The most important abbreviations
Radio slang in a QSO — 73, OM/YL/XYL, QSO/QSL, Report 59, QTH, QRV, CQ and the Silent Key.
The number 73 is used as a greeting amongst radio amateurs, meaning something like ‘Thank you and best regards!’, just as 88 means ‘best regards and a kiss’ — though this is only used when addressing female radio amateurs.
The abbreviations OM, YL and XYL refer to the operator working at a radio station and can be used as forms of address. OM comes from ‘old man’ — affectionately ‘old chap’ — and applies to male radio amateurs (even if they are only 14 years old). As radio amateurs are polite people, women are referred to as ‘young ladies’ (YL). If they are married (but only then), they are addressed as XYL (ex YL).
Amateur radio is also often abbreviated internationally as ‘HAM’. In radio communication, the international phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie …) is used.
When two radio amateurs have made contact with one another, this is known as a QSO. When something needs to be confirmed, one simply says ‘QSL’. Afterwards, a contact can be confirmed with a QSL card in postcard format.
A typical QSO is confirmed with a report of “59”: the 5 stands for clarity (1 = very poor, 5 = very good), and the 9 for signal strength (1 = very weak, 9 = very strong).
All the details are recorded in the logbook. A QSL card typically includes the call sign, the locator, the time and frequency, the report, and details of the shack and QTH. Radio amateurs usually design their own QSL cards with attractive motifs. They are sent in batches via the national associations (QSL service).
The QTH is the radio amateur’s place of residence or, strictly speaking, the location of the radio transceiver (if they are operating on the move).
When one is QRV, one indicates that one is ready to transmit and receive on a specific frequency (QRG) or within a band, and can conduct a QSO at any time. One can then call CQ or state one’s call sign when someone else calls CQ.
In Switzerland, the call sign is issued by OFCOM upon passing the examination and is unique worldwide. The first characters, the ITU prefix, indicate the nationality of the station. The suffix is issued by the regulatory authority (1 digit + 1–3 letters). If an amateur is operating from abroad, a country prefix is added at the start; further suffixes such as /p (portable) or /m (mobile) indicate specific modes. Example: HB0/HB9GKR/P — call sign HB9GKR, operating portably from Liechtenstein (HB0).
Last but not least: when a radio amateur passes away, this is referred to as ‘Silent Key’ or SK. Their call sign remains reserved for a period of time and is reallocated after a few years.
This will help you understand much more about a QSO and converse with a radio amateur almost as an equal.