CW
My favorite mode is definitely CW. I guess I get this from my elmer because he really likes CW as well. The first time I heard anything on HF was CW coming through the crackling of the speaker. What amazed me was the cadence and musical quality there was in it. Since then I have strived to get on the air to be more involved.
Here some tables to help those who are new to the hobby (these tables are from K3WWP's Web Site)
Q Signals
CW Abbreviations
Procedure Signals
RST
| Q Signal | Used As a Question | Used As a Statement |
|---|---|---|
| QRG | What is my (his) frequency? | Your (His) frequency is ------ |
| QRH | Does my frequency vary? | Your frequency varies |
| QRI | How is the tone of my transmission? | Your tone is 1 (good) 2 (variable) 3 (bad) |
| QRJ | Are you receiving me badly? Are my signals weak? | I cannot receive you. I receive you badly |
| QRK | What is the readability of my (his) signals? | Your (His) readability is (1)unreadable to (5)perfect |
| QRL | Is this frequency busy? | This frequency is in use |
| QRM | Are you being interfered with? | I am interfered with |
| QRN | Are you troubled by static? | I am being troubled with static |
| QRO | Must I increase power? | I increase power |
| QRP | Can I decrease power? | I decrease power |
| QRQ | Shall I send faster? | Send faster ------- WPM |
| QRS | Shall I send slower? | Send slower ------- WPM |
| QRT | Shall I stop sending? | Stop sending |
| QRU | Have you anything for me? | I have nothing for you |
| QRV | Are you ready? | I am ready |
| QRX | When will you call me again? | I will call you again at ------ |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? | You are being called by ---- |
| QSA | What is the strength of my (his) signals? | Your (His) strength is (1)barely perceptible - (5)very good |
| QSB | Are my signals fading? | Your signals are fading |
| QSL | Can you acknowledge receipt? | I acknowledge receipt |
| QSO | Can you communicate with -------? | I can communicate with ------- |
| QSP | Will you relay to -------? | I will relay to ------- |
| QST | Calling all radio amateurs | |
| QSV | Shall I send a series of V's? | Send a series of V's |
| QSX | Will you listen to ------- on --------- kHz? | I am listening to ------- on ----------- |
| QSY | Shall I change frequency? | Change frequency to ---------- |
| QSZ | Shall I send each word twice? | Send each word twice |
| QTH | What is your location? | My location is ----- |
| QTR | What is the time? | The time is --------- |
| Abbrev. | Word | Abbrev. | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABT | About | OB | Old boy |
| ADR | Address | OM | Old man |
| AGN | Again | OP | Operator |
| ANT | Antenna | OT | Old timer; old top |
| B4 | Before | PSE | Please |
| C | Yes | PWR | Power |
| CFM | Confirm | RIG | Station equipment |
| CUL | See you later | RPT | Repeat; report |
| ES | And | RX; RCVR | Receiver |
| FB | Fine business | SED | Said |
| GA | Go ahead | SEZ | Says |
| GA | Good afternoon | SIG | Signal |
| GB | Good bye | SKED | Schedule |
| GB | God bless | SRI | Sorry |
| GE | Good evening | TMW | Tomorrow |
| GG | Going | TNX | Thanks |
| GM | Good morning | TT | That |
| GN | Good night | TU | Thank you |
| GND | Ground | TVI | Television interference |
| GUD | Good | TX | Transmitter |
| HI | Laughter | UR; URS | Your; Yours |
| HI | High | VY | Very |
| HR | Here; hear | WKD; WKG | Worked; working |
| HV | Have | WL | Will |
| HW | How; how copy | WUD | Would |
| LID | A poor operator | WX | Weather |
| MSG | Message | XMTR | Transmitter |
| N | No | YF; XYL | Wife |
| NIL | Nothing | YL | Young lady |
| NR | Number | 73 | Best regards |
| NW | Now | 88 | Love and kisses |
| Signal | Meaning or Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CQ | A general call that indicates you are inviting anyone who is hearing you to answer you. | CQ CQ CQ DE K3WWP K3WWP K |
| R | I received your transmission perfectly. Do not send R if you didn't copy everything. Don't be redundant and say R, I COPIED YOU SOLID. | KB3BFQ DE K3WWP R FB ON UR ......... |
| AS | Wait. | FONE IS RINGING PSE AS |
| BT | Break in text. Used as a separator between thoughts or a pause. Also something good to send when your mind goes blank or you are talking to someone in your shack, etc. | WX IS CLDY BT AGE HR IS .... |
| AR | End of message. Use when you are through sending info, and turning it over to the station you are working. Also used when answering a CQ. | blah, blah, blah, hw? AR KB3BFQ DE K3WWP K. - or - To answer KB3BFQ's CQ, KB3BFQ DE K3WWP AR |
| SK | Used like AR, but only for your very last transmission | TNX NICE CHAT 73 CUL GE SK KB3BFQ DE K3WWP K |
| BK | An invitation for the other station to break in immediately with an answer or comment. The other station may answer immediately after the BK is sent - do not say BK KB3BFQ DE K3WWP K just BK, then KB3BFQ will answer your question or comment. | (K3WWP SAYS) WHAT IS UR RIG? BK - - - - (KB3BFQ ANSWERS) RIG HR IS ....... |
| K | Go ahead. Used to tell the station you are working you expect him to transmit now. Use after a CQ to invite someone to answer you. Do not use K after you answer someone's CQ since you don't know he is going to answer you, use AR. | HW? AR KB3BFQ DE K3WWP K |
| KN | Go ahead, specific station only. No breakers are currently welcome. Used same as K when you only want to talk to one other station. Never use after a CQ unless you are not wanting anyone to answer you. | HW? AR KB3BFQ DE K3WWP KN |
| CL | I am now shutting down my station completely. Use when you are completely done transmitting, and about to pull the big switch. This is a signal that you are not listening to any more calls. | TNX NICE CHAT 73 CUL GE SK KB3BFQ DE K3WWP CL |
| R | Readability |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unreadable |
| 2 | Barely readable, 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 |
| 1 | Sixty cycles or less, very rough and broad |
| 2 | Very rough ac, very harsh and broad |
| 3 | Rough ac tone, rectified but not filtered |
| 4 | Rough note, some trace of filtering |
| 5 | Filtered rectified ac, but strongly ripple-modulated |
| 6 | Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation |
| 7 | Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation |
| 8 | Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation |
| 9 | Perfect tone, no trace of ripple, or modulation of any kind |
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments.