This post was originally published on April 7, 2026 The latest update to this post was made 2 hours ago ago.
The Ham Radio Glossary Essential Terms Every New Ham Should Know
Starting in ham radio can feel overwhelming with all the abbreviations, codes, and technical terms. This glossary will help you quickly understand the most common words and phrases used on the air and in the ham community.
Basic Ham Radio Terms
Term
Definition
Amateur Radio
Also known as ham radio. A licensed hobby where people communicate using radio waves for recreation, experimentation, and emergency support.
Ham
Nickname for an amateur radio operator.
Call Sign
Your unique FCC-assigned identifier (example: W5ABC or K5XYZ).
QSO
A contact or conversation between two stations.
CQ
General call meaning “Calling any station.” Used when looking for contacts.
73
Best regards (friendly sign-off).
88
Love and kisses (used mostly between YLs).
de
“From” (e.g., W5ABC de K5XYZ).
Shack
The room or area where you keep your radio equipment.
Rig
Slang for a ham radio transceiver.
HT
Handheld Transceiver (walkie-talkie style radio).
Repeater
Automated station that receives on one frequency and retransmits on another to extend range.
Simplex
Direct station-to-station communication on the same frequency.
Readability, Strength, Tone – a signal report system (e.g., 599).
DX
Long-distance contact (usually over 1,000 miles).
Net
Scheduled group communication on a repeater or frequency.
Band Plan
Informal agreement on how different modes are spaced within a band.
License & Band Terms
Term
Definition
HF
High Frequency (3–30 MHz) – best for long-distance (worldwide) contacts.
VHF
Very High Frequency (30–300 MHz) – mainly local/regional.
UHF
Ultra High Frequency (300 MHz–3 GHz) – excellent for urban and indoor use.
2m
The 2-meter band (144–148 MHz) – most popular VHF band.
70cm
The 70-centimeter band (420–450 MHz) – most popular UHF band.
Digital Modes & Modern Terms
Term
Definition
FT8
Very popular weak-signal digital mode for making long-distance contacts.
DMR
Digital Mobile Radio – a digital voice mode.
Fusion
Yaesu’s digital voice mode (C4FM).
JS8Call
Digital mode that allows keyboard chatting even with weak signals.
Meshtastic
Open-source mesh networking using LoRa for off-grid text messaging.
AREDN
Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network – high-speed mesh networking.
CW
Continuous Wave – Morse code.
SSB
Single Sideband – efficient voice mode on HF.
FM
FM (Frequency Modulation) — The frequency of the signal changes to carry the audio. This is what most ham radios use on VHF and UHF repeaters (2m and 70cm). It sounds clear and is good at rejecting noise.
AM
AM (Amplitude Modulation) — The amplitude (strength/height) of the signal changes to carry the audio, while the frequency stays constant.
Antenna & Equipment Terms
Term
Definition
Ground Plane
Set of radials or metal surface that acts as the “other half” of a vertical antenna. Essential for good performance.
Dipole
Simple and effective antenna made of two equal-length wires.
EFHW
End-Fed Half-Wave – popular portable antenna.
SWR
Standing Wave Ratio – measures how well your antenna is matched to your radio. Lower is better (ideally under 2:1).
Feedline / Coax
Cable that carries signal from radio to antenna (common types: RG-58, RG-8, LMR-400).
Antenna Tuner
Device that matches the radio to the antenna when SWR is high.
Radial
Wire or rod that forms part of the ground plane for a vertical antenna.
Yagi
Directional antenna with multiple elements. Excellent for focusing signal in one direction.
The Ham Radio Glossary
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