eHam.net News

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Radio Enthusiasts 'Hams' Put Their Skills to the Test:

Posted: 18 Jan 2017 04:11 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38437


Members of the Kings County Amateur Radio Club (KCARC) gathered over the
holidays to test their operating skills in an international contest. Also
known as 'Hams,' amateur radio enthusiasts communicate around the world
using a wide variety of frequencies and techniques. Sponsored by Radio
Amateurs of Canada (RAC), the national amateur radio organization of
Canada, the RAC Winter Contest took place Dec. 16-17. It's a fun event that
encourages Canadian amateurs to contact other amateurs across the country
and around the world, and to wish them a merry Christmas and happy new
year. This time, KCARC received permission to use the special call sign,
VE1RAC, for the contest. Several members of the KCARC gathered at the
station of Fred (VE1FA) and Helen (VA1YL) in Canard to assist with voice
and Morse code contacts. While nasty weather and poor road conditions kept
many club members at home on the opening night of the contest, better
conditions the following night permitted them to get out to operate,
socialize and enjoy the camaraderie of the club.


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Listen With Your Eyes: One in Five of Us May 'Hear' Flashes of Light:

Posted: 18 Jan 2017 04:11 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/38436


One in five people is affected by a synaesthesia-like phenomenon in which
visual movements or flashes of light are “heardâ€� as faint sounds,
according to scientists. The findings suggest that far more people than
initially thought experience some form of sensory cross-wiring -- which
could explain the appeal of flashing musical baby toys and strobed lighting
at raves. Elliot Freeman, a cognitive neuroscientist at City University and
the study’s lead author, said: “A lot of us go around having senses
that we do not even recognise.� In the study, published in the journal
Consciousness and Cognition, 40 participants were presented with pairs of
either visual or auditory Morse-code like patterns, and had to decide
whether each pair contained the same or different sequences. Participants
were then asked whether they were aware of hearing faint sounds
accompanying the flashes.