Morse code abbreviations

Morse code abbreviations differ from prosigns for Morse Code in that they observe normal interletter spacing; that is, they are not "run together" the way prosigns are. From 1845 until well into the second half of the 20th century, commercial telegraphic code books were used to shorten telegrams, e.g. "Pascoela = Natives have plundered everything from the wreck".^[1]

AA	All after (used after question mark to request a repetition)
AB	All before (similarly)
ARRL	American Radio Relay League
ABT	About
ADR	Address
AGN	Again
ANT	Antenna
ARND	Around
BCI	Broadcast interference
BK	Break (to pause transmission of a message, say)
BN	All between
BTR	Better
BUG	Semiautomatic mechanical key
BURO	Bureau (usually used in the phrase PLS QSL VIA BURO, "Please send QSL card via my local/national QSL bureau")
B4	Before
C	Yes; correct
CBA	Callbook address
CFM	Confirm
CK	Check
CL	Clear (I am closing my station)
CLG	Calling
CQ	Calling any station
CQD	Original International Distress Call, fell out of use before 1915
CS	Callsign
CTL	Control
CUD	Could
CUL	See you later
CUZ	Because
CW	Continuous wave (i.e., radiotelegraph)
CX	Conditions
DE	From (or "this is")
DN	Down
DR	Dear
DSW	Goodbye (Russian: до свидания [Do svidanya])
DX	Distance (sometimes refers to long distance contact), foreign countries
EMRG	Emergency
ENUF	Enough
ES	And
FB	Fine business (Analogous to "OK")
FCC	Federal Communications Commission
FER	For
FM	From
FREQ	Frequency
FWD	Forward
GA	Good afternoon or Go ahead (depending on context)
GE	Good evening
GG	Going
GL	Good luck
GM	Good morning
GN	Good night
GND	Ground (ground potential)
GUD	Good
GX	Ground
HEE	Humour intended (often repeated, e.g. HEE HEE)
HI	Humour intended (possibly derived from HEE)
HR	Here, hear
HV	Have
HW	How
II	I say again
IMP	Impedance
K	Over
KN	Over; only the station named should respond (e.g. W7PTH DE W1AW KN)
LID	Poor operator
MILS	Milliamperes
MNI	Many
MSG	Message
N	No; nine
NIL	Nothing
NM	Name
NR	Number
NW	Now
NX	Noise; noisy
OB	Old boy
OC	Old chap
OM	Old man (any male amateur radio operator is an OM regardless of age)
OO	Official observer
OP	Operator
OT	Old timer
OTC	Old timers club (ARRL-sponsored organization for radio amateurs first licensed 20 or more years ago)
OOTC	Old old timers club (organization for those whose first two-way radio contact occurred 40 or more years ago; separate from OTC and ARRL)
PLS	Please
PSE	Please
PWR	Power
PX	Prefix
QCWA	Quarter Century Wireless Association (organization for radio amateurs who have been licensed 25 or more years)
R	Are; received as transmitted (origin of "Roger"), or decimal point (depending on context)
RCVR	Receiver (radio)
RFI	Radio Frequency Interference
RIG	Radio apparatus
RPT	Repeat or report (depending on context)
RPRT	Report
RST	Signal report format (Readability-Signal Strength-Tone)
RTTY	Radioteletype
RX	Receiver, radio
SAE	Self-addressed envelope
SASE	Self-addressed, stamped envelope
SED	Said
SEZ	Says
SFR	So far (proword)
SIG	Signal or signature
SIGS	Signals
SK	Out (proword), end of contact
SK	Silent Key (a deceased radio amateur)
SKED	Schedule
SMS	Short message service
SN	Soon
SNR	Signal-to-noise ratio
SRI	Sorry
SSB	Single sideband
STN	Station
T	Zero (usually an elongated dah)
TEMP	Temperature
TFC	Traffic
TKS	Thanks
TMW	Tomorrow
TNX	Thanks
TT	That
TU	Thank you
TVI	Television interference
TX	Transmit, transmitter
TXT	Text
U	You
UR	Your or You're (depending on context)
URS	Yours
VX	Voice; phone
VY	Very
W	Watts
WA	Word after
WB	Word before
WC	Wilco
WDS	Words
WID	With
WKD	Worked
WKG	Working
WL	Will
WUD	Would
WTC	Whats the craic? (Irish Language: [Conas atá tú?])
WX	Weather
XCVR	Transceiver
XMTR	Transmitter
XYL	Wife (ex-YL)
YF	Wife
YL	Young lady (originally an unmarried female operator, now used for any female)
ZX	Zero beat
73	Best regards
88	Love and kisses

An amateur radio conversation in Morse code

The skill to have sensible conversations with Morse is more than knowing just the alphabet. To make communication efficient, there are many internationally agreed patterns of communication.

A sample CW conversation between station 1 (S1) and station 2 (S2)

S1:

CQ CQ CQ DE S1 K
Calling anyone (CQ), this is (DE) S1, listening for any response (K)

S2:

S1 DE S2 KN
Calling S1, this is S2, listening for a response only from designated station (KN)
(Two-way connection established)

S1:

S2 DE S1 = GA DR OM UR RST 5NN HR = QTH TIMBUKTU = OP IS JOHN = HW? S2 DE S1 KN
Good afternoon dear old man. You are RST 599 here (the N's substitute for 9's; 
signal is very readable (5) and very strong (9), with very good tone (9))
I'm located in Timbuktu. The operator's name is John.
How do you copy?

S2:

S1 DE S2 = TNX FB RPRT DR OM JOHN UR 559 = QTH HIMALAYA = NAME IS YETI S1 DE S2 KN
Thanks for the nice (fine-business) report dear old man John. I read you 559 
(very readable (5), average strength (5), very good tone (9)).
I am in the Himalayas. My name is Yeti.

S1:

S2 DE S1 = OK TNX QSO DR YETI = 73 ES HPE CUAGN S2 DE S1 KN
Okay, thanks for this conversation (QSO), dear Yeti.
Best regards and hope to see you again.

S2:

S1 DE S2 = R TU CUAGN 73 S1 DE S2 SK
Understood. Thank you. Best regards. (signing off)

With heavy use of the Q code and Morse Code Abbreviations, surprisingly meaningful conversations can be had. Note that very few English words have been used ("is" and "name"), only abbreviations. S1 and S2 might not speak the same native language.

Of course, real rag-chewing (lengthy conversations) cannot be done without a common language. On the worldwide amateur bands this is often English.

Contesters often use a very specialized and even shorter format for their contacts. Their purpose is to process as many contacts as possible in a limited time (e.g. 100-150 per hour).

References

1. ^ Commercial Telegraphic Code Books James A. (Jim) Reeds