Morse Code (CW) Abbreviations

MORSE CODE (CW) ABBREVIATIONS

I have attempted to make the following list as complete as possible, but there is always the possiblity that other abbreviations exist that are not listed here. Most of the following abbreviations can be heard in any typical Morse Code (CW) QSO. If you spend much time operating Morse Code (CW) on the air, you will eventually hear all of these abbreviations being used.--Ron/W5WWW

ABBREVIATIONS (In Alphabetical Order)

73--Best Regards
88--Hugs and Kisses
ABT--About
AGN--Again
ANT--Antenna
ARND--Around
B4--Before
BCNU--Be Seeing You
BK--Break, Back ("I'm back now" or "Back to you")
BN--Been
BTR--Better
BUX--Dollars
CLDY--Cloudy
CLR--Clear (usually a description of the weather)
CNTCT--Contact
CONDX--Conditions
CPY,CPI--Copy
CU--See you
CUD--Could
CUL--See You Later
CUZ--Because
DR--Dear (often used by foreign/DX operators in front of the other operator's name)
ES--And
FB--Fine Business (good, excellent, OK)
FER--For
FT--Feet
GA--Good Afternoon, Go Ahead
GB--Good Bye, God Bless
GE--Good Evening
GL--Good Luck
GM--Good Morning
GUD--Good
HI--Telegraphic Laughing
HPE--Hope
HR--Here, Hear
HV--Have
HW--How (or "How copy?")
LIL--Little
MNI--Many
NR--Near, Number
NW--Now
O 0--(usually used when stating transmitter output of 100 Watts. If using a straight key it is also OK to use a very long dah to represent 0.)
OM--Old Man
OP--Operator (Sometimes used insted of "name" when introducing oneself.)
PSE--Please
PWR--Power
R--are
RCVR--Receiver
SIGS--Signals
SN--Soon
SRI--Sorry
TMW--Tomorrow
TNX, TKS--Thanks
TU--Thank You (usually used at end of contact, meaning "Thanks for the contact".)
TX--Transmit
U--You
UR--Your, You Are
URS--Yours
VY--Very
WID--With
WL--Well, will, we'll
WTS--Watts
WUD--Would
WX--Weather
XCVR--Transceiver
XMTR--Transmitter
XYL--Wife
YL--Girlfriend ("Young Lady")
YRS--(Years)

PROSIGN TIPS

Don't neglect to learn these by sound. Knowing what they look like on paper is of little value when you are mystified by the sound of long CW characters. Knowing the rules of context that govern the use of prosigns is also very helpful.

AAA is the period. Use it at the end of a sentence when the following sentence will pertain to the same subject.
AR is used at the end of a transmission when calling a specific station before the two-way contact has been established. Use it in place of K or KN when answering a CQ, or calling someone for a sked.
AS means "Please stand by for a moment", usually used to let the other guy know that you have to talk to someone else in the room, answer the telephone, or fix some technicial glitch and that the band didn't just fall out from under your QSO. You'll be back in just a mintute.
BT is kind of like the period. Use it at the end of a sentence when the next sentence will pertain to a different topic.
CL follows SK when you are also vacating the frequency just used. Note that the letters are not run together on this one.
DE From
DN is the slash (/). It is used to indicate mobile, QRP, or operation from a different call area than that indicated by your callsign.
IMI is the question mark.
K is used at the end of a transmission means you are listening for an answer from any station. Use it when calling CQ. Once you have established contact with a station and you do not want to be interupted by a third party, use KN instead.
KN is used at at the end of a transmission when only the other party already in the QSO is invited to respond.
MIM is the comma.
R means "Roger" or "Received". Use it at the beginning of a transmission ONLY if you copied 100% of what was just sent to you. Don't use it if anything was missed. Use BK instead, and something like "FB on UR QTH but missed UR name". You can also start a transmission with BK even if something was not missed. High speed operators often use this method instead of KN and R.
SK is used at the end of your final transmission of a QSO. If the other station has not yet sent his "final" you may follow SK with KN.

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