Why WX is the abbreviation for Weather.

If you are reading this blog, follow me on social media or follow weather at all you likely know what WX means and stands for. Social media has kinda made WX go mainstream after being mainly confined to weather geeks, ham radio operators, news people and military members. You have likely seen my name wxbrad or hashtags like #cltwx #ncwx and #scwx, if you spend anytime on-line.

first-telegraph-painting_edited

If you don’t already know WX is morse code shorthand for the word weather. So it is commonly used as the abbreviation for the word weather.

Brief history lesson  here: In 1836, Samuel Morse(pictured left) demonstrated the ability of a telegraph system to transmit information over wires. The information was sent as a series of electrical signals. Short signals are referred to as dits (represented as dots). Long signals are referred to as dahs (represented as dashes). With the advent of radio communications, an international version of Morse code became widely used. Back when the only form of communication was the telegraph and radio. People used morse code and they used lots of shorthand or abbreviations.

Kinda like today’s texting when people use BRB, LOL or the countless other texting and chat shorthand. To save time and characters, telegraph operators would use shorter versions of full words. Imagine trying to wait for whole sentences when each morse code character looks like this in morse code.

morse

MORSE CODE

 

So in many ways our modern social media, chat and texting has kinda created a whole new version of shorthand similar to when morse code and the telegraph became the first long-range form of communication. Today morse code and it’s shorthand are still used in the military and among many amateur radio operators.
Even though, not many people use morse code the abbreviation stuck. So WX means weather and my Twitter name and blog are wxbrad which really is shorthand for Weather Brad.

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Commonly used morse code shorthand or abbreviations.

AA – All after
AB – All before
ABT – About
ADEE – Addressee
ADR – Address
AGN – Again
AM – Amplitude Modulation
ANT – Antenna
BCI – Broadcast Interference
BCL – Broadcast Listener
BCNU – Be seeing you
BK – Break, Break in
BN – All between; Been
BT – Separation (break) between addr & text; between txt & signature
BTR – Better
BUG – Semi-Automatic key
B4 – Before
C – Yes, Correct
CFM – Confirm; I confirm
CK – Ckeck
CKT – Circuit
CL – I am closing my station; Call
CLBK – Callbook
CLD – Called
CLG – Calling
CNT – Can’t
CONDX – Conditions
CQ – Calling any station
CU – See You
CUL – See You later
CUM – Come
CW – Continuous wave
DA – Day
DE – From, This Is
DIFF – Difference
DLD – Delivered
DLVD – Delivered
DN – Down
DR – Dear
EL – Element
ES – AndDX – Distance
ES – And FB – Fine Business, excellent
FER – For
FM – Frequency Modulation: From
GA – Go ahead; Good Afternoon
GB – Good bye, God Bless
GD – Good
GE – Good Evening
GESS – Guess
GG – Going
GM – Good morning
GN – Good night
GND – Ground
GUD – Good
GV – Give
GVG – Giving
HH – Error in sending
HI – The telegraph laugh; High
HPE – Hope
HQ – Headquarters
HR – Here; Hear
HV – Have
HW – How, How Copy?
IMI – Repeat, Say Again
INFO – Info
LID – A poor operator
LNG – Long
LTR – Later; letter
LV – Leave
LVG – Leaving
MA – Millamperes
MILL – Typewiter
MILS – Millamperes
MSG – Message; Prefix to radiogram
N – No, Negative, Incorrect, No More
NCS – Net Control Station
ND – Nothing Doing NIL – Nothing; I have nothing for you
NM – No more
NR – Number
NW – Now; I resume transmission
OB – Old boy
OC – Old chap
OM – Old man
OP – Operator
OPR – Operator
OT – Old timer; Old top
PBL – Preamble
PKG – Package
PSE – Please
PT – Point
PWR – Power
PX – Press
R – Received as transmitted; Are; Decimal Point
RC – Ragchew
RCD – Received
RCVR – Receiver
RE – Concerning; Regarding
REF – Refer to; Referring to; Reference
RFI – Radio frequency interference
RIG – Station equipment
RPT – Repeat, Report
RTTY – Radio teletype
RST – Readability, strength, tone
RX – Receive, Receiver
SASE – Self-addressed, stamped envelope
SED – Said
SEZ – Says
SGD – Signed
SIG – Signature; Signal
SINE – Operator’s personal initials or nickname
SKED – Schedule
SRI – Sorry
SS – Sweepstakes
SSB – Single Side Band
STN – Station
SUM – Some
SVC – Service; Prefix to service message
T – Zero
TFC – Traffic
TMW – Tomorrow
TKS – Thanks
TNX – Thanks
TR – Transmit
T/R – Transmit/Receive
TRIX – Tricks
TT – That
TTS – That is
TU – Thank you
TVI – Television interference
TX – Transmitter; Transmit
TXT – Text
U – You
UR – Your; You’re
URS – Yours
VFB – Very fune business
VFO – Variable Frequency Oscillator
VY – Very
W – Watts
WA – Word after
WB – Word before
WD – Word
WDS – Words
WID – With
WKD – Worked
WKG – Working
WL – Well; Will
WPM – Words Per Minute
WRD – Word
WUD – Would
WX- Weather
XCVR – Transceiver
XMTR – Transmitter
XTAL – Crystal
XYL – Wife
YL – Young lady
YR – Year
30 – I have no more to send
73 – Best Regards
88 – Love and kisses
161 – 73+88=161