HAM Radio 101

Word of the Day (CW): What Does CW Stand For?

If you’re new to Ham Radio, you’ve probably asked yourself: Why can’t these people just say what they mean? A lot of the fun of being an Amateur operator is being part of a hobby with deep roots and traditions that date back more than 100 years. Which leads us to CW, our Word of the Day. CW stands for “continuous wave” transmission. Once upon a time, Morse Code was Amateur Radio’s only mode of communication, but while the technology took the world by storm, early wireless communication efforts lacked efficiency and clarity. Continuous Wave (CW) transmissions were a vast improvement in both efficiency and tone. Today, Hams proudly refer to their communication through Morse Code as CW.

For those who operate old-school, you’ll find all your CW needs taken care of at DX Engineering.com.

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