Ham radio abbreviations


Here is a non exhaustive list of ham radio abbreviations, particularly used in CW QSOs.


ABT About
AGN Again
ANS Answer
ANT Antenna
B4 Before
BC Broadcast
BD Bad
BK Back or break
BN Been, being
BTW By the way
BURO QSL bureau
C Correct, yes
CBA Callbook address
CFM Confirm
CL Closing station down
CLG Calling
CLR Clear
CONDX Conditions
CPI Copy
CPY Copy
CQ General call for a QSO (contact)
CW Continuous waves (morse code)
DE From
DR Dear
DWN Down
DX Long distance contact, rare station
ES And
FB Fine business, very good
FER For
GA Good afternoon or go ahead
GB Good bye
GD Good or Good day
GE Good evening
GM Good morning
GN Good night
GND Ground
GP Ground-plane antenna
GUD Good
HAM Amateur radio operator
HI Laughter on CW
HR Here or ham radio
HV Have
HW? How do you copy me? What about you?
K Please transmit
KN Only the station I am working should transmit
LID Poor operator
LP Log-periodic antenna or long path
LSB Lower sideband
LW Long-wire antenna
MGR QSL manager
MNI Many
MSG Message
NIL Nothing heard or no copy
NR Near
NW Now or North-West
OM Old man (amateur radio operator)
OP Operator name
OPR Operator, operate
PSE Please
PO Power output
PWR Power
R Message received or correct
RCV Receive
RCVD Received
RCVR Receiver
RIG Equipment
RPRT Report
RPT Repeat
RX Receiver
SIG Signal
SK This is my last transmission (stop keying)
SKED Schedule
SN Soon
SNW Snow
SP Short path
SRI Sorry
STN Station
SWL Short waves listener
TEMP Temperature
TEST Contest
TFC Traffic
TIL Until
TKS Thanks
TCVR Transceiver
TU Thank you
TX Transmitter
TNX Thanks
U You
UFB Ultra fine business (excellent)
UR Your
USB Upper sideband
VERT Vertical antenna
VY Very
W Watts
WKD Worked (connected)
WPM Words Per Minute
WRK Work
WX Weather
XCVR Transceiver
XMTR Transmitter
XTAL Crystal
XYL Wife
YL Young Lady
73 Best regards
88 Love and kisses

Bibliography and further reading

[1] Nerio Neri I4NE. Radiotecnica per Radioamatori. C&C - Edizioni Radioelettroniche, 1994, Appendice 14.
[2] Carlo Amorati I4ALU. Manuale di radiotelegrafia. C&C - Edizioni Radioelettroniche, 1995, Tavola 1, p. 111.
[3] OFCOM - Office fédéral de la communication. Prescriptions concernant les radioamateurs. Section concessions de radiocommunication, Rue de l'Avenir 44, CH-2503 Bienne, 2001, Appendice 4.