In a basic CW transmitter, the output from the oscillator is:

In a basic Continuous Wave (CW) transmitter, the primary function of the oscillator is to generate the steady radio frequency signal. Because it is a simple design, the oscillator generates this signal exactly at the intended transmitted frequency. While more complex transmitters might use frequency multipliers—where the oscillator runs at a submultiple of the operating frequency—a basic CW transmitter does not. Furthermore, the oscillator generates a highly stable but low-power signal, which must subsequently be amplified to reach the final transmitted signal's power level.