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May 15, 2026

Ham Radio Has Its Own Secret Code — and It’s Been Around Way Longer Than Texting

Ham radio operators have their own secret language. Numbers that mean words. Letters that mean whole sentences. A code that’s been alive since the 1800s. Sound familiar? Millennials say they invented that kind of shorthand. Gen Z says they perfected it. Gen X has been there the whole time and honestly doesn’t care who gets the credit. LOL. BRB. IYKYK.

Welcome to ham lingo. If you know, you know.

Let’s start with the most legendary one:

73 means “best regards.”

But the backstory is better than that. Back in 1857, 73 literally meant “My love to you.” It softened over the decades… by 1908 it had become “best regards.” But the warmth never quite left it. Every time a ham signs off with 73, they’re carrying 160 years of friendly intention.

More from the codebook:

📡 CQ — “Calling any station” — A general shout into the ether: is anyone out there? The term comes from the French sécurité… pay attention. Ships were using it before it became the universal radio call. Some things are just too good to retire.

📡 CQ DX — Take that general call and add “DX” — telegraphic shorthand for “distance” — and you’re no longer shouting into the ether. You’re specifically reaching for someone far away. Usually foreign. It’s the difference between “is anyone out there?” and “is anyone out there… far out there?”

📬 QSL — “I confirm receipt of your transmission” — Hams even mail each other physical QSL cards as confirmation. A tradition that’s survived the entire digital age.

📍 QTH — “My location is…” — The original location share. No pin, no blue dot, no app. Just your call sign, your frequency, and where you are in the world.

🐌 QRS — “Please send more slowly” — the original “wait, what?”

💬 QSO — A conversation between two operators. Two people, a frequency, and something worth saying. Sometimes across town. Sometimes across an ocean. The format turned out to be so compelling that someone built a whole podcast around it. QSO Today has been running for over 530 episodes… weekly conversations with ham radio operators about their journey, their expertise, and how radio has shaped their lives. Turns out the QSO was always a good format. Just needed an audience and headphones.

🏠 The Shack — where a ham keeps their radio equipment. Every shack is different. Some are spare bedrooms with a single radio, some look like mission control. All of them have a story.

🎓 Elmer — an experienced ham who mentors a newcomer. Ham radio has had “Elmers” long before anyone called it mentorship.

📻 Rig — the radio itself. “Nice rig” is a real compliment in this world.

🔇 Silent Key — the deeply respectful term for a ham operator who has passed away. In old telegraph code, the number 30 meant “the end.” SK carries that same quiet weight. It’s how the community honors one of their own.

The Q Signals alone are a whole language.

They started as Morse code shortcuts… why tap out a full sentence when three letters say it all? Hams still use them today in voice conversations. It’s not unlike texting TY instead of thank you. Shorthand that started as efficiency and became just how you talk when you’re part of the culture.

And then there’s the phonetic alphabet. Another layer of the code.

When you give your call sign on the air, you don’t just say the letters. You say:

Kilo. Alpha. Six. Lima. Mike. November.

Clear, unambiguous, no matter how bad the static. It’s elegant engineering wrapped in language.

Here’s what’s fascinating: every generation invents its own shorthand for connection. Telegraphers in 1857. Hams on HF bands. Kids texting. The medium changes. The human instinct… to communicate efficiently, to belong to something, to have a language that’s yours… that part never changes.

Humans have been inventing coded languages for centuries. Some to protect secrets, some to move information faster than the enemy (or the bureaucracy) could follow. Ham radio operators inherited that tradition, even if their codes were born more from necessity than secrecy. But the effect is the same: if you know, you know.

73 to all. 🖐️

Curious what all the letters and numbers mean? The full ARRL ham radio glossary is a rabbit hole worth falling into: arrl.org/ham-radio-glossary

Sources and further reading: ARRL Ham Radio Glossary (arrl.org/ham-radio-glossary) and QSO Today Podcast (qsotoday.com)

May 11, 2026

A Salute to Amateur Radio Operators — America’s Volunteer Communications Network

I wanted to take a minute to recognize all of the amateur radio operators out there and say thank you. One thing that’s stood out to me about almost all of the amateur (ham) radio operators I’ve met is their willingness and interest in being of service. They truly are a national resource. What surprises many people is that this isn’t a government agency or a well-funded organization — it’s a volunteer network of individual licensed operators.

These are the folks who step up and are prepared to help in any emergency and, after an emergency, coordinate disaster recovery. Some operators are trained SKYWARN storm spotters, reporting real-time severe weather observations directly to the National Weather Service. Others serve through ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), providing critical communications when normal infrastructure fails during disasters. Search and Rescue (SAR) is another common role, as is participation in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). Ham operators can also be found at hospitals, shelters, and command centers during major events. Many volunteer at public and charity events such as marathons, parades, and festivals. Places where cell service isn’t available or is unreliable.


Hamvention has been taking place since 1952 and remains one of the largest amateur radio gatherings in the world, drawing over 35,000 attendees from across the globe. Hundreds of vendors, a massive outdoor flea market, and technical seminars make it worth the trip whether you’re a seasoned operator or just getting started. People come to buy, sell, and trade gear, attend forums, connect with manufacturers, and meet the operators they’ve only ever known by callsign. If Dayton isn’t practical, most regions host their own smaller hamfests, and your local amateur radio club is a great starting point for finding one near you. Search the ARRL club finder to get connected. If the thought of learning Morse code kept you from pursuing a license in the past, it’s worth knowing the FCC removed that requirement back in 2007, making now a great time to get started.


73 to you!

— Jessica Crotty CEO, C. Crane

March 18, 2026

One of the Most Unique Uses We’ve Heard for a Radio

I love hearing stories from our customers about how they use our radios. Honestly, after 30 years of talking to people as part of C. Crane, I thought I had heard them all, but it turns out I was wrong.

A great customer came in and shared that he has several of our radios, loves them, and uses one to deal with his bear problem and keep bears away.

I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming, and I couldn’t help but laugh when he told me.

For some context, this gentleman lives on a hill here in town with a forest bordering his backyard. He has several fruit trees, which are, of course, very appealing to bears. For a long time, every night, a bear came in to damage and destroy his trees.

CC Radio 3 - Radio outside as a bear deterrent

One day, he was talking to a friend, lamenting his bear problem, and the friend said, “Oh, you just need a good radio. It will take care of the problem.”

Truly intrigued, he said, “A radio? How?”

The friend explained that you put it on a talk radio station, not music, and turn it up loud enough that it sounds like people are having a conversation. Then you place it in the yard, and the bears will stay away. The idea being that bears don’t want anything to do with people.

Since he already had several of our radios, he decided to give it a try. He placed one on his deck, and that night, no bear. The following night, no bear. And this continued until one night the bear was back. I’m sure you can guess why… the batteries had run out.

Since that first night, he’s only had three instances of the bear returning, and every time it was because the batteries had run out. Thank goodness many of our radios last a long time on a set of batteries. He also mentioned that only our radios work because they get such good reception, which makes sense since you need clear voices for this to work.

Below are actual pictures of his yard and the CCRadio he uses to help keep the bears away. So if you have a bear problem, it may be worth a try. He definitely swears by this solution.

This is by far the most unique use I’ve heard of for our radios. If you have another creative use you’d like to share, please comment below. We love hearing these stories and discovering problems we didn’t even know radio could solve!

CC Radio 3 - Radio as a bear deterrent

Happy listening (or in this case deterring bears)!

This is the image from the front cover of the ARRL magazine.
November 25, 2025

Confidence in Preparedness Starts with Knowing Your Equipment

Even experienced operators fall into the trap of tossing a new radio into the go-bag and never touching it until it’s needed. That’s when mistakes happen. Spending just a few minutes now and then to practice using your radio, run through power options, or even watch a short demo builds confidence that can’t be fake in a crisis.

The latest edition of On the Air, an online publication by ARRL (The National Association for Amateur Radio), features an article by C. Crane CEO Jessica Crotty. In it, she highlights the importance of knowing your equipment before a disaster and the vital role radio plays during emergencies.

To learn more about ham radio operators and how ARRL supports them through education, advocacy, and community programs, visit their website. Click here for a free sample magazine or to learn more about subscribing to On The Air, where they share approachable techniques and real stories for every level of ham radio operator. From making your first contact to choosing equipment and joining local clubs, it helps you get the most from your amateur radio license.

Please click the images below to enlarge and read the article:

This is an image from the ARRL magazine.

Shared with permission from the ARRL. © ARRL. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, distributed, or modified without prior written permission. All trademarks and names are the property of their respective owners.

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This is the new front cover of the C. Crane catalog. It details vibrant colors in a painting of the redwoods. It has different flowers, berries and a peaking bigfoot.
October 20, 2025

Better Sound, Longer Reach: The New C. Crane 2026 Catalog is Here

Words From Jessica

Jessica Crotty, CEO of C. Crane, stands at the bank of the Eel River, located in Fortuna, Humboldt County.

Our area up here in Northern California is often referred to as “Behind the Redwood Curtain.” Reception-wise, that curtain is tough to get through. This challenge of getting reception is what gave birth to C. Crane’s radio division. When the Cranes (founders of C. Crane) moved up from the Bay Area, they couldn’t get their favorite station, KGO. They found an antenna that helped them receive the signal and started selling it from their home.

C. Crane was born solving reception problems. We still help people pull back the curtain and let the signal in. Whether it’s AM, FM, shortwave, internet radio, or long-distance WiFi, we work to get the signal where you need it. With fewer local stations and more interference than ever, we’ve seen more interest in internet radio. That connection to radio, no matter how it’s delivered, is what keeps us close to the people who make it happen.

This past year, I was fortunate to be on calls with station owners, hosts, and station managers, and even visit a few stations. One phrase I kept hearing was “Last man standing.” It spoke to me about holding on and keeping the signal alive when others fade away. We understand that feeling. We’re one of the few American-owned radio companies still around, and we’re proud to join many of these stations in promoting “Every Home Needs a Radio,” so you’ll have one when you need it most.

Thank you for continuing to support us in all the ways that you do. The work never stops, and neither do our efforts to improve. Every product is built to solve real problems and backed by service you can count on long after the sale. We believe people deserve to be treated the way we’d want to be treated, and that will never change.

-Jessica Crotty, CEO C. Crane

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An artistic illustration of an antique radio in the foreground with a stylized view of the Earth behind it, showing radio waves or magnetic field lines arcing across the globe from a point on the surface. The radio is a classic, brown wooden model with two large knobs, a tuning dial, and a retractable antenna. The Earth is depicted with swirling shades of green and tan continents against a dark blue ocean, set against a star-filled background with glowing, golden-orange lines flowing from its surface. The image evokes the concept of "skywave" radio propagation.
July 23, 2025

Why AM Reception Can Get Worse in the Summer – And Tips on What to Do About It

If your AM radio reception seems worse in the summer, you’re not imagining things. Between long daylight hours, more interference, and changing atmospheric conditions, summer can throw a wrench into even the best listening setups.

Whether you’re parked at a rest stop trying to catch your favorite talk show, listening in bed at home, or sitting in your garage workshop with the radio on, those familiar fades and static bursts might be showing up more often.

Here’s why that happens – and what you can do about it.

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January 15, 2025

7.0 Earthquake in Humboldt County: Are You Prepared?

On Thursday, December 5th, 2024, just off the coast, our little area in the Pacific Northwest (of California), was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, along with hundreds of aftershocks. We’re beginning to associate December with earthquakes, as we had another large earthquake in December of 2022 that caused a tremendous amount of damage.

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