List of Common Abbreviations and Jargon
aa all after (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only) or End of Line (CW use
only. Sent as a single group, with no space between letters) or
artificial aerial
ab all before (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
abt about (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ack automatic acknowledgment of uncorrupted digital data receipt
across the pond on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean
activate operate a station from a specific location, such as a rare
country that normally has no resident Radio Amateurs
adee addressee (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
adr address (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ads address (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
af audio frequency
after burner high powered amplifier
"again" shortened version of "say again" which is often used to indicate
that a repeat is required
agn again (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
alias a short word or group of characters used to identify a digipeater,
as an alternative to the full callsign
alpha time local time, e.g. BST, EST, PST etc.
am amplitude modulation
AMSAT Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
AMTOR "Amateur Teleprinting Over Radio", an error correcting data
transmission system based on the marine SITOR system
amu antenna matching unit
ancient mod facetious meaning of "AM" (Amplitude Modulation)
ani any (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ans answer (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ant antenna (aerial) (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ar end of message (CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no
space between letters)
armchair copy description of good quality strong signal with no interference
ARRL American Radio Relay League
artificial aerial old name for a dummy load, particularly with respect to a type
of amateur radio licence issued in the UK, prior to World War II,
which allowed the licensee to build and operate a wireless (radio)
transmitter, but not to radiate a signal outside the confines of
the registered address
ARQ Automatic Repeat Request
as wait (CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no space between
letters)
at previously used for the @ sign in e-mail addresses. Now
superseded by "AC".(CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no
spaces between letters)
atv amateur television (fast scan)
atu antenna tuning unit
aurora The Aurora Borealis or Aurora Australis (Northern and Southern
Lights respectively). VHF signals may be "bounced off" these
ionised gas layers in the upper atmosphere
AX25 transmission protocol used for amateur packet radio operation
b4 before (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
back over (CB jargon not normally used by Radio Amateurs)
Baghdad Morse badly sent Morse code that is difficult to read
bamboo-box equipment manufactured in the Far East, usually Japan
bands the frequencies upon which radio amateurs are permitted to
operate or the frequency ranges covered by equipment
band-plan an agreement to use certain modes on certain frequencies within
a given band
barefoot without an external amplifier
BBC quality used in the UK to describe a good quality strong signal
bbs packet radio mailbox (bulletin board system)
bci broadcast interference
bcl broadcast listener (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
bcn beacon (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
bcnu be seeing you (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
bd bad (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
beacon a continuously transmitting device used to assess propagation
beam multi element directional antenna
big switch a metaphorical "switch" controlling the entire station, as in
"pulling the big switch", meaning to close down completely
birds nest temporary construction of a circuit in which components are
supported in the wiring by their leads or any untidy or poorly
constructed device
bk break or break in (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
black box commercially manufactured electronic device
blower fan used to supply cooling air
bn all between or been (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
boots high powered amplifier (after burner)
bottle radio valve (vacuum tube)
box of digits digital equipment
BR68 a booklet, which was published by the UK Radiocommunications
Agency, containing the Terms, Provisions and Limitations
applicable to UK Amateur Radio Licences. This document has now
been replaced by the new licence, which came into force on
1 December 2006, which includes the Terms, Conditions and
Limitations
braid-breaker device intended to prevent the RF currents flowing down the
outside of coaxial cable braiding from entering equipment
brass pounder operator skilled in using the Morse code
brass pounding sending Morse code
breadboard device to facilitate the temporary construction of a circuit to
prove its viability
"break!" an exclamation often used by operators wishing to draw attention
to their presence on a frequency being used by an established
QSO which they wish to join (poor operating practice)
break-in a system in which the receiver is enabled between the individual
components of a CW transmission
breaker a station trying to join an established QSO
bright emitter a radio valve employing a directly heated filament, as opposed
to an indirectly heated cathode
BST British Summer Time
bt separation between address and text and between text and
signature (CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no space
between letters)
bth both (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
btr better (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
btw by the way (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
btu back to you (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
bug software problem
bug-key semi automatic Morse key (after the red beetle trade-mark of
the Vibroplex Company)
bunged up the condition existing when a receiver becomes overloaded by
strong signals
bunny hunt American name for a "foxhunt" (direction finding contest)
burner high powered amplifier (short for "after burner")
buro qsl bureau (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
burst short portion of a transmission received via reflection from
meteor trails, auroras or during a sporadic-e opening or a few
cycles of RF superimposed on a signal for synchronisation
purposes e.g. the colour burst in an analogue colour TV signal
BYLARA British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association
c yes or correct (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
call often used as a short form of "callsign"
call book list of callsigns and postal addresses of all UK and Republic
of Ireland Amateur Radio Licensees. (Now incorporated into the
"RSGB Yearbook", which is published annually)
callsign a group of letters and figures, which is unique to each amateur
radio operator. These callsigns are issued by the appropriate
Government Department of the country in which the station is
located. The callsign consists of a prefix, indicating the
country, and a suffix, which is unique to each operator e.g.
G3NPF and M1AIM where "G3" and "M1", indicate England, and "NPF"
and "AIM" are the letters unique to these operators
can of worms a procedure or piece of equipment that has many known, or
potential, problems
cans headphones (earphones)
capacity hat a device mounted at the top of a vertical antenna to lower its
natural resonant frequency
carrier generally, the steady continuous RF component of an amplitude
modulated signal, but commonly used to describe any, usually
unwanted, steady signal on, or close to, the current operating
frequency
cb callbook (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only) or Citizens Band
cba callbook address (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
centre fed wire a wire antenna, where the transmitter/receiver/ATU is connected
at the mid-point, via tuned feeders or coaxial cable
CEPT European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
Administrations. The following member countries (and certain
non-member countries marked with an asterisk), have implemented
CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01:-
Albania * Ireland Russian Federation *
Australia Israel * San Marino *
Austria Italy * Slovak Republic *
Belgium Latvia * Slovenia
Bosnia & Herzegovina Lichtenstein South Africa *
Bulgaria Lithuania Spain *
Canada * Luxembourg Sweden
Croatia Macedonia * Switzerland
Cyprus * Malta * Turkey
Czech Republic Moldova * Ukraine
Denmark Monaco * United Kingdom of
Estonia Netherlands Great Britain and
Finland New Zealand * Northern Ireland
France Norway United States of
Germany Peru * America *
Greece Poland Vatican City *
Hungary Portugal
Iceland Romania *
Radio Amateurs holding a valid callsign issued by any of the
above countries may operate in the UK, subject to the conditions
and limitations previously set out in BR68 but now included in
the new licence, which came into force on 1 December 2006. Note
that for CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 purposes, the United
Kingdom includes the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and
some of the above countries also include many of their over-seas
territories and dependencies
cfm confirm or I confirm (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
channel a specific frequency on a given band
chatter the condition when a relay fails to change state in a single
operation
cheque book
engineering the purchase of ready built commercial apparatus, as opposed to
designing and building one's own equipment
cherries the multiple LEDs (usually red and yellow) used on some modern
equipment to indicate signal strength instead of a meter
chewing the fat general discussion of a variety of subjects, often of a
non-amateur radio nature
chirp a small, transient, change in frequency at the start of a
transmission, most noticeable on CW
choppy subject to intermittent interruptions
ck check (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ckt circuit (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cl closing down or call (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
clarifier device that allows either the receive frequency or the transmit
frequency, or both, to be independently adjusted on a transceiver
that would normally use single frequency operation
class of emission a three (or more if necessary) character code, which defines the
characteristics of a radio emission. These are internationally
agreed by the Telecommunication Convention and are listed in the
Radio Regulations. Select Emission Classes for full information.
clbk callbook (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cld called (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
clg calling (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
clicks transient sidebands that occur when the keying characteristics of
a CW transmitter are such that the leading and trailing edges of
the RF envelope are incorrectly shaped
clipper a device for limiting the maximum amplitude of a signal to a
particular level
clockfull a meter indication at, or very near to, full scale deflection
club a local club, society or group catering for amateur radio
enthusiasts. e.g. the "Horsham Club" is shorthand for the
Horsham Amateur Radio Club
cmg coming (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cnt can't (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
coax co-axial cable
code usually means morse code but can mean other coding methods such
as the Murray code used in teleprinting or the digital data and
instructions constituting a computer programme
co-linear antenna in which resonant elements are connected end-to-end, with
phasing circuits between them
come again repeat your message
come back over (CB jargon not normally used by Radio Amateurs)
comp computer (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
compression reduction of dynamic range
compressor shortened form of "speech compressor"
condenser old name for a capacitor
condx conditions (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
connected the state that exists when two packet stations are in contact
with each other and handshaking is taking place
connectors plugs and sockets
contest a competition between individual operators, or groups of
operators, in which points are generally gained for the number
of contacts achieved within a set period of time and, in some
cases for the distances between the stations. Note that there
are many different types of contest and each has its own set of
rules, reporting requirements and scoring criteria
copy the act of hearing and understanding a station or the content of
a received message
counterpoise a conductor located under a wire antenna, but positioned on, or
very close to, the ground, which acts as an "artificial earth",
against which the antenna may be tuned
coz because (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cpi copy (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cq general call to any station
crd card (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
creepie-peepie hand-held television camera/transmitter
cross-band receiving on one band and transmitting on another band
crud the generic term for unwanted noise, interference or signals
cs callsign (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
CTCSS Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System in which very low frequency
audio tones are used to access repeaters instead of the 1750Hz
tone-burst. The tones used by repeaters are listed below:-
Designator Tone Frequency
A 67.0Hz
B 71.9Hz
C 77.0Hz
D 82.5Hz
E 88.5Hz
F 94.8Hz
G 103.5Hz
H 110.9Hz
J 118.8Hz
There are 31 other tones in the full CTCSS range, which are
listed below:-
69.3, 74.4, 79.7, 85.5, 91.5, 97.4, 100.0, 107.2, 114.8, 123.0,
127.3, 131.8, 136.5, 141.3, 146.2, 151.4, 156.7, 162.2, 167.9,
173.8, 179.9, 186.2, 192.8, 203.5, 206.5, 210.7, 218.1, 225.7,
233.6, 241.8, 250.3
Partial CTCSS implementation means that a user station must
transmit the appropriate CTCSS tone in order to activate a
repeater but the station receiver will respond to all signals.
Full CTCSS implementation means that in addition to activating
a repeater, the user station's receiver will only respond to
signals having the appropriate CTCSS tone.
cu see you (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cuagn see you again (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cud could (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cul see you later (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cum come (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cuz because (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
cw continuous wave (But generally regarded as meaning Morse code)
da day (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dc to blue light very wide bandwidth
de from (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dead band a band upon which no signals can be heard due to poor propagation
deaf low in sensitivity or the inability to resolve weak signals
df direction finding
diff difference (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
digipeater simplex repeater for digital (packet) modes, where handshaking
takes place between the two connected stations without involving
the intermediate repeater, which only acts as a relay
diplexer device for connecting two antennas to a single piece of equipment
or two pieces of equipment to a single antenna
dippy unreliable or poor quality or of doubtful origin
dish the parabolic reflector forming part of a microwave antenna
dld delivered (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dlvd delivered (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dn down (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dodgy of doubtful origin or potentially unreliable
dog biscuits decibels (frivolous phonetics, not recommended for normal use)
doubling the situation when two stations accidentally transmit on the same
frequency and at the same time
down-link the received signal from a satellite
dr dear (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
drift slow, unwanted, change in any operating parameter, but usually
in frequency
dsb double sideband
dsp digital signal processing
dsw Russian CW abbreviation for "good bye" (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use
only)
dual-band capable of operating on two frequency bands
duplex receiving and transmitting on two different frequencies
simultaneously
dwn down (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
dx distance or rare station
DXCC DX Century Club. An award which requires proof of contact
with one hundred, or more, different DXCC recognised countries
dxpedition a visit to an unusual location in order to activate a rare
callsign prefix
ears a station's receive capability
earwigging listening to a QSO without actually joining in
el element (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
electronic bug fully automatic electronic morse key
e-mail electronic mail
eme earth-moon-earth
end fed wire a wire antenna, usually tuned against ground, where one end is
connected directly to the transmitter/receiver/ATU
end stop description of a very strong signal (refers to full-scale
deflection on the S-meter)
enuf enough (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
es and (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only). Note that this is actually
the old American land-line telegraphy group for the ampersand (&).
Es sporadic-e
eu Europe (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
eve evening (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ex-government a term describing equipment originally owned and used by
Government organisations, usually the military, but disposed
of on the open civilian market when no longer required
extended tropo VHF propagation mode utilising particular ionisation conditions
in the troposphere
eyeball QSO meeting face to face (in person)
fb fine business (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
FEC Forward Error Correction
feeder transmission line connecting an antenna to a receiver
or transmitter
fer for (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
final final transmission (Fone use only)
final final extra transmission made by a station who has already signed off
(Fone use only)
fine business very good or excellent
fish-fone transmissions from vessels such as fishing boats and trawlers
fio for information only (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
firmware computer programme stored in solid state memory
fist a Morse operators style of sending when using a straight key
fist mic microphone designed to be held in the hand
flaky unreliable
flame to send an insulting, rude or controversial message via packet
radio or e-mail
flat topping the condition that exists when an amplifier is overdriven and is
unable to amplify signal peaks without distortion
fm frequency modulation
fone telephony (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
foxhunt direction finding contest (usually on VHF)
fq frequency (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
freq frequency (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
front end the input stages of a receiver
fsd full scale deflection
fsk frequency shift keying
FSK441 A digital transmission system designed by K1JT, which is used for
meteor scatter communication, primarily on 144MHz
FSTV Fast Scan Television (normal TV transmission format)
ftp file transfer protocol
full gallon maximum permitted power
further down
the log at a later date (as in "see you further down the log")
fwd forward (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
fwiw for what it's worth (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
fyi for your information (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
G5RV a type of multiband wire dipole antenna designed by the late
Louis Varney, G5RV
ga good afternoon (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gateway a connection between the Internet and a radio station, usually a
repeater, which facilitates communication using VOIP or a device
to enable one packet station to contact another packet station on
a different band, usually VHF to HF
gb good bye (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gd good day (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ge good evening (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gear equipment
gess guess (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gg going (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gld glad (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gm good morning (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
gn good night (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gnd ground (earth) (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
good buddy friend (CB jargon, not normally used by Radio Amateurs)
gp ground plane (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
GPS Global Positioning System
GRB Gamma-Ray Burst
greyline line joining points on the earth's surface where the transition
between night and day is occurring
gs green stamp (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gud good (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gv give (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
gvg giving (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hagd have a good day (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hagwe have a good week end (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
Ham Amateur Radio Operator (American slang)
hamfest large organised social gathering of radio amateurs, often with
an associated Trade Show and/or flea market
hand-held small transceiver intended to be used like a mobile 'phone
(colloquially known as a walkie-talkie)
handshaking the process whereby a digital data link acknowledges receipt or
transmission of data
handle name (American slang)
hard copy a permanent printed version of electronic data
hard wired connected by wires rather than computer software
hardware actual electronic equipment employing physical components
hash rough noise, usually of man-made origin
HB9CV a type of VHF beam antenna designed by HB9CV
headset headphones, often with integral boom microphone
heater the heating element within a radio valve employing an indirectly
heated cathode, as opposed to a directly heated filament
hf high frequency
hf bands the 14MHz, 18MHz, 21MHz, 24MHz and 28MHz amateur bands
hh denotes error in sending preceding word (CW use only. Sent as a
single group, with no space between letters)
hi high (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only) or laughter or used to
indicate that something is intended to be funny
hollow state using thermionic active devices, e.g. valves (vacuum tubes)
homebrew home constructed (as opposed to commercially manufactured)
hooting instability
hpe hope (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hq headquarters
hr here or hear or hour (CW or RTTY use only)
hrd heard (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hv have (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hvg having (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hvy heavy (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
hw how or how copy (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
IARU International Amateur Radio Union
idiot box television set
idiot's lantern television set
II short pause (for thought?) (CW use only) RTTY operators usually
use letters (or figures) shift, as appropriate
imho in my humble opinion (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
imi interrogation or repeat or say again (CW use only. Sent as a
single group, with no space between letters)
in the back of
the box a very weak signal (Believed to be a CB expression)
in the front of
the box a very strong signal (Believed to be a CB expression)
info information
inner conductor the centre conductor of a co-axial cable
input frequency the receive frequency of a repeater, i.e. the frequency that
stations use to transmit signals to the repeater
IOTA Islands On The Air
IP Internet Protocol or intermodulation products
isb independent sidebands
ISWL International Shortwave League
ITA2 International Telegraph Alphabet No.2
ITU International Telecommunication Union (the Agency of the
United Nations responsible for radio spectrum allocation)
jingle-bells RTTY or similar data transmission signals
JT44 A digital transmission system designed by K1JT, which is used for
tropospheric scatter, ionospheric scatter and eme communication
JT6M A digital transmission system designed by K1JT, which is similar
to FSK441 but optimised for meteor scatter use on 50MHz
junior op operator's son or daughter
junk redundant but serviceable items
junk box collection of redundant items accumulated over a period of time,
but still serviceable and potentially having a use
junk sale a sale of equipment, components and associated items, usually
conducted as an auction. The items offered for sale are not
necessarily "junk" in the dictionary sense of the word
k invitation to transmit (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ka starting signal (CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no
space between letters)
key morse key
keyboard mode an operating mode requiring the use of a keyboard and probably
a computer, e.g. packet radio, PSK31, or RTTY
kit equipment
klix key clicks (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
kn invitation for a specific station to transmit (CW, PSK31 and RTTY
use only)
ladder feeder parallel open wire transmission line, so called because the
parallel wires and the insulators separating them resemble a
ladder
land line hard wired connection over land such as a telephone line
lash-up badly constructed item
LED Light Emitting Diode
leo low earth orbit
lf low frequency
lf bands the 1.8MHz, 3.5MHz, 7MHz and 10MHz amateur bands
lid poor operator
linear device capable of amplifying RF signals without distortion (short
for "linear amplifier")
listening through this phrase is used on VHF repeaters as an alternative to "CQ"
lng long (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
loaded whip a short, mechanically flexible, vertical antenna using either a
coil or a "capacity hat" to resonate it on a lower frequency than
its natural resonant frequency
local time the time in use at a particular location, e.g. British Summer
Time, Eastern Standard Time, Central Standard Time, Pacific
Standard Time, etc.
locator square a shortened form of "QTH locator square"
log a permanent record of station activity
logger person who maintains the log of a station on behalf of the
operator, especially during a contest
long path the longer of the two possible "around-the-world" signal
propagation paths
long wire a wire antenna, usually fed at one end and tuned against ground,
where the length is equal to several wavelengths at the frequency
being used, but often erroneously used to describe a wire antenna
of any random length
LORAN A radio navigation system (LOng RAnge Navigation). The current
system is LORAN-C which operates at frequencies between 90kHz and
110kHz. The original system was LORAN-A which operated on
frequencies within the Amateur 160m Band and caused considerable
interference to amateur operations. Fortunately for amateurs,
the use of this system has now been discontinued
lp long path (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
lsb lower sideband
lsn listen (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ltr later or letter (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
lv leave (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
lvg leaving (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
lw long wire (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
mag-mount device for mounting an antenna on a ferrous metal surface,
adhesion being achieved by magnetic attraction
mag loop magnetic loop antenna
Maidenhead
Locator System the full name of the current QTH locator system, which has been
adopted by the IARU. Now referred to as the "QTH Locator System"
maritime mobile operation of a station located in or on a vessel in tidal
waters. The suffix "/MM" is appended to the callsign under
these conditions
martian Morse badly sent morse code that is difficult to read
master of
ceremonies net controller
mcw modulated continuous wave
meteor scatter communication mode relying on reflecting radio signals off the
ionised trails caused by meteorites entering the earth's
atmosphere
mgr manager (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
mi my (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
mic microphone
mic back to you verbose phrase sometimes used when returning transmission to
another station in a QSO (Not good practise)
microwaves frequencies above 2GHz
microwave bands all those amateur bands above and including the 2.3GHz band
mill typewriter (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
mni many (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
mobile operation of a station located in or on a vehicle or vessel in
non-tidal waters, or when being carried by the operator e.g.
when using hand held equipment. The suffix "/M" is appended to
the callsign under these conditions
mom moment (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
moonbounce communication mode relying on reflecting radio signals off the
moon
motor boating very low frequency instability
mouth a station's transmit capability
mox manually operated transmit/receive switching
ms meteor scatter
msg message (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
muckite generic term for any non-metallic substance, usually indicating
that the exact composition is unknown
mult multiplier or multiplex (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
multi-band capable of operating on several bands, e.g. the HF bands, 50MHz
and 144MHz
multi-hop around-the-world propagation of a radio signal by means of
several earth-ionosphere-earth reflections
multi-mode capable of operating on several modes, e.g. CW, SSB and FM
n no or negative or incorrect or no more (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use
only)
ncs net control station (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
nd nothing doing (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
negative no or not or not received OK
net a group of stations, usually operating on the same frequency,
forming a multi-station QSO, often controlled by one of the
participants
nicad a nickel-cadmium battery
nil nothing or I have nothing for you or not in log (CW, PSK31 and
RTTY use only)
nm no more (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
nimh nickel metal hydride
node repeater for digital (packet) modes, where handshaking takes
place between each of two connected stations and the intermediate
repeater, with no direct handshaking between the two stations or
any station on a digital network, whether linked by land-line or
linked by radio
NoV Notice of Variation. This is a change in the conditions relating
to a specific UK Amateur Radio Licence, which is issued under the
authority of OFCOM, and enables the holder of the specific
licence to carry out specified activities not normally permitted
under the terms of a "normal" licence
novice the holder of a Novice Class Amateur Radio Licence, which has now
been discontinued. Novice licences have now been replaced by
Foundation Class Licences. Holders of existing Novice Class
Licences had their licences upgraded to Intermediate Grade but
retained their existing callsigns
nr near or number (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
nw now (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ob old boy (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
oc old chap (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
OFCOM Office of Communications. OFCOM is the independent body that
assumed the functions and powers of the RA (Radiocommunications
Agency) at the end of December 2003. The RA was the UK
Government Agency responsible for licensing the use of the
entire radio spectrum in the UK
off and clear signifies that a station has completed his/her final over and
does not intend to continue with the current contact
ok correct
om old man or husband (Intended for CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only but
often used on fone)
op operator (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
opr operator (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
oranges & lemons the multiple LEDs (usually red and yellow) used on some modern
equipment to indicate signal strength instead of a meter
OSCAR Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio
ot old timer (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
oth over-the-horizon (See "Woodpeckers" below)
out closing down (Fone use only)
out of band description of signals radiated on frequencies outside the
permitted frequency bands
out of the box the practice of purchasing and using commercial equipment with
little or no knowledge or appreciation of its technical details
outer conductor the screen or braid of a co-axial cable
output frequency the transmit frequency of a repeater, i.e. the frequency that
stations use to receive signals from the repeater
over period of transmission from a station, during a QSO, which will
probably consist of several such "overs" or an invitation to
transmit (Fone use only)
over and out closing down but will listen to your final transmission (Fone
use only)
ow old woman (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
pa power amplifier
packet burst of digital data. (Also short for "packet radio")
packet cluster a group of interlinked packet radio stations, usually relaying
DX information
packet radio a digital data transmission system that transmits bursts
(i.e. packets) of data. Acknowledgement of correct receipt is
required before transmission of the subsequent packet commences
PACTOR a packet like mode based on AMTOR
paddle the operating lever of a bug key
pbl preamble (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
peak the highest amplitude attained by a signal
personal name (CB jargon not normally used by Radio Amateurs)
phasing rig an SSB transmitter where the SSB signal is generated by the
vector addition of phase shifted AF and RF signals, rather than
by the use of a balanced modulator and filters
phonetic alphabet a list of words used to confirm individual letters under
adverse conditions, the initial letter of the word being the same
as the letter being confirmed. Although there are several
phonetic alphabets in use around the world and their use is not
forbidden, UK Amateur Radio operators are advised to use the
alphabet contained in Appendix S14 of the Radio Regulations and
generally known as the "NATO Phonetic Alphabet". Brian Kelk's
Page is an excellent source of further information about phonetic
alphabets, including some that are really bizarre.
Letter NATO British WW2 British WW1 International
(Recommended) (No longer in common use - Not recommended)
A Alpha Abel Ack Amsterdam
B Bravo Baker Beer Baltimore
C Charlie Charlie Charlie Casablanca
D Delta Dog Don Denmark
E Echo Easy Edward Edison
F Foxtrot Fox Freddy Florida
G Golf George George Gallipoli
H Hotel How Harry Havana
I India Item Ink Italia
J Juliet Jig Johnnie Jerusalem
K Kilo King King Kilogram
L Lima Love London Liverpool
M Mike Mike Monkey Madagascar
N November Nan Nuts New York
O Oscar Oboe Orange Oslo
P Papa Peter Pip Paris
Q Quebec Queen Queen Quebec
R Romeo Roger Robert Roma
S Sierra Sugar Sugar Santiago
T Tango Tare Toc Tripoli
U Uniform Uncle Uncle Uppsala
V Victor Victor Vic Valencia
W Whiskey William William Washington
X X-ray X-ray X-ray Xanthippe
Y Yankee Yoke Yorker Yokohama
Z Zulu Zebra Zebra Zurich
The following information comes from Tony, RN1AL (ex G4XLA) via
Denzil, G3KXF. RN1AL lives in St. Petersburg, where he teaches
English. Tony says that it is not common practice in Russia to
use any form of phonetics when speaking Russian, as Cyrillic
spelling and pronunciation are alike, whereas English has some
peculiar spellings and homophones. However, the following
phonetic alphabet is sometimes employed when using the English
alphabet. The first column shows the English letter. The second
and fourth columns show the Cyrillic word, the fourth being the
diminutive form. The third and fifth columns give the phonetic
English pronunciation. Apparently, it is not uncommon for the
normal and diminutive forms to be mixed randomly and it is
important to get the stress right.
English Cyrillic Phonetic Cyrillic Phonetic
Letter (Normal) English (Diminutive) English
A ???????? anatolee ???? anna
B ????? barees ???? borya
C ??????????? tsentralnee ????? tsentr
D ???????? demeetree ???? deema
E ????? yelena ????? yelena
F ????? fiodor ???? fedya
G ???????? grigoree ???? galya
H ??????? hareeton ??????? hareeton
I ???? eevan ???? eevan
J ???? ??????? eevan kratkee ? ??????? ee kratkee
K ?????????? kanstanteen ???????? keelavat
L ?????? leaneet ?????? leaneet
M ?????? mehail ???? mesha
N ??????? nikalai ???? nina
O ????? olga ???? olya
P ????? pavel ????? pavel
Q ???? shooka ???? shooka
R ????? raman ???? roma
S ?????? sergay ?????? sergay
T ?????? tamara ???? tanya
U ?????? oolyana ?????? oolyana
V ???? zenya ???? zenya
W ??????? vasilee ?????? viktar
X ?????? ???? myahkee znak ???? znak
Y ????? eegrek ????? eegrek
Z ??????? zinaida ??? zoya
pile-up large number of stations calling on one frequency
ping very short portion of a transmission received via reflection
from meteor trails, auroras or during a sporadic-e opening
or an automatic hand-shaking signal sent during digital data
transmission to prevent time-out
pink noise wideband noise with almost constant amplitude but some small
peaks or spikes
pip-tone short duration audible tone, transmitted just before a station
changes from transmit to receive, normally only used under
difficult VHF conditions when using SSB
pirate unlicenced operator
pkg packing or package (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
PL259 the Amphenol catalogue number of a type of co-axial plug in the
"UHF" generic series. Often erroneously used to indicate the
generic series itself
plumber's delight antenna constructed entirely from metal tubing and requiring no
insulators
plumbing the mechanical arrangements used in UHF and microwave equipment,
such as resonant cavities and Lecher lines
pmr private mobile radio (as used by (say) a taxi firm)
poll the action of one digital node (station) "asking" another for
information, such as confirmation of receipt of data packet
port the input or output connection to a piece of equipment, usually
a computer or other digital device or a microwave component
portable operation of a station at a fixed location that is not the
registered address stated on the licence. The suffix "/P" may be
appended to the callsign under these conditions
pounding brass sending Morse code
pov point of view (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
preamp pre-amplifier
prefix the part of a callsign that denotes the country of origin. Select
the comprehensive list of Amateur Radio Prefixes for details.
pse please (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
psk phase shift keying
PSK31 a digital data transmission mode used by radio amateurs
pt point (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ptt press to talk
pull the big
switch close down the station and switch off the equipment
pwr power (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
px prefix or press (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
Q-fiver device intended to improve the readability of received signals
that is usually an "add on" unit to an existing receiver.
Historically, a Q-fiver was an ex-american military "Command
Receiver", capable of being tuned to the (then) ubiquitous IF of
465kHz but having much better selectivity than the main receiver.
qra address, often expressed as a locator code (See Q-Code list for
full meaning)
qra locator an obsolete system for indicating a station's geographical
location by a five-character code that recurs at several
positions on the earth's surface, e.g. ZK08F
qrg frequency (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrk readability or price/cost (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrl busy (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrm interference (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrn atmospheric noise/static (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qro high power (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrp low power (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrq send faster (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrs send slower (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrss send extremely slowly, e.g. at a speed of one word per minute,
or less. (Specialised mode used on VLF bands). (No official
Q-Code meaning)
qrt stop sending or close down station (See Q-Code list for full
meaning)
qru nothing further to say (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrv ready or operational (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrx wait (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qrz who is calling me (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsa signal strength (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsb fading (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsk break-in (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsl all received OK (See Q-Code list for full meaning) also used as
a short form of "qsl card"
qsll I will send a QSL card when I receive one from you (No official
Q-Code meaning)
qsl bureau organisation that allows stations to send QSL cards in bulk
which are then distributed to the individual recipients
qsl card confirmation of a contact, usually in post-card format
qsl manager person who deals with the sending and receiving of QSL cards on
behalf of a station
qso contact (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsp relay a message or the relayed message itself (See Q-Code list
for full meaning)
qst officially unassigned Q-Code, but adopted by the American Radio
Relay League to mean "CQ ARRL members". Also the title of the
ARRL's official journal.
qsx indicates that a station is listening for replies on a
frequency that is different from his transmitting frequency,
e.g. "qsx up 5" means listening 5kHz above transmitting
frequency (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qsy change frequency (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qth location (See Q-Code list for full meaning)
qth locator the current IARU system for indicating a station's geographical
location by a six-character code that is unique to one small
area of the earth's surface, e.g. IO90TW. This six-character
code defines an area 0.5 minutes of longitude wide by 2.5
minutes of latitude high. Select "Locator and Zone Maps" for
further information.
qth locator
square the area defined by the first four characters of a QTH locator
code, e.g. IO90, which is an area of the Earth's surface 2
degrees of longitude wide by 1 degree of latitude high. There
are 32,400 such squares and each has a unique reference within
the range AA00 to RR99. Note that these "squares" are actually
trapezia (but virtually rectangular), which are further divided
into 576 sub-squares, each 0.5 minutes of longitude wide by 2.5
minutes of latitude high. These sub-squares are defined by the
last two characters of a QTH locator code, which are within the
range AA to XX, e.g. TW. Select "Locator and Zone Maps" for
further information.
qthr name and address correct in the UK Call Book (No official Q-Code
meaning)
quad an antenna with a rectangular format, usually consisting
of wire elements mounted on spreaders
"quert" phonetic pronunciation of "qrt", as in "going quert", which
means "closing down"
quietening an indication of the strength of a received FM signal by
estimating the degree of receiver noise reduction
r all received OK or the decimal point (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
RA Radiocommunications Agency. This was the UK Government Agency
responsible for licensing the use of the entire radio spectrum in
the UK. The powers and functions of the RA were transferred to
OFCOM (The Office of Communications) at the end of December 2003.
radials wires or rods located at the base of a vertical antenna,
connected to form an "artificial earth" against which the antenna
may be tuned
rag-chew long contact during which many subjects are discussed, often of a
general, non-amateur radio, nature
RAIBC Radio Amateur Invalid and Blind Club
rain static pulsating noise caused by statically charged rain falling on the
antenna
rally short for "mobile rally". These used to be informal gatherings
of mobile radio operators held to promote discussion about
equipment, operating practices and operational safety, but which
have now become large well organised Trade Shows and "radio
boot-sales"
rc ragchew (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
rcd received (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
rcvr receiver (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
RDFT Redundant Digital File Transfer. This is a protocol for the
transmission of any digital file via an analogue radio link, but
the main Amateur Radio application is in "digital SSTV".
re concerning or regarding (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
read the act of hearing and understanding another station
readout the device that displays visual data, other than pictures, on a
piece of equipment
ref reference or refer to (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
report message indicating the subjective readability, signal strength
and tone quality of a received signal (tone quality on CW only).
Amateur Radio signal reports are given as a two or three figure
group, using the following criteria:-
r (Readability)
1 Unreadable
2 Barely readible, with only occasional words distinguishable
3 Readable with considerable difficulty
4 Readable with practically no difficulty
5 Perfectly readable
s (Signal strength)
1 Faint signals, barely perceptible
2 Very weak signals
3 Weak signals
4 Fair signals
5 Fairly good signals
6 Good signals
7 Moderately strong signals
8 Strong signals
9 Extremely strong signals
t (Tone quality) (CW use only)
1 Extremely rough, hissing note
2 Very rough ac note with no trace of musicality
3 Rough, low pitched ac note, but slightly musical
4 Rather rough ac note, but moderately musical
5 Fairly musical note, but with some modulation
6 Musical note, but with a trace of modulation
7 Nearly pure tone with trace of ripple modulation
8 Near perfect tone with slight trace of modulation
9 Perfect tone with no trace of ripple or modulation
If a CW signal appears to be crystal controlled, the letter "x"
may be appended to the rst report. If there is chirp on the
signal, the letter "c" should be appended and if there are key-
clicks, the letter "k" should be appended.
Although not used by Amateur Radio operators, except on the
experimental 60m (5MHz) band, broadcast signal reception is
normally reported, by SWLs, using the SINPO system.
repeater a device which receives signals on one frequency and retransmits
the modulation content on another frequency within the same band
rf radio frequency
rfi radio frequency interference
ribbon feeder flat parallel twin transmission line
rice-box equipment manufactured in the Far East, usually Japan
rig transmitter/receiver or Remote Imaging Group
roger all received OK
roller coaster variable inductor using a rotatable coil with a tapping point
formed by a small fixed roller running on the turns of the coil
rotator device for rotating a directional antenna
rpt repeat or report (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
rough noise wideband noise with non-constant amplitude including many peaks
and spikes
RSGB Radio Society of Great Britain
rst letter group immediately preceding the signal report (CW, PSK31
and RTTY use only)
RTTY radio teletype
rubber duck a small, flexible, antenna used on hand-held equipment
rubber crystal a quartz crystal incorporated into a circuit that allows its
operating frequency to be varied
running a list the practise of compiling a list of calling stations prior to
working them individually. Often used by DX stations when
dealing with a pile-up
rx receive or receiver (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
S-meter device incorporated into a receiver that indicates signal
strength
sa say (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
sae self addressed envelope
SAREX Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment
sase stamped, self addressed envelope (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
say again repeat
scope oscilloscope
sdr software defined radio
serial number number appended to a contest report that indicates the number of
contacts achieved since the start of the contest. Serial numbers
normally start at 001 and increment by one for each new station
worked
sez says (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
sgd signed (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
shack room containing the amateur radio station
shared band a frequency band in which more than one user service has
operating rights
sheepskin operating proficiency certificate (e.g. DXCC)
shift frequency change used in fsk or the separation between a
repeater's input and output channels
short path the shorter of the two possible "around-the-world" signal
propagation paths
shud should (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
SID Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance
side swiper a Morse key in which the operating lever moves from side to side
side tone a signal injected into the station receiver during transmission,
such that the transmitted signal may be monitored
sig signal or signature (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
sig gen signal generator
silent key a deceased Radio Amateur
simplex receiving and transmitting sequentially on the same frequency
SINAD acronym for "signal plus noise and distortion". A sensitivity
measurement normally associated with FM receivers
SINPO the system of reporting signals from broadcast and other stations
where an accurate and repeatable subjective assessment of
reception conditions is required. The SINPO code is defined in
CCIR Recommendation 251, but the "RST equivalents" are not part
of that recommendation, being specific to the "5MHz Experiment".
Although the normal Amateur Radio convention of reporting only
readability and signal strength is sometimes considered to be
inadequate, the SINPO code is not normally used by Radio Amateurs.
Its use is, however, obligatory for those stations participating
in the eight year "5MHz Experiment", which began in August 2002,
during which propagation studies are to be carried out in
conjunction with other UK amateur, military and military cadet
stations. UK Amateur Radio operators who have been granted the
necessary NoV, are permitted to operate on five spot frequencies
in the 5MHz band during this experiment. The RST values normally
used by Radio Amateurs are shown in brackets below and are the
recommended equivalents to be used when determining SINPO reports
of signals on the 5MHz Band.
S - Signal strength (QSA)
1 Barely audible (S2 or below)
2 Poor (S3 or S4)
3 Fair (S5 or S6)
4 Good (S7 or S8)
5 Excellent (S9 or above)
I - Interference from other signals (QRM)
1 Extreme (S9 or above)
2 Severe (S7 or S8)
3 Moderate (S5 or S6)
4 Slight (S3 or S4)
5 Nil (S2 or below)
N - Noise, static etc (QRN)
1 Extreme (S9 or above)
2 Severe (S7 or S8)
3 Moderate (S5 or S6)
4 Slight (S3 or S4)
5 Nil (S2 or below)
* P - Propagation effects (QSB and multipath)
1 Extreme (QSB > 6 S-points or extremely Auroral)
2 Severe (QSB of 6 S-points or strong multipath)
3 Moderate (QSB of 4 S-points or medium multipath)
4 Slight (QSB of 2 S-points or slight multipath)
5 Nil (No QSB or multipath)
O - Overall rating (QRK)
1 Barely audible (Extremely difficult to read)
2 Poor (Poor readability, quality unassessable)
3 Fair (Fairly good readability and quality)
4 Good (Good readability and quality)
5 Excellent (Excellent readability and quality)
* Note that when assessing the "Propagation" parameter, the most
predominant effect from fading (QSB) and Doppler/multipath (phase
distortion or auroral effects) is used to determine the "P" value.
SITOR acronym for "simplex teletype over radio"
sk end of work (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only. Sent as a single group,
with no space between letters) or silent key (CW, PSK31 and RTTY
use only)
sked schedule
sky-hook the means whereby an antenna is held aloft
slow-scan slow scan television
smps switch mode power supply
sn soon (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
snale-mail the normal postal system as opposed to e-mail
SO239 the Amphenol catalogue number of a type of co-axial socket in the
"UHF" generic series. Often erroneously used to indicate the
generic series itself
software the code that constitutes a computer programme
solid state using non-thermionic active devices, e.g. transistors
SOTA Summits On The Air
sp short path (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
sparkle a subjective description of modulation that is not "woolly"
speaker shortened form of "loud speaker"
speech clipper a rudimentary form of speech processor which limits the peak
amplitude of the speech waveform to a particular level
speech compressor alternative name for a speech processor
speech mangler alternative name for a speech processor (facetious)
speech processor device for increasing the "talk-power" of a transmission by
compressing the dynamic range of the modulating audio
spike short duration, high amplitude signal super-imposed upon another
signal
spitch high pitched transient interference from an adjacent signal
splatter interference from the sidebands of an adjacent signal
split frequency receiving and transmitting sequentially on different frequencies
spot a message on a DX cluster indicating the presence and frequency
of a particular station
sporadic-e the propagation mode occasionally occurring on the VHF and higher
HF bands when a particular type of ionisation is present in the
E-layer of the ionosphere
spread the total bandwidth occupied by a signal
sprog very young operator or child
sproggy spurious emission from a transmitter
spur spurious internally generated signal in a receiver or from a
transmitter
square short for "QTH locator square" in context of "squares worked",
"square chasing" etc
square eyes a malady caused by watching too much television!
squeaky a person, causing deliberate interference using a disguised voice
squelch a system whereby receiver and atmospheric noise is suppressed
in the absence of a received signal
sri sorry (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ss sweepstakes (In America, CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ssb single sideband
sstv slow scan television
stateside The United States of America
static crashes the background noise caused by atmospheric electrical discharges
static mobile unofficial designation indicating that the station is permanently
installed in a vehicle that is currently parked. Note that the
correct designation is "mobile" or "/M", regardless of whether
the vehicle is parked or moving.
station manager wife (facetious)
station master net controller
stn station (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
straight key manually operated morse key
sub-audible tones the very low frequency CTCSS audio tones that some repeaters use
instead of, or in addition to, the 1750Hz tone-burst, to initiate
access. See "CTCSS" above for a list of the currently used tones
suffix the part of a callsign directly following the prefix
sum some (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
surplus term used to describe equipment no longer required by the
original owner and disposed of on the open market
svc service or prefix to service message (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
"swer" phonetic pronunciation of the abbreviation "swr"
"swer-bridge" phonetic pronunciation of "swr bridge"
swr standing wave ratio
swr bridge a device for measuring the standing wave ratio existing on a
transmission line
swl short wave listener
tail ending the practice of calling a station immediately following the end
of a transmission from the station that is currently being
worked, without waiting for the first station to sign off (poor
operating practice)
talk-in operation intended to provided assistance to mobile stations
requiring directions to a rally or similar event
talk up attempt to increase the signal strength of an SSB transmission,
the modulation level of an AM transmission, or the deviation
level of an FM transmission, by speaking loudly
talk power the perceived ability of a transmitter to produce readable
signals based on modulation criteria rather than signal strength
TCP/IP Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
temp temporary or temperature (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ten-four message understood (CB jargon, believed to derive from American
Police radio procedures, not normally used by Radio Amateurs)
test contest (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only) or test transmission
tfc traffic (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
thin audio audio lacking base and upper treble frequencies
this end here or is (verbose CB jargon, not recommended for amateur use)
this side here or is (verbose CB jargon, not recommended for amateur use)
this way here or is (verbose CB jargon, not recommended for amateur use)
tia thanks in advance (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ticket Amateur Radio Licence
time-out automatic cessation of communications, after a pre-determined
period, caused by inactivity
tks thanks (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tmw tomorrow (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tnc terminal node controller (used for decoding packet radio signals)
tnx thanks (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tone-burst the 1750Hz tone used to open a repeater link
top band the 1.8MHz amateur band
tr transmit (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
t/r transmit/receive (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
transceiver combined transmitter and receiver
transponder a device which receives signals on one frequency band and
retransmits them on another frequency band
trbl treble or trouble (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
trf tuned radio frequency
trix tricks (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
trx transceiver (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tt that (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tts that is (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tu thank you (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
tube radio valve (abbreviation of the American term "vacuum tube")
tune-up adjust equipment, usually a transmitter
tune for maximum
smoke adjust a transmitter to generate its maximum power output
turns on the coil age (e.g. 60 years old = 60 turns on the coil)
twisted pair telephone line
tvi television interference
tx transmit or transmitter (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
txt text (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
u you (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
ufb ultra fine business (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
uhf ultra high frequency
uhf bands the 432MHz and 1296MHz amateur bands. Also the American 902MHz
amateur band
unlis unlicensed (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
up-link the transmitted signal to a satelite
ur your or you are (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
url Universal Resource Locator
urs yours (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
usb upper sideband or universal serial bus
UTC Co-ordinated Universal Time. For all practical purposes, this
is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
v volts
valve thermionic device referred to in America as a "vacuum tube"
vertical vertically polarised antenna
vhf very high frequency
vhf bands the 50MHz, 70MHz and 144MHz amateur bands. Also the American
220MHz amateur band
ve understood (CW use only. Sent as a single group, with no space
between letters. RTTY operators normally use "R")
vert vertical (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
vfb very fine business (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
vfo variable frequency oscillator
vlf very low frequency
vlf bands the 73kHz and 136kHz amateur bands
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
vox voice operated transmit/receive switching
vsb vestigial sideband
vswr voltage standing wave ratio
vy very (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
w watts
wa word after (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
WAB Worked All Britain
WACRAL World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs and Listeners
walkie-talkie colloquial slang for a hand-held transceiver, other than
a mobile 'phone
wat what (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
watsa what say (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
WAMRAC World Association of Methodist Radio Amateurs and Clubs (now
renamed WACRAL)
WARC World Administrative Radio Conference (organised by the ITU)
WARC Bands the 10MHz, 18MHz and 24MHz bands. These are the latest bands
to be released to the Amateur Radio Service by decisions taken
at a World Administrative Radio Conference
wb word before (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wet string description of an antenna, usually indicating poor performance
(as in "the antenna is a piece of wet string")
wd word (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wds words (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
whip antenna a short, vertical, antenna, usually mechanically flexible
whiskeys watts (CB jargon not normally used on Amateur Radio)
white noise constant amplitude wideband noise, such as residual circuit
noise in a receiver with no incoming signals
white-stick op blind operator
wid with (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wireless old name for radio, but now "re-discovered" to indicate the
interconnection of any electronic devices without a direct,
hard-wired connection
wkd worked (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wkg working (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wl will or well (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
woodpeckers HF over-the-horizon military radar systems using wideband pulse
modulation which cause considerable interference across the HF
spectrum
woolly a subjective description of muffled or indistinct modulation
work be in contact with
working
conditions equipment details
wpm words per minute (When estimating Morse speeds, the word "PARIS"
is regarded as the standard length word)
WRC World Radiocommunications Conference (organised by the ITU)
wrd word (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wrk work (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
WSJT Weak Signal Communication by K1JT. This is a computer programme
written by K1JT, which decodes FSK441, JT44 and JT6M signals and
generates appropriate replies. These types of transmissions
are used for meteor scatter, tropospheric scatter, ionospheric
scatter and eme communication, on the VHF and UHF bands
wud would (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
wug or wugite generic term for any non-metallic substance, usually indicating
that the exact composition is unknown
wx weather (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
xcvr transceiver (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
xmas Christmas (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
xmtr transmitter (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
xtal quartz crystal (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
xyl wife
x squared yl ex-wife (ex-xyl)
yagi a multi-element directional antenna
yf wife (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
yl young lady or girl friend
yr year (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
z zulu time (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
zepp an end fed wire antenna, using a ladder feeder with only one
side of the feeder connected to the antenna. (Zepp is short for
Zeppelin, the aircraft which first used this type of antenna)
zilch nothing or zero
zones geographical areas, surrounded by arbitrary boundaries, and
assigned numbers by the ITU and CQ Magazine. Unfortunately the
two zoning systems are not mutually compatible and neither is
compatible with the QTH Locator System. For example, the
British Isles are in ITU Zone 27, CQ Zone 14 and QTH Locator
fields IN, IO, IP and JO. Select "Locator and Zone Maps" for
further information.
zulu time Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
5RV short for "G5RV", which is a type of multiband wire dipole
antenna designed by the late Louis Varney, G5RV
30 I have nothing more to send (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
33 fondest regards (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
55 best success (CW, PSK31 and RTTY use only)
73 best wishes (Intended for CW use but often used on fone)
88 love and kisses (Intended for CW use but often used on fone)