ok so ive been listening on HF for a few weeks now and people throw around all these weird codes and abbreviations and i can only figure out some of them from context. like i know QSL means confirmed and QTH is location but then someone will say something like QRM or QSB and i have no idea what theyre talking about. also whats the difference between 73 and 88 i see those a lot too

is there like a master list somewhere or do you just kind of pick it up over time? some of it seems almost like a different language honestly. and why do some people say things like OM or YL, is that rude or is that just normal ham radio stuff

yeah you pretty much just pick it up over time but theres definitely a learning curve. QRM is interference from other stations, like man-made noise, while QRN is natural static and stuff like lightning. QSB means your signal is fading in and out which is super common on HF. QRZ is asking who's calling, youll hear that one constantly. QRP means low power operation, some guys get really into running like 5 watts and making contacts across the world with it.

73 just means best regards, its the standard sign-off everybody uses. 88 means love and kisses, traditionally sent to a woman operator but honestly its kind of old fashioned now and some people find it a bit much depending on context so i wouldnt go throwing that one around until you get a feel for the culture. OM means old man which sounds weird but its just how hams say fellow operator, not literally old, and YL is young lady which they use for any female operator regardless of age. its just tradition going back decades, most people dont think twice about it but its worth knowing the context

there are a few PDF lists floating around online if you just search for ham radio Q code reference, ARRL probably has one. but honestly i was in the exact same boat when i started and i just kept a little notepad next to the radio and wrote stuff down as i heard it. took maybe a month or two before it started feeling natural. QRN, QRM, QSB were the ones that tripped me up the most at first too