The Complete Procedure for a Morse Code Contact in Amateur Radio

The Complete Procedure for a Morse Code Contact in Amateur Radio: A Practical Operating Guide

You've practiced your Morse code, you can copy at 15 WPM, and you've got your radio tuned to 7.030 MHz. Now what? The gap between knowing Morse characters and actually making contacts is where many new CW operators get stuck. This guide covers the exact sequence of a standard Morse code QSO (contact), including the phrases you'll actually hear and send.

The Anatomy of a Standard CW Contact

A typical amateur radio Morse code contact follows a predictable structure. Understanding this structure matters because it allows your brain to anticipate what comes next—critical when copying at speed.

Here's the framework:

CQ call (seeking contact)

Response (answering the CQ)

First exchange (signal report, name, location)

Second exchange (additional information)

Sign-off (closing the contact)

Let's break down each phase with exactly what gets sent.

Phase 1: Calling CQ

When you're ready to make contacts, you call CQ. The format:


CQ CQ CQ DE [YOUR CALL] [YOUR CALL] K

Actual example:


CQ CQ CQ DE W5ABC W5ABC K

What each element means:

CQ – "Seeking you" (general call to anyone)

DE – "From" (French origin, universally used)

[YOUR CALL] – Your callsign, sent twice for clarity

K – "Go ahead" (invitation to respond)

Timing: Send CQ at a speed you're comfortable receiving. If you call at 25 WPM but can only copy at 13 WPM, you're setting yourself up for frustration.

"I made this mistake for months," admits Rick Foster (K7RF), an Extra class operator from Oregon who's been on CW since 1982. "I'd call CQ at 20 words per minute because it sounded professional, then panic when someone answered at the same speed. Now I tell new operators: send at the speed you want to receive."

Calling CQ on a Specific Band or Contest

During contests or when targeting specific areas:


CQ DX CQ DX DE W5ABC K

(Seeking distant stations)


CQ TEST DE W5ABC W5ABC

(Contest mode—streamlined)

Phase 2: Answering a CQ

When you hear a CQ and want to respond:


[THEIR CALL] DE [YOUR CALL] [YOUR CALL] K

Example:

You hear W5ABC calling CQ. You send:


W5ABC DE N3XYZ N3XYZ K

Common mistake: Sending your callsign too many times. Twice is standard. Three times is acceptable in poor conditions. More than that wastes everyone's time.

What If You Didn't Catch the Full Callsign?

If you only copied a partial call, respond with what you heard:


ABC DE N3XYZ K

The calling station will repeat their full call in their response.

Phase 3: The First Exchange

The calling station responds with the essential information:


N3XYZ DE W5ABC GE TNX FER CALL UR RST 579 579 QTH TEXAS TEXAS NAME BOB BOB HW CPY? N3XYZ DE W5ABC K

Breaking it down:

Code	Meaning	Notes
GE	Good evening	(GA = morning, GM = morning in UK style)
TNX FER	Thanks for	Universal shorthand
UR RST	Your signal report	Always three digits on CW
579	Readability 5, Strength 7, Tone 9	More on this below
QTH	Location	From the Q-code system
HW CPY?	How copy?	Asking if you received everything

The RST System Explained

The RST (Readability, Strength, Tone) system is specific to CW:

R – Readability (1-5)

5 = Perfectly readable

4 = Readable with practically no difficulty

3 = Readable with considerable difficulty

2 = Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable

1 = Unreadable

S – Strength (1-9)

Based on your S-meter reading:

9 = Extremely strong signals

7 = Moderately strong

5 = Fairly good signals

3 = Weak signals

1 = Faint signals, barely perceptible

T – Tone (1-9)

9 = Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation

8 = Near-perfect tone, slight trace of modulation

7 = Near-perfect, slight trace of ripple

5 = Moderately rough, noticeable ripple

1 = Extremely rough hum

Reality check: Most operators default to 599 for any signal they can copy. It's become a formality. In contests, 599 is sent as 5NN (N = 9 in cut numbers) regardless of actual signal quality. The RST system is most meaningful when signals are genuinely marginal.

Phase 4: Your Response

After receiving the first exchange, you respond in kind:


W5ABC DE N3XYZ R R TNX BOB UR RST 589 589 QTH PENNSYLVANIA PA NAME JIM JIM HW? W5ABC DE N3XYZ K

Key elements:

R R – Roger, roger (acknowledgment of received info)

Repeat back their name to confirm copy

Give your RST, QTH, and name

HW? – Shorthand for "How copy?"

What Happens Next

The original caller confirms:


N3XYZ DE W5ABC R R TNX JIM ALL OK HR...

At this point, the basic exchange is complete. What follows depends on the situation:

Short contact (contest or pileup conditions):


...73 N3XYZ DE W5ABC SK

Extended ragchew:


...WX HR COLD 28F SNOW FALLING RIG HR ICOM 7300 ANT 3 EL YAGI UP 40 FT HW? K

Phase 5: Signing Off

The closing sequence:


W5ABC DE N3XYZ R R FB BOB TNX QSO HPE CU AGN 73 ES GUD DX W5ABC DE N3XYZ SK

Decoding the sign-off:

FB – Fine business (means "great" or "good")

TNX QSO – Thanks for the contact

HPE CU AGN – Hope to see you again

73 – Best regards (never "73s" – it's already plural)

ES – And (&)

GUD DX – Good DX (wishing good long-distance contacts)

SK – End of contact (Silent Key / Stop Keying)

The other station responds:


N3XYZ DE W5ABC TU 73 ES GL SK

(TU = Thank you, GL = Good luck)

Final acknowledgment (optional):


TU EE

(EE = end, sometimes sent as a brief dit-dit)

Essential Q-Codes and Abbreviations

Q-Codes You'll Actually Use

Code	As Question	As Statement
QRL?	Is this frequency in use?	This frequency is in use
QRZ?	Who is calling me?	You are being called by...
QTH	What is your location?	My location is...
QSL	Can you acknowledge?	I acknowledge
QRS	Shall I send slower?	Send slower
QRQ	Shall I send faster?	Send faster
QSB	Is my signal fading?	Your signal is fading
QRN	Are you troubled by static?	I am troubled by static
QRM	Are you troubled by interference?	I am experiencing interference
QSY	Shall I change frequency?	Change to frequency...
QRV	Are you ready?	I am ready

Common Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
AGN	Again
ANT	Antenna
BK	Break (quick back-and-forth)
CL	Closing station
CPY	Copy
CU	See you
DE	From
DX	Distance (long-distance contact)
ES	And
FB	Fine business (good)
FER	For
GA	Go ahead / Good afternoon
GE	Good evening
GM	Good morning
HI	Laughter (hi hi = haha)
HR	Here / Hear
HW	How
MNI	Many
NR	Number
OM	Old man (term of endearment for male operator)
OP	Operator
PSE	Please
PWR	Power
R	Roger / Received
RIG	Radio equipment
RPT	Repeat
SIG	Signal
SRI	Sorry
TNX/TKS	Thanks
TU	Thank you
UR	Your / You're
VY	Very
WX	Weather
XYL	Wife (ex-young lady)
YL	Young lady (female operator)
73	Best regards
88	Love and kisses

Before You Call: Frequency Etiquette

Before transmitting on any frequency:

Listen for at least 30 seconds. Propagation may bring in a signal you didn't initially hear.

Send QRL? ("Is this frequency in use?") and wait for a response.

If you hear R or Y (yes) or QRL, move to another frequency.

If no response after 5-10 seconds, you may call CQ.

"The 30-second rule saves a lot of grief," notes Martha Chen (KA1MCC), who serves as an ARRL volunteer examiner. "I've seen new operators key up after two seconds of silence and step all over a station they couldn't hear due to propagation. The other guy absolutely could hear them. It's poor operating practice and creates unnecessary interference."

Dealing with Pileups

When a rare or desirable station calls CQ, multiple operators respond simultaneously—a pileup. Here's how to work them effectively:

As the Caller in a Pileup

Listen to the pattern. The rare station may be working by call areas or geographic regions.

Time your call. Send your callsign once at the end of the previous contact, as the rare station sends K.

Send your call only once. Repeated calls while the rare station is trying to pick someone out just add to the chaos.

If they pick you, respond immediately with the requested information (usually just a signal report).

Working Split

In heavy pileups, the DX station often works "split"—transmitting on one frequency while listening on another:


CQ CQ DE ZL9A UP 1-2 K

This means: I'm transmitting here, but listening 1-2 kHz up from my transmit frequency. Set your radio to split mode and tune your transmit frequency accordingly.

Practical Tips From Experienced Operators

I asked several CW veterans what they wish they'd known when starting out:

On speed:

"Match your speed to conditions. In a contest, fast is good. For a ragchew with someone you can tell is less experienced, slow down. It's not about showing off—it's about making a contact." — Gary Wilson (W4GW), 45 years on CW

On mistakes:

"Everyone sends wrong characters. Send eight dits (........) to indicate an error, then resend the word. Don't panic, don't over-correct. The other operator has made the same mistake thousands of times." — Lisa Park (K5LP), CW Academy advisor

On logging:

"Write down the key information immediately: call, RST, name, QTH. Don't trust your memory. After your tenth contact of the evening, they all blur together." — Mike Thompson (N7MT), contester

On practice versus actual contacts:

"Practice is great, but you learn operating by operating. My copying improved more in my first month of on-air contacts than in three months of software practice. The pressure of a real QSO forces your brain to actually decode." — Susan Brown (WB5SB), amateur since 1978

A Sample Complete Contact

Here's a realistic exchange between W5ABC (Bob in Texas) and N3XYZ (Jim in Pennsylvania):

W5ABC: CQ CQ CQ DE W5ABC W5ABC K N3XYZ: W5ABC DE N3XYZ N3XYZ K W5ABC: N3XYZ DE W5ABC GA OM TNX FER CALL UR RST 579 579 QTH AUSTIN TX NAME BOB BOB HW CPY? N3XYZ DE W5ABC K N3XYZ: W5ABC DE N3XYZ R R GA BOB TNX FER RPT UR RST 589 589 QTH PHILADELPHIA PA NAME JIM JIM HW? W5ABC DE N3XYZ K W5ABC: N3XYZ DE W5ABC R R FB JIM ALL SOLID HR WX WARM TODAY 75F RIG ELECRAFT K3 PWR 100W ANT DIPOLE TNX QSO HPE CU AGN 73 ES GUD DX N3XYZ DE W5ABC SK N3XYZ: W5ABC DE N3XYZ R R TNX BOB FB QSO GL ES 73 W5ABC DE N3XYZ SK

W5ABC: TU EE

Total time: Approximately 3-4 minutes at 15-18 WPM.

Getting On the Air

The theory only gets you so far. Here's how to start making actual contacts:

Start with planned contacts. Find someone at your skill level through a local club or CW Academy study group. Schedule a "sked" (scheduled contact) on a quiet frequency. This removes the stress of the unknown.

Use the Reverse Beacon Network. When you call CQ, the RBN (reversebeacon.net) shows you where and how strongly your signal was received. It confirms your station is working without requiring someone to answer.

Try the Slow Speed portion of the bands. 7.055-7.060 MHz on 40 meters is the Novice/Tech portion—you'll find slower operators and more patience. Similar segments exist on other bands.

Answer CQs before calling them. You're in control of the pace when you answer. You only need to copy the other station's info, then send your own—half the cognitive load of originating a contact.

If you want to brush up on the characters and timing before keying up, a Morse code reference chart can help verify what you're hearing.

The Reality of Your First Contacts

Your first few CW contacts will probably feel chaotic. You'll miss words, send wrong characters, and forget what the other operator just said. This is completely normal.

What you'll discover:

Other operators are overwhelmingly patient with newcomers

The standard structure carries you through even when you miss details

Your brain adapts faster than you expect

After ten contacts, the panic subsides; after fifty, it feels natural

CW operating is a skill developed through repetition. The structure exists to make it learnable. Every proficient operator you hear on the air was once in your position, sending shaky CQs and hoping someone would answer slowly.

The procedure works. Trust the procedure.

Sources and references: ARRL Operating Manual, ITU Radio Regulations Article 25, CW Academy curriculum materials, interviews with licensed amateur radio operators. Callsigns in examples are for illustration purposes.