Silent key

Silent key refers to an amateur radio operator who is deceased. [ [http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/11/03/2/ ARRL "Silent Key" submission guidelines.] Retrieved 10 August 2007] The term can be abbreviated 'SK', especially in morse code. [http://www.ac6v.com/morseaids.htm List of morse code abbreviations.] Retrieved 10 August 2007] The "key" in the term refers to a telegraph key, the instrument that all early amateur radio operators, as well as many contemporary amateur radio operators, have used to send Morse code. The term SK is used to refer to any amateur radio operator who is deceased, regardless of whether or not they were known to have actively used a telegraph key or Morse code in their two-way personal communications.

When transmitted as two Morse code characters without separating audio delay, 'SK' is a Morse code prosign "end of communications", from the phrase "Stop Keying". (Q code)

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