input impedance to the transmitter, receiver or transceiver output impedance.
APRS: Automatic Packet Reporting System, used for position reporting, messaging and telemetry over packet radio.
ARA: Amateur Radio Association.
ARC: Amateur Radio Club. Also a military designation for avionics (Aviation Radio Composite).
ARES: Amateur Radio Emergency Service. The ARRL’s volunteer emergency communications organization.
ARRL: American Radio Relay League.

B

balanced line: A feed line with two conductors carrying equal but opposite voltages, with neither conductor at ground potential.
balun: Balanced-to-unbalanced, a device used to couple a balanced antenna to an unbalanced feed line.
band: A range of frequencies allotted for a particular use.
barefoot: Transmitting with the transceiver alone and no linear amplifier.
beacon: A station that transmits one-way signals for navigation, homing and determining propagation conditions.
BFO: Beat frequency oscillator. Mixes with the incoming signal to produce an audio tone for CW reception.
BNC: A coax connector commonly used with VHF/UHF equipment.
boat anchor: Antique, usually very heavy, ham equipment.
BPL: Broadband over power lines.
bps: Bits per second.
BPSK: Binary phase shift keying, a digital double-sideband suppressed-carrier mode.

C

calling frequency: A standard frequency where stations attempt to contact each other before moving off.
capacitor: A component of two or more conductive plates separated by an insulator, which stores energy in an electric field.
carrier: A pure continuous radio emission at a fixed frequency, without modulation.
CC&Rs: Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. The deed restrictions that keep many hams from putting up the antenna they want.
chassis ground: The common connection for all parts of a circuit that connect to the negative side of the power supply.
coax: Cable consisting of a center conductor surrounded by insulation and a grounded shield.
code: Usually refers to Morse code, but also used for others such as Baudot.
coil: A conductor wound into a series of loops.
color code: Colored stripes painted on resistors and other components to show value.
condenser: Old term for a capacitor.
control operator: The amateur operator designated to control the operation of a station or repeater, as required by FCC regulations.
core: The material at the center of an inductor coil, where the magnetic field is concentrated.
CQ: Calling any amateur radio station. Sent on CW, phone or some digital modes.
CSCE: Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination, issued when an amateur license exam element is passed.
CTCSS: Continuous tone-coded squelch system. A subaudible tone that opens a receiver’s or repeater’s squelch.
current: A flow of electrons in an electrical circuit.
CW: Continuous wave. An unmodulated, uninterrupted RF wave used with Morse code.

D

dB: Decibel, one tenth of a bel. A unit for the ratio of two power measurements.
de: Morse code for “from,” as in AC6V de WA0PPP.
diplexer: A frequency splitting and isolation device used to couple two transceivers to a single or dual-band antenna.
dipole: The basic half-wavelength antenna, a length of wire or tubing open and fed at the center.
downlink: The channel used for satellite-to-earth communications.
DPSK: Differential phase shift keying, a form of BPSK.
DSP: Digital signal processing. Enables filtering, noise reduction, audio equalization and more.
DTMF: Dual-tone multi-frequency, the series of tones generated from a keypad.
dual-band antenna: An antenna designed for use on two different amateur bands.
dummy load: A device that substitutes for an antenna during testing so you do not put a signal on the air.
duplex: A mode in which a radio transmits on one frequency and receives on another.
duplexer: A device that allows a single antenna to transmit and receive simultaneously.
DVM: Digital voltmeter.
DX: A distant station, or to contact a distant station.
DXCC: The award for contacting and confirming 100 or more different countries.
dynamic range: How well a receiver handles strong signals without overloading. Anything over 100 dB is considered excellent.

E

earth ground: A circuit connection to a ground rod driven into the earth.
elmer: A mentor. An experienced operator who tutors newer operators.
eleven meters: Currently the CB band, once a ham band.
EME: Earth-Moon-Earth. Using the moon as a reflector for a signal path. Also called moonbounce.
EMF: Electromotive force, voltage.
EMI: Electromagnetic interference.
emission mode: The form of a radio emission, such as AM, FM or single sideband.
ERP: Effective radiated power.
ether: The old theory for the medium once believed to conduct radio waves.
Eu: Europe.

F

FCC: Federal Communications Commission, the US body that regulates the radio spectrum.
feedline: Wire or cable connecting a radio to an antenna.
FET: Field-effect transistor.
field day: An amateur radio activity held in June to practice emergency communications.
field strength meter: A test instrument used to show the presence and strength of RF energy.
filter: A circuit or device that allows certain frequencies to pass while rejecting others.
final: The last transmission by a station during a contact. Also the last amplifying stage of a transmitter.
FM: Frequency modulation.
fox hunt: A contest to locate a hidden transmitter. Also excellent practice for tracking down interference.
frequency: The rate of oscillation. Audio and radio wave frequencies are measured in hertz.
FSK: Frequency-shift keying.
full break-in (QSK): Allows a station to break into the communication without waiting for the transmitting station to finish.
full duplex: A mode in which a radio can transmit and receive at the same time using two different frequencies.

G

gain, antenna: The increase in effective power radiated or received by an antenna in a desired direction.
GHz: Gigahertz, one billion hertz.
grid square: A Maidenhead locator such as DM26, used to report position compactly. Worth knowing by heart for your home location.
gray line: The band around the earth that separates daylight from darkness. Propagation along it can be remarkable.
green stamp: A US dollar bill sent along with a QSL card to cover return postage.
ground: The common zero-voltage reference point.
ground-plane antenna: A quarter-wavelength vertical antenna with several radials extending from the base.
ground wave propagation: Radio waves that travel along the surface of the earth, sometimes beyond the horizon.

H

half duplex: A mode in which a radio transmits and receives on two different frequencies but does only one at a time.
half-wave dipole: The basic antenna: a length of wire or tubing, open and fed at the center.
hand-held: A portable transceiver small enough to carry easily.
hamfest: An event where hams meet to buy, sell and swap equipment.
hertz: The standard unit of frequency. One hertz equals one complete cycle per second.
HF: High frequency, 3 MHz to 30 MHz. The bands that go long distance without infrastructure.
hi hi: The Morse equivalent of laughter.
high-pass filter: A filter that passes high frequency signals while blocking lower ones.
Hiram Percy Maxim: Founder of the ARRL, call sign 1AW, known as “The Old Man.”
homebrew: Home-built, non-commercial radio equipment.
horizontally polarized wave: An electromagnetic wave with its electric lines of force parallel to the ground.
HSMM: High Speed Multimedia. High speed voice, video and data on amateur allocations in the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands using commonly available WiFi gear and high-gain directional antennas. Sometimes called the “hinternet.”
HT: Handheld transceiver, also called a handy-talkie or walkie-talkie. Usually VHF and above.

I

IF: Intermediate frequency. The frequency that results from heterodyning the carrier with an oscillator. Mixing incoming signals down to an IF makes amplification and filtering easier.
image: A false signal produced in a superheterodyne receiver’s circuitry.
impedance: Opposition to the flow of electric current and radio energy, measured in ohms.
inductance: A measure of a coil’s ability to store energy in a magnetic field.
inductor: A component made of a coil of wire wound on a central core, which stores energy in a magnetic field.
input frequency: The frequency of a repeater’s receiver, and therefore of your transmitter.
I/O: Input/output.
ionosphere: The electrically charged region of the atmosphere, roughly 40 to 400 miles up, that refracts radio signals back to earth.
IRC: International Reply Coupon, used for pre-paid postage to foreign locations.
IRLP: Internet Radio Linking Project, which links repeaters using VoIP.
isotropic: A theoretical single-point antenna used as a reference to calculate gain.
ITU: International Telecommunication Union, which sets worldwide guidelines for use of the spectrum.

J

J antenna (J-pole): A mechanically modified version of the zepp (zeppelin) antenna. Cheap, effective and easy to build from copper pipe or ladder line.

K

K-index: A measure of disturbance in the earth’s magnetic field. Low numbers mean quiet conditions and better HF propagation.
keyer: A device for sending Morse code semi-automatically.
kilocycles: Thousand cycles per second, replaced by kilohertz (kHz).
kilohertz: One thousand hertz.

L

ladder line: Open wire transmission line. Very low loss, which makes it a favorite for field-expedient antennas.
landline: Ham slang for telephone lines.
LCD: Liquid crystal display.
LED: Light-emitting diode.
LF: Low frequency, 30 kHz to 300 kHz.
lid: A poor operator. One who does not follow proper procedure or sends sloppy Morse.
linear: An amplifier used after the transceiver output, named for the purity of its amplification.
line-of-sight propagation: Straight-line propagation, the normal mode above 30 MHz.
LSB: Lower sideband. The convention on 160, 80 and 40 meters.
LW: Long wave, 150 to 300 kHz.

M

magnetic mount (mag-mount): An antenna with a magnetic base, for quick mobile installation.
mA/h: Milliampere-hour, a measure of battery capacity.
MARS: Military Auxiliary Radio System.
MCW: Modulated continuous wave. A fixed audio tone modulates a carrier.
megacycles: Million cycles per second.
megahertz (MHz): One million hertz.
meteor scatter: Using the ionized trails of meteors as a reflecting medium.
MF: Medium frequency, 300 to 3,000 kHz.
mic (mike): Microphone.
microwave: The region of the radio spectrum above 1 GHz.
mobile: An amateur station installed in a vehicle.
modulate: To create a radio emission so that it carries information: voice, Morse, music or data.
MUF: Maximum usable frequency. The highest frequency that will support a path off the ionosphere at a given moment.
mV: Millivolt, one thousandth of a volt.
mW: Milliwatt, one thousandth of a watt.
MW: Medium wave, 300 to 3,000 kHz.

N

NCS: Net control station. The operator running a directed net.
net: A group of stations that meet on a specified frequency at a certain time.
NiCad: Nickel cadmium, a type of rechargeable battery.
NiMH: Nickel metal hydride, a newer type of rechargeable battery.
NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology, the US standards body for time, frequency, measures and weights. Formerly the National Bureau of Standards.
node: A remotely controlled TNC or digipeater, used as a connect point in packet radio.
NPN: A transistor with a layer of P-type semiconductor sandwiched between layers of N-type material.
NTS: National Traffic System, the ARRL’s structured network for relaying formal written messages.

O

OFDM: Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing. A common modulation type in HSMM work.
ohm: The fundamental unit of resistance: a potential of one volt producing a current of one ampere.
OM: Old man. A term of friendship for another male operator.
open repeater: A repeater whose access is not limited to a closed group.
OSCAR: Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio.
oscillate: To vibrate, to generate an AC or other periodic signal.
oscilloscope: A test instrument used to observe waveforms and voltages. Time runs on the X axis, amplitude on the Y.

P

packet radio: A system of digital communication in which information is transmitted in short bursts.
paddle: A Morse code key used with an electronic keyer.
PC: Printed circuit.
PCM: Pulse code modulation.
peak-inverse-voltage (PIV): The maximum voltage a diode can withstand when reverse biased.
PEP: Peak envelope power. The average power of a signal at its largest amplitude peak.
phase: The time interval between one event and another in a regularly recurring cycle.
phase modulation: Varying the phase of an RF carrier in response to changes in an audio signal.
phone: Voice modulation.
phone patch: A connection between a two-way radio and the public telephone system.
picket fencing: A rapid fluctuation in signal amplitude on VHF and above, which sounds like a stick dragged along a picket fence.
pico: The metric prefix for 10−¹², one trillionth.
pileup: Multiple stations calling a DX or contest station at once.
pirate: A station operating illegally, often using someone else’s call sign.
PL: Private Line, Motorola’s trade name for CTCSS. The subaudible tone that opens a repeater.
PLL: Phase-locked loop.
PM: Phase modulation, similar in effect to frequency modulation.
PNP: A transistor with a layer of N-type semiconductor sandwiched between layers of P-type material.
propagation: The means or path by which a radio signal travels from transmitter to receiver.
PSK31: A digital mode using phase shift keying at 31.25 baud. Narrow, efficient and workable at very low power.
PTT: Push to talk. The switch that activates the transmitter and microphone.

Q

Q signals (Q codes): A set of three-letter codes used as abbreviations. See the full table above.
QSL manager: A person who handles receiving and sending QSL cards on behalf of another station.

R

RAC: Radio Amateurs of Canada, Canada’s national amateur radio organization.
RACES: Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. Operates under a civil defense authority during declared emergencies.
ragchewing: Chatting informally via radio.
RDF: Radio direction finding.
reactance: The opposition to current that a capacitor or inductor creates in an AC circuit.
reading the mail: Listening to a QSO without participating.
repeater: A receiver and transmitter pair that listens on one frequency and re-transmits on another, extending range dramatically.
resonance: The condition where capacitive and inductive reactance are equal.
Rettysnitch: See Wouff-Hong. A mythical instrument of discipline for operators who behave badly on the air.
RF: Radio frequency. Emissions in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
RFI: Radio frequency interference.
rig: A radio: transmitter, receiver or transceiver.
RIT: Receiver incremental tuning, also called a clarifier. Shifts the receive frequency without moving the transmit frequency.
RMS: Root mean square.
roger: I understand, received 100 percent. In CW, “R.”
rotator: A device attached to an antenna mast that rotates it.
Rover: A station that operates from several grid squares or counties during a contest.
RST: Readability, strength and tone. A three-digit report describing how a signal is being received.
RTTY: Radioteletype, a form of digital communication.

S

SASE: Self-addressed, stamped envelope.
selectivity: A receiver’s ability to reject signals adjacent to the one it is tuned to.
sensitivity: A receiver’s ability to pick up weak signals.
separation (split): The difference in kHz between a repeater’s transmit and receive frequencies.
series circuit: A circuit in which all the current must flow through every part of the circuit.
shack: The ham station operating area.
SHF: Super high frequency, 3 to 30 GHz.
short path: The direct great-circle bearing between two locations. The long path is the reciprocal bearing.
signal: A radio emission.
silent key: A deceased amateur operator.
simplex: A mode in which a radio transmits and receives on the same frequency, with no repeater involved. This is what still works when the repeaters are down.
SITOR-A: Simplex teleprinting over radio, mode A.
SITOR-B: Simplex teleprinting over radio, mode B, a forward error correction mode.
SK: Silent Key, meaning a ham has passed away. Also the prosign for “end of contact.”
skip zone: The dead zone that is too far for ground wave and too near for sky wave. Often solved with NVIS antennas.
skyhook: An antenna.
sky wave propagation: Radio waves that reflect off the ionosphere and come back to earth far away.
S-meter: Signal strength meter.
S/N: Signal-to-noise ratio.
speech processor: A circuit that raises the average level of the modulating signal applied to a transmitter, improving punch on SSB.
splatter: Interference to stations on nearby frequencies, usually from overdriving a transmitter.
split: Transmitting on one frequency while listening on another. Common practice for DX stations working a pileup.
SQL (squelch): A circuit that mutes the receiver when no signal is present, eliminating band noise.
squelch tail: The brief burst of noise heard between the end of a transmission and the receiver’s squelch closing.
SSB: Single sideband. The standard voice mode on HF.
SSTV: Slow scan television.
straight key: A non-electronic Morse key with a single lever.
superheterodyne: A receiver design that mixes incoming signals with a local oscillator to produce an intermediate frequency for easier processing.
SW: Short wave.
SWL: Short wave listening.
SWR: Standing wave ratio. A measure of how much energy sent into an antenna system is reflected back to the transmitter.
SWR meter: A device used to measure the standing wave ratio of an antenna system.

T

telegraphy: The transmission of information in Morse code format.
telephony: The transmission of information in voice format.
third-party communications: Messages passed from one amateur to another on behalf of a third person.
TI: Talk-in frequency.
ticket: Slang for an amateur radio license.
TNC: Terminal node controller, a device that interfaces a computer to a transceiver and works like a modem. Also Threaded Neill-Concelman, a standard coax connector named for its inventors.
tone pad: An array of 12 or 16 numbered keys that generate standard telephone dual tones.
top band: The 160 meter band.
TOR: Telex over radio.
traffic: A message or messages sent by radio.
transceiver: A radio that both transmits and receives.
twisted pair: Ham slang for telephone lines.
two-tone test: A method of testing a sideband transmitter for linearity.

U

UHF: Ultra high frequency, 300 to 3,000 MHz.
Uncle Charlie: The FCC.
uplink: The channel used for earth-to-satellite communications.
USB: Upper sideband. The convention on 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters, and on VHF and UHF SSB.
UTC: Coordinated Universal Time. The standard time reference for all radio logging and net schedules.
utility stations: Stations other than broadcast or amateur, not intended for the general public. Includes aviation, radiotelephone, marine, embassy and military.

V

VA: Volt-amperes, a measure of apparent power.
VAC: Volts alternating current.
varactor diode: A component whose capacitance varies as the reverse bias voltage changes.
VCO: Voltage-controlled oscillator.
VEC: Volunteer Examiner Coordinator. An organization empowered by the FCC to recruit, organize and coordinate volunteer examiners.
VFO: Variable frequency oscillator.
VHF: Very high frequency, 30 to 300 MHz.
VLF: Very low frequency, 3 to 30 kHz.
VMOS: Vertical metal-oxide semiconductor.
VOA: Voice of America.
VOM: Volt-ohm meter.
VOX: Voice operated transmit. The radio keys itself when you speak.
VSWR: Voltage standing wave ratio.
VTVM: Vacuum tube voltmeter.
VXO: Variable crystal oscillator.

W

W1AW: The official ARRL station call sign. Transmits news bulletins, propagation forecasts and Morse code practice. Formerly the call of Hiram Percy Maxim.
WAC: Worked All Continents, an award from the IARU administered by the ARRL.
wallpaper: QSL cards, awards and special event certificates.
WARC: World Administrative Radio Conference.
WARC bands: The bands allocated in 1979: 17, 12 and 30 meters.
WAS: Worked All States, an ARRL award.
WAZ: Worked All Zones, a CQ magazine award for confirmed contact with each of 40 zones.
WEFAX: Weather facsimile. Satellite images and charts reconstructed from a radio signal.
wireless: Radio, as opposed to wired telegraph.
WIRES / WIRES-X: Wide-coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System. Links amateur stations through the internet to extend range.
Wouff-Hong: A mythical tool of punishment for operators with bad on-air manners, invented by Hiram Percy Maxim. One hangs at ARRL headquarters.
WPM: Words per minute, as in Morse or typing speed.
WWV: The NIST standard time and frequency station. Also broadcasts propagation reports at 18 minutes past each hour.
WWVB: The NIST station at 60 kHz that sets “atomic” clocks.
WX: Weather.

X

XCVR: Transceiver.
XFMR: Transformer.
XTAL: Crystal.
XYL: Ex-young lady. A ham’s wife.

Y

Yagi: A directional “beam” antenna array, named for one of its Japanese inventors.
YL: Young lady. A female operator, regardless of age.

Z

zero beat: Adjusting the frequencies of two signals so they are exactly equal and in phase.
Zepp antenna: An end-fed wire, originally reeled out from lighter-than-air ships.
Zulu: Coordinated Universal Time. Also the phonetic word for the letter Z.

0–9

30: End of transmission, I am finished.
55: Best success.
72: Best regards, used among QRP operators.
73: Best regards. Never “73s.”
88: Love and kisses.
599 / 5NN: A perfect signal report. In contests it is sent reflexively whether or not it is true.

Nobody memorizes all of this, and nobody needs to. Learn the phonetic alphabet cold, learn a dozen prowords, learn ten Q signals, and keep this page open for everything else. The rest sinks in on its own once you spend time listening.

Print a copy and put it with the radio. Paper does not need batteries.

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