Among ham radio enthusiasts, the word Elmer has become an affectionate term for an experienced ham radio operator who mentors a novice. It’s also used as a verb: Elmering someone means helping a new ham. The term was coined in a 1971 magazine...
silent key n.— «Was a licensed amateur (ham) radio with the call sign KA6HVA. When he passed away, he became, in ham radio parlance, a “silent key.”» —“Biography for Burl Ives” The Internet Movie Database Aug. 13, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued...