Morse Code for Radio Amateurs

Morse Code is named after Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872), a painter and founder of the National Academy of Design, who, along with Alfred Vail (1807-1859) a machinist and inventor, and the physicist Joseph Henry (1797-1878) developed the electromagnetic telegraph and the code that assigns a set of dots and dashes or short and long pulses to each letter of the English alphabet. The first working telegraph was produced in 1836. This made transmission possible over any distance. The first Morse Code message, "What hath God wrought?", was sent from Washington to Baltimore in 1844.

Today experienced operators copy received text without the need to write as they receive, and when transmitting, can easily converse at 20 to 30 words per minute. Morse Code will always remain a viable means of providing highly reliable communications during difficult communications conditions.

Morse Code can be transmitted using sound or light, as sometimes happens between ships at sea. It is used in emergencies to transmit distress signals when no other form of communication is available.

International Morse Code

Morse Code can be used to transmit messages in English and many other languages. This is the current international standard version. Slightly diffferent versions of Morse Code were used in the USA, Germany and elsewhere in the past.

For languages not written with the Latin alphabet other versions of Morse Code are used. There are versions of Morse Code for the Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic and Hebrew alphabets, and for Japanese a version known as Wabun Code (和文モールス符号), which maps kana syllables to specific codes, is used.

The Chinese telegraph code is used to map Chinese characters to four-digit codes and then those digits are sent using standard Morse code. Korean Morse code uses the SKATS (Standard Korean Alphabet Transliteration System) mapping, originally developed to allow Korean to be typed on western typewriters.

Latin/Roman Morse Characters

Russian/Cyrillic Morse Characters

Note that numbers are the same

Morse Prosigns

Unlike Morse Code abbreviations, the following signals are sent as a single character (no spacing between letters), which is indicated by an overline when written as text.

AA – Start new line (typically between lines in an address)

AR – End of message

AS – Stand by

BT – Pause; Break between sections of formal message

CT – Beginning of message, i.e. “Copy This” (also written as KA)

EEEEEEEE – Error, The correct text follows now.

IMI – I will now repeat the last word sent (typically used after an unusual or unexpected word). Also used to request a repeat of the last transmission, or as a standard question mark.

KN – Go ahead (specified station only). Can also be sent as KN (two separate characters).

SK – End of contact (also written as VA)

SN – Understood (also written as VE)

SOS – I am in distress (for emergency use only)

Morse Code abbreviations

Unlike Morse Code prosigns, the following abbreviations are sent with normal letter spacing.

AA – All after
AB – All before
ABT – About
ADR – Address
AGN – Again
ANT – Antenna
BCI – Broadcast interference
BCNU – Be seeing you
BK – Break
BN – All between; Been
BRGDS – Best regards
BTR – Better
BUG – Semi-automatic key
B4 – Before
C – Yes; That is correct
CFM – Confirm; I confirm
CK – Check (i.e. the word count in a formal message)
CKT – Circuit
CL – I am closing my station
CLD – Called or could
CLG – Calling
CNT – Can’t
CONDX – Conditions
CQ – Calling any station
CU – See You
CUL – See You later
CUM – Come
CW – Continuous wave
DE – From; This is
DIFF – Difference
DLVD – Delivered
DN – Down
DR – Dear
DX – Distance
EL – Element
ES – And
FB – Fine business, very good
FER – For
FM – From
GA – Go ahead; Good afternoon
GB – Good bye
GE – Good evening
GESS – Guess
GG – Going
GL – Good luck
GM – Good morning
GN – Good night
GND – Ground
GUD – Good
GV – Give
GVG – Giving
HI – The telegraph laugh; High
HPE – Hope
HQ – Headquarters
HR – Here; Hear
HV – Have
HW – How; How do you copy?
II – I will now direct my communication to another station on the frequency
INFO – Info
LID – A poor operator
LNG – Long
LTR – Later; letter
LV – Leave
LVG – Leaving
MILL – Typewriter
MSG – Message
N – No, Incorrect, No More
NCS – Net Control Station
NIL – Nothing
NM – No more (as in “I have no more traffic to send you”)
NR – Number
NW – Now
OB – Old boy
OM – Old man
OP – Operator
OPR – Operator
OT – Old timer
PBL – Preamble
PKG – Package
PSE – Please
PT – Point
PWR – Power
R – Received as transmitted; Are; Decimal point
RC – Ragchew
RCD – Received
RCVR – Receiver
RE – Concerning; Regarding
REF – Refer to; Referring to; Reference
RFI – Radio frequency interference
RIG – Station equipment
RPRT – Report
RPT – Repeat, Report
RSN – Readability, signal strength, noise strength (e.g. “UR RSN 356″>
RST – Readability, signal strength, tone (e.g. “UR RST 359”)
RX – Receive, Receiver
SASE – Self-addressed, stamped envelope
SED – Said
SEZ – Says
SGD – Signed
SIG – Signature; Signal
SINE – Operator’s personal initials or nickname
SKED – Schedule
SRI – Sorry
STN – Station
SU – See you (as in “good bye”)
SUM – Some
SVC – Service; Prefix to a service message
TFC – Traffic
TMW – Tomorrow
TKS – Thanks
TNX – Thanks
TR – Transmit
T/R – Transmit/Receive
TRIX – Tricks
TT – That
TU – Thank you
TVI – Television interference
TX – Transmitter; Transmit
TXT – Text
U – You
UR – Your; You’re
URS – Yours
VFB – Very fine business (excellent)
VY – Very
WA – Word after
WB – Word before
WD – Word
WDS – Words
WID – With
WILCO – Will comply (I will do as you have requested)
WKD – Worked
WKG – Working
WL – Well; Will
WPM – Words per minute
WRD – Word
WUD – Would
WX – Weather
XCVR – Transceiver
XMTR – Transmitter
XTAL – Crystal
XYL – Wife
YL – Young lady
YR – Year
30 – I have no more to send
73 – Best regards
77 – Long live CW
88 – Love and kisses
161 – Best regards to you and your spouse (161 = 73 + 88)

Cut numbers

A – 1
U – 2
V – 3
4 is sent normally
E – 5
6 is sent normally
G – 7
D – 8
N – 9
T – 0 (sometimes sent as a long dash)