Complete list of radio amateur codes, abbreviations and expressions
I do not claim that it is absolutely complete, I can only claim that it is the complete list that I have heard in my activity as a radio amateur (the last 50 years of my life).
| Code | Meaning | Notes |
| . . (two dots) | Be healthy! All the best! Goodbye! Bye-bye! | CW jargon at the end of the link |
| 128 | All the best and good night! (73 + 55) | Among German-speakers |
| 161 | Greetings and kisses to the whole family! (88 + 73) | |
| 16th channel | International Emergency Marine Channel 156.8 MHz | |
| 44 | “Let’s save this world!” | On “World Flora and Fauna” |
| 55 | Goodbye and good night | Between German speakers |
| 73 | All the best, best wishes | |
| 88 | Love and kisses | |
| AA | Everything after | |
| AB | Everything before | |
| ABLE | Possible, capable, abble | |
| ABT | About, approximately | |
| ADR | Address | |
| AGN | One more time, again | |
| AIR | Air | |
| ALL | All | |
| AM | Amplitude modulation, before noon | |
| AND | And | |
| ANSWER | Answer | |
| ANT | Antenna | |
| ANY | Whoever, any | |
| AR | End of cue (recommended at end of CQ) | Transmitted merged |
| AS | Waiting, waiting, hold on | Transmitted merged |
| ASK | I’m asking, asking for something | |
| ALSO | Also | |
| AT | At …. hours; on | |
| BAND | Width | |
| BCNU | We will meet again | |
| BD | Bad | |
| BEAM | Directional antenna | |
| BEST | Best | |
| BETTER | Better | |
| BK | Break, break, half duplex, break | Not delivered merged |
| BN | Everything between, between | |
| BOOK | Book | |
| BOX | Box | |
| BTW | By the way | |
| BUG | Semi-automatic telegraph switch | |
| BULL | Newsletter | |
| BUSY | Busy | |
| BY | At, from, through | |
| C | … degrees Celsius | |
| CALL | Initial, call | |
| CAN | I can | |
| CC | Quartz stabilization | |
| CENTRAL | Central | |
| CFD | Confirmed | |
| CFM | Confirm, I confirm | |
| CHAT | Friendly conversation | |
| CHEERIO | Hello, be healthy | |
| CHEERIO | Goodbye! Good luck! Happy travels! | Quite informal |
| CHIRPY | Chirp tone | |
| CIAO | Hello, be healthy, goodbye | When QSO with an Italian |
| CL | I’m closing (turning off) the radio station | Transmitted merged |
| CL | Initial, call sign, identifier | |
| CLD | Called | |
| CLG | Cryer | |
| CLOUDY | Cloudy | |
| CODE | Code, 87 | |
| COLD | Cold | |
| COME | I’m coming, come | |
| CONDS | Terms of Acceptance | |
| CONDX | DX Terms | |
| CONGRATS | Congratulations | |
| CONTEST | Competition | |
| CONV | Converter, convert | |
| COPY | Recording, Accepting | |
| COUNTRY | Country | |
| CPI | Record, accept, accepted | |
| CPY | Record, accept, accepted | |
| CQ | General call, calling everyone | |
| CQ DX | I am calling far countries | |
| CQ TEST | Calling all contestants | |
| CRD | Card | |
| CU | I will call you, let’s meet | |
| CUA | Feeling | |
| CUAGN | We will meet again | |
| CUD | I could | |
| CUDNT | I couldn’t | |
| CUL | See you later | |
| CW | Telegraphy, radio telegraphy | |
| DAY | Day | |
| DB | Decibel | |
| DE | From, here (when using callsigns) | For example: W9ZZ DE LZ3AI |
| DIPOLE | Dipole (antenna type) | |
| DIRECT | Straight, straight | |
| DIY | Handmade | |
| DO | I do, do | |
| DONT | I don’t | |
| DOUBLET | Doublet, doublet (antenna type) | |
| DOWN | Down | |
| DR | Dear | |
| DSW | Goodbye (from Doswidaniya – Russian word) | Between Russian speakers |
| DWN | Down | |
| DX | Far country, far QSO | |
| EAST | East | |
| EASY | Easy | |
| END | End | |
| ENOUGH | Enough | |
| EQSL | Electronic QSL | |
| EQUAL | Equal | |
| EQUIP | Equipment, hardware | |
| ES | And, also | |
| EVERY | Everyone | |
| EX | Former | |
| EXACT | Correct | |
| EXACTLY | Exactly | |
| EXHIBITION | Exhibition | |
| FAN | Radio fan, listener | |
| FAR | Away | |
| FAST | Fast | |
| FB | Excellent | |
| FEEDER | Drain, feeder | |
| FER | About | |
| FEW | A little, a few | |
| FINE | Wonderful | |
| FIRST | First | |
| FM | Frequency Modulation | |
| FM | From | |
| FOG | Mist | |
| FONE | Telephony | |
| PHONES | Headphones | |
| FOR | About | |
| FR | About | |
| FRD | Friend | |
| FREQ | Frequency | |
| FRIEND | Friend | |
| FRM | From | |
| FROM | From | |
| FULL | Full | |
| G5RV | Antenna type | |
| GA | Good afternoon, good day | |
| GA | Go on, go on, pass on | |
| GB | Goodbye | |
| GD | Good day | GA is preferred |
| GD | Good | |
| GE | Good evening | |
| GIVE | I give | |
| GL | All the best, luck, chance, success | |
| GLAD | Delighted, pleased | |
| GLD | Delighted, pleased | |
| GM | Good morning | |
| GN | Good night | |
| GOOD | Good, good, good | |
| GOOD LUCK | All the best, good luck, good luck | |
| GREETINGS | Congratulations | |
| GROUND | Earth, grounding | |
| GUD | Good, good, good | |
| GUNOR | Your station cannot be heard | |
| HAD | I had | |
| HALF | Half | |
| HAM | Radio Amateur | |
| HAMSHACK | Radio Amateur Corner | |
| HAMSPIRIT | Radio Amateur Spirit | |
| HANDLE | Name (by which you are known) | |
| HAPPY | Happy | |
| HAS | He has | |
| HAVE | I have, we have, you have | |
| HE | He | |
| HF | High Frequency | |
| HH | Error correction, I was wrong | Merging is done |
| HI | Laughter, laughing | |
| HIGN | Tall | |
| HIS | His | |
| HNY | Happy New Year | |
| HOLD | Hold | |
| HOLIDAY | Holiday, vacation | |
| HOME MADE | Handmade | |
| HONOR | Respect, honor | |
| HOPE | I hope so | |
| HOT | Hot | |
| HOUR | Time | |
| HOW | How | |
| HPE | I hope so | |
| HR | Here | |
| HR | I hear | |
| HRD | I heard | |
| HVNT | I don’t have | |
| HVY | Heavy | |
| HW CPY? | How did you accept? | |
| HW? | How? How can you hear me? How did you accept? | |
| HWS | How is …. | |
| I | Me | |
| IF | If | |
| IN | In | |
| INCREASE | Zoom in | |
| INFO | Information | |
| INPUT | Power input | |
| INVITE | I invite | |
| IS | Well | |
| ISL | Island | |
| IT | It, him | |
| JOB | Profession, job | |
| JOY | Joy | |
| K | I finished the line, pass it to you please. | |
| KEY | Morse key | |
| KN | Only you transmit, let the others wait, please. | Not delivered merged |
| KNOW | I know | |
| KNOWN | I don’t know | |
| KW | Kilowatt | |
| LAST | Last | |
| LAT | Width (geographic), Latitude | |
| LICENSE | TX permission | |
| LID | Bad operator | |
| LIFF | Life | |
| LIGHT | Light | |
| LIKE | Like | |
| LINE | Line | |
| LINK | Connection | |
| LISTEN | Listening | |
| LITTLE | Little, little | |
| LIVE | I live | |
| LIVING | Living | |
| LOCAL | Local | |
| LOG | Log | |
| LONG | Long | |
| LONG WIRE | Long wire (antenna type) | |
| LOOK | Watching | |
| LOOK FOR | Following for … | |
| LOTW | Log of the World – Electronic QSL System | |
| LOVE | Love | |
| LOW | Low | |
| LP | Long propagation path of radio waves | |
| LSN | Listening, listen | |
| LSTN | Listening, listen | |
| LTR | Letter | |
| LUCK | Happiness | |
| LUCKY | Happy | |
| LW | Long wire (antenna type) | |
| M | Minute, meter | |
| MA | Milliamps | |
| MANY | A lot | |
| MAP | Geographic map | |
| ME | Me me | |
| Me | Me, me | |
| MEET | Meeting, meeting | |
| MERRY | Cheerful | |
| MERRY XMAS | Merry Christmas | |
| MEZ | Central European Time | |
| MI | Me, me | |
| MIKE | Microphone | |
| MINE | My | |
| MNI | A lot | |
| MOD | Modulation | |
| MONTH | Month | |
| MORE | More | |
| MSG | Message | |
| MUST | Must | |
| MX | Merry Christmas | |
| MY | Me, mine | |
| N | No, nothing, negation | |
| NAME | Name | |
| NEAR | Near, about | |
| NEED | Need | |
| NET | Network of stations | |
| NET-CONTROL | Network Manager | |
| NEVER | Never | |
| NEW | New | |
| NEXT | Next | |
| NICE | Kind, nice | |
| NIGHT | Night | |
| NIL | Nothing | |
| NO | No | |
| NORTH | Northern | |
| NOT | No | |
| NOTE | Note, I noticed | |
| NOW | Now | |
| NR | Near, about | |
| NR | Number | |
| NW | Now | |
| OB | Old Boy | |
| OC | Old comrade | In social countries |
| OF | To, for, from | |
| OFF | Turning off | |
| OFTEN | Often | |
| OK | Everything is fine | |
| OLD | Old | |
| OLD TIMER | Long time radio amateur | |
| OM | Old man, old friend, male radio amateur | Friendly address |
| ON | On | |
| ONE | One | |
| ONLY | Only | |
| OP | Operator | |
| OPEN | Open | |
| OPR | Operator | |
| OPS | Operators | |
| OR | Or | |
| OSC | Oscillator | |
| OTHER | Other | |
| OUR | Our | |
| OWN | Own | |
| PA | Power amplifier | |
| PART | Part, in part | |
| PEACE | Peace | |
| PERCENT | Percent | |
| PIRATE | Unauthorized radio station | |
| PLATE | Anode | |
| PM | After lunch | |
| POBOX | Mailbox | |
| POST | Post, after | |
| POWER | Power | |
| Print, printout | ||
| PRINTED | Printed | |
| PSE | Please | |
| PSED | Delighted, pleased | |
| PWR | Power | |
| QAZ | Thunderbolts, off | |
| QRA | My station name is … | |
| QRB | Distance between correspondents | |
| QRG | Your exact frequency is … | |
| QRH | Your frequency is changing | |
| QRI | The tone of your show is: 1. Good 2. Changeable 3. Bad | |
| QRK | The intelligibility of your signals is: 1. Bad 2. Poor 3. Average 4. Good 5. Excellent | |
| QRL | I am busy, please do not interfere | |
| QRL? | Is this frequency busy? | |
| QRM | I have interference (from…………) 1. Nothing 2. Mild 3. Moderate 4. Strong 5. Extremely strong | |
| QRMER | Who creates QRM | |
| QRN | I have electrostatic disturbance 1. None 2. Mild 3. Moderate 4. Severe 5. Extremely severe | |
| QRO | Increase the power | |
| QRP | Reduce power, low power to 10W | |
| QRPP | Very low power 0 to 5W | |
| QRQ | Transmit CW faster | |
| QRR | I’m ready for automatic operation | |
| QRS | Transmit slower | |
| QRT | Stop (stop) transmission | |
| QRU | I have nothing for you | |
| QRV | I’m ready | |
| QRW | Please inform……………. that I am calling him | |
| QRX | I will call you again, please wait | |
| QRY | Your turn is… | |
| QRZ … | … call you , or the site QRZ.COM | |
| QSA | Your signal strength is: 1.Barely detectable 2.Weak 3.Fairly good 4.Good 5.Very good | |
| QSB | Your signals are fading (Fading) | |
| QSD | Your manipulation is bad | |
| QSG | Transmit … messages at once | |
| QSK | I can hear you between my beeps (you may interrupt me) | |
| QSL | I confirm reception (QSO), confirmation | |
| QSL | QSL card | |
| QSLL | Reciprocal exchange of cards | |
| QSM | Repeat last message | |
| QSO | Direct (two-way) radio link | |
| QSP | I will hand over to … | |
| QST | General Call to ARRL | |
| QSU | Respond to frequency … | |
| QSV | Transmit series from VVV | |
| QSW | I will transmit on frequency … | |
| QSX | Listening on frequency… | |
| QSY | Switch (switch) to another frequency … | |
| QSZ | Transmit each word twice | |
| QTC | I have … messages for you | |
| QTF | My antenna azimuth is … | |
| QTH | My location is … | |
| QTR | Exact time … | |
| R | Understood, accepted, I confirm | |
| RAIN | Rain | |
| RAINING | It’s raining | |
| RAINY | Rainy | |
| RAY | Beam | |
| RCVD | Accepted, received | |
| RCVR | Receiver | |
| RED | Red, red, red, reds | |
| RIG | Radio station, equipment, transceiver | |
| ROOM | Room | |
| ROUNDTABLE | (About) Round Table | |
| RPRT | Report, Message | |
| RPT | Repeat, repeat | |
| RX | Receiver | |
| SA | I say, say | |
| SAY | I say, say | |
| SAYONARA | Goodbye | When QSO with a Japanese |
| SEA | Sea | |
| SECOND | Second | |
| SED | I said | |
| SEND | Sending, Transmitting | |
| SENT | Sent | |
| SHALL | Will | |
| SHE | She | |
| SHORT | Short | |
| SIDE | Side of something | |
| SIGN | Signature | |
| SIGS | Signals | |
| SILENCE | Silence | |
| SIMPLE | Simple | |
| SINCE | Since | |
| SINCERELY | Sincere | |
| SINGLE | Single | |
| SK | Final end of QSO | Transmitted merged |
| SK | Silents key, dead ham | |
| SKED | Scheduled connection | |
| SLIGHT | Easy | |
| SLOW | Slow | |
| SLOWLY | Slowly | |
| SMALL | Small | |
| SN | Coming soon | |
| SO | So | |
| SOLID | Solid, confident | |
| SOME | Some | |
| SOON | Coming soon | |
| SORRY | Sorry | |
| SOUTH | South | |
| SP | Short propagation path of radio waves | |
| SRI | I’m sorry, I apologize | |
| STILL | Still | |
| STN | Station | |
| STOP | Stop, period | |
| STR | Street | |
| STREET | Street | |
| SUMMER | Summer | |
| SURE | Sure | |
| SW | Short Waves | |
| SWL | Radio amateur – listener | |
| TAKE | Take | |
| TAKE PART | I take part | |
| TALK | I speak, I say | |
| TELL | I say, I speak | |
| TEMP | The temperature is …, temperature | |
| TEST | Trial, competition | |
| TESTING | Trying | |
| TFC | Traffic | |
| TG | Telegraphy | |
| THAT | The one | |
| THE | Definite Article | |
| THEN | Then | |
| THERE | There | |
| THEY | They | |
| THINK | I think | |
| THIS | This | |
| THRU | Through | |
| TILL | Until (in an hour) | |
| TKS | Thank you | |
| TKU | Thank you | |
| TMRW | Tomorrow | |
| TMW | Tomorrow | |
| TNK | I think | |
| TNX | Thank you | |
| TO | To | |
| TODAY | Today | |
| TOGETHER | Together | |
| TOMORROW | Tomorrow | |
| TONE | Tone | |
| TONIGHT | Tonight | |
| TONITE | Tonight | |
| TOO | Also | At the end of a sentence |
| TOW | Comrade | In social countries |
| TOWN | City | |
| TRANSLATE | Translating | |
| TRANSMISSION | Transmit | |
| TRCVR | Transceiver | |
| TROUBLE | Difficulty | |
| TRX | Transceiver | |
| TRY | Trying | |
| TU | For you, thank you | |
| TUBE | Radiolamp | |
| TUBES | Radio lamps | |
| TV | Television | |
| TVI | TV interference | |
| TWIN | Double | |
| TX | Transmitter | |
| U | You | |
| UFB | Extremely good (ultra excellent) | |
| UHF | Ultra high frequencies (decimeter range) | |
| UNKNOWN | Unknown | |
| UNTIL | While | |
| UP | Up, on | |
| UR | Your | |
| URS | Yours | |
| US | Us | |
| USE | I use | |
| USED | Used | |
| USING | User, using … | |
| VERY | A lot | |
| VFO | Oscillator, generator | |
| VHF | Very high frequency (meter range) | |
| VIA | Through | |
| VY | A lot | |
| W | Word | |
| WAR | War | |
| WARM | Warm | |
| WAS | It was | |
| WATCH | Clock | |
| WAVE | Wave | |
| WAY | Way, path | |
| WDS | Words | |
| WE | We | |
| WEAK | Weak | |
| WEEK | Week | |
| WEEKEND | End of the week | |
| WELL | Okay | |
| WERE | They were | |
| WEST | West | |
| WHEN | When, when | |
| WHO | Who, which | |
| WHOLE | Whole | |
| WHY | Why | |
| WID | With, with | |
| WIDE | Wide | |
| WILL | Will | |
| WIND | Windy | |
| WINDOM | Windom (antenna type) | |
| WINDY | Windy | |
| WIRE | Wire | |
| WISH | Wish | |
| WISHES | Wishes | |
| WITH | With | |
| WKD | Worked | |
| WKG | Working | |
| WORK | Working | |
| WPM | Words per minute | |
| WRK | Working | |
| WRLS | Wireless | |
| WUD | I would | |
| WX | Weather (meteorological) | |
| XCUS | Sorry | |
| XMAS | Christmas | |
| XMTR | Transmiter | |
| XPECT | Waiting | |
| XTAL | Crystal | |
| XYL | Ham Wife, Mrs Ham | |
| YAGI | Yagi (type of directional antenna) | |
| YEAR | Year | |
| YESTERDAY | Yesterday | |
| YET | More | |
| YL | Young woman, Miss Ham | |
| YOU | You | |
| YOUR | Your | |
| YOURS | Yours | |
| YR | Year | |
| ZEPP | Zep, zeppelin (antenna type) | |
| ZERO | Null | |
| ZONE | Zone |
BAD PRACTICE – NOT TO BE USED!
| 51 | Go away, bad operator – not recommended | |
| 99 | Go away, bad operator – not recommended | |
| QQD, AAMH | Swear. Not used on air. | Among Bulgarians |
73 de LZ3AI