Beginner CW QSO Guide | Sample Scripts | Morse QSO Helper | Ham Radio

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My favorite ham gear:
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CQ CQ DE K9AA K9AA K

K9AA DE N9YO N9YO AR

N9YO DE K9AA | GA TNX FER CALL | UR RST 599 599 | NAME JANE JANE QTH NEW YORK, NY | HW? AR N9YO DE K9AA KN

K9AA DE N9YO | GA JANE TNX FB RPT UR RST 579 579 | NAME HR IS TOM TOM QTH ST CHARLES, MO | HW? AR K9AA DE N9YO KN

N9YO DE K9AA | R R TNX FER RPT TOM BT RIG IS YAESU 897 BT PWR 100W ANT IS YAGI BT WX IS SUNNY ES WARM 100F | HW? BK

R R RIG IS FT817 5W ES ANT IS DIPOLE | WX IS WET AND COLD BK

N9YO DE K9AA | MNI TNX INFO ES FB QSO | PSE QSL VIA BURO | 73 ES CUAGN TOM AR N9YO DE K9AA SK

K9AA DE N9YO | FB JANE TNX FER NICE QSO 73 AR K9AA DE N9YO SK CL

How to make a CW QSO Guide.
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This video is intended to help ham amateur radio CW operators complete a CW Morse QSO using a template. It is a format guide intended to help to make morse CW contact QSOs using a script.

These are my tips and tricks for learning CW / Morse Code for ham amateur radio. There are many skills in this tutorial that I talk about in this video as well. It takes practice to get good and sending code on the radio.

CW software is going to help you get there also. You'll need a good CW Iambic Paddle as well. Continuous wave has many benefits.
You'll want to reap these benefits when I teach you CW keying.

Learning Morse Code is not that hard. Now simply called "CW", radio communication by Morse code was the only way to communicate for the first decade or more of Amateur Radio.

"Continuous Wave" (CW) transmission, using vacuum tube oscillators that were capable of a very pure note. Today, modern Amateur Radio transceivers use solid state components and microprocessors to support a variety of communication modes including CW, voice, image and many digital data modes.
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Common Exchange
04:05 Ham Radio Q Codes
07:34 An Example of a CW QSO
20:48 Wrap it Up!

[jansb]

Hi Tom, good work in engaging young CW adepts to continue this wonderful part of HAM radio.I have a couple of minor remarks that may help.1. QSO is a part of a "Q" code just like QTH, QSB, QRN, …. As such, when you mention QSO you need to spell it as three different letters and not like a word "qso". It is "Q"+"eS"+"O".   2. "bk" is used to indicate to briefly pass-on the transmission back to the person you a heaving the QSO with. The "briefly" here is very important because when you do use "bk" you do not precede it with your Callsign and your correspondent's Callsign. Anything longer than "brief" would be against regulations. It is normally common to use between stations using faster rather than slow CW speeds.   3. "bt" is not a bt "-...  -", it is an equal sign or "=" sign "-...-" sent as one letter (no space) but as you mentioned - it is used to "space" in time one part of your transmission from another.   4. YL is used to mention an unmarried female operator, XYL is used for married female operators.5. OM can be easily translated to and "Old Man" but it is more meant as a friend / someone trustworthy whose opinion you value.   5. "sk" at the end of a QSO means - this is your last transmission relating to this QSO. "sk" has also another rather sad meaning - when used in reference to someone else's Callsign it means this particular HAM operator is "silent key" (no longer with us / past away).   I hope this somewhat helps. 73's, vk2fex hsc#826

[busaramiamor]

I was looking everywhere for this video …. I’m so glad i found it

[andreyvasilyev]

Hi Tom! Thank you for the job you did by creating this video! So far, this is the most helpful for newbies I could find! Thank you SO MUCH! Also, thanks to all who partake in commenting on it, many of them also helps a lot or give some meaningful thoughts.

[bruceblosser]

Thank you - getting back into CW, after a lapse of 20+ years... so this is good refresher! tnx! :)

[KXUL]

Good stuff! We need to preserve CW and this video will indeed help a new Ham get the nerve to try their first CW QSO.

[Holystone]

Tom - Extremely useful video....most helpful and well explained. Thanks also for reprinting the detail in the included text materials. I really have to complement you on your willingness to just get out there and communicate, despite the fact that sometimes we are all learning this together at the same time, mistakes be damned! Good on you! Take Care Bud. Love your

[qrptedmac]

I’ve commented before as a new ham learning CW and this vid is very helpful. One thing I have noticed is that DXexpedition stations or stations from unique areas, and have a pileup, don’t seem to be interested in much more than your call sign and after they respond with your signal report, they’re signal report, then they’re moving on.

[ekbanjosworld]

Good topic! I'm just learning Morse myself. I have decided to learn at approximately 20wpm. I am going to make a list of all the different codes. Then a list of the ones I will ise regularly. I just bought a Xiegu G90, hoping the key translator helps out too!!!

[pbk]

Hay Tom, really enjoyed your presentation. I am in the process of learning CW, and struggling some, probably due to not being a spring chicken, 78 years. I have done many other digi modes and the flow is very similar but this helps me get the flow correct so i don't confuse the other end of the conversation.

Thanks again
Paul de KR5OG

[prestonshute]

Very helpful for the new hams out there. Back in the mid 70's you just had to listen and copy QSO's to see how it went, which wasn't bad.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
73
wd4dda

[alexisautube]

Good, methodical way of going through a CW QSO. Helped me a lot!!! TU!

[Tokyo.JLAJE]

Newly licensed ham here.
Excellent content 👍🏻

[odvernon]

Very useful ! Very well explained ! 73 from F4JRA

[akt]

excellent. always looking for good 'new'advice. Still not made a qso yet...still growing a pair!

[billmccullough]

When I first learned this 50 years ago, K meant over (I'm done talking and expect a response). KN meant a response from specific station, and AR meant out (done and don't expect a response)

[cristian]

Great video. thanks for this Tom. Much appreciated. I learned to take morse over a quarter century ago in the Army, never sent it. recently started sending with a straight key so this is a very good reminder - I had listened in to a number of QSO's and contests and was struggling to remember many of the short cuts and protocols. Hope to make contact some time. cheers mate from Aus. VK1FCLU

[HarmonicaMustang]

Great video. I got my foundation license in December last year, and I've been working through the Farnsworth method since then. I watched your video back then to get an idea of a QSO for when I was listening on the air, came back for a refresher and was very pleased with myself for catching out the extra 'e' when you keyed 'antenna', something I missed completely when I listened first.
I've made some notes from this video, I'm hoping to get on the air for my first QSO this summer.

[roundtracker]

Great video!!! The timing is what is gonna be hard for me to learn.. At 7:25 you did TU for thank you... I would have thought it was just a letter X.. Im still just learning.. LOL

[MikaelFredrikssonX]

Awesome video! I’ve taken up the hobby again after being QRT for 20+ years. Being interested in the outdoors, scouting I’ve come to love working QRP in the field. CW is the next step and I’m hoping to make my first QSO during the summer. Love your vids and especially this one. Useful info! 73’s from Sweden de SM5SYO

[billmoran]

Good video. Wish I had that 50 years ago when I was a novice.