Let's stay younger with CW operation using a key

Sending CW with a paddle or any key is involved in intellectual centers of CNS and fine motor function. The fine tactile sensory function works as well when we touch the finger piece of the paddle at proper interval and pressure. Aging may have those functions deteriorated.

 

The following paper says passive sensory stimulation activates sensorimotor functions. They have done purely passive stimulations in the study, which is not thesame as keying movements. But I believe keying movements require fine discrimination of tactile sense that is comparable to these stimulations in a sense.

 

Old boys, don't complain of your clumsy fist but go on operating CW with a key. That will promise you to stay younger. I am telling this to myself everyday!

 

Clin Interv Aging. 2008;3(4):673-90.

Improvement of sensorimotor functions in old age by passive sensory stimulation.

Kalisch T, Tegenthoff M, Dinse HR.

Source

Department of Theoretical Biology, Institute for Neuroinformatics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Abstract

Sensorimotor functions decrease in old age. The well-documented loss of tactile acuity in elderly is accompanied by deterioration ofhaptic performance and fine manipulative movements. Physical training and exercise can maintain sensorimotor fitness into high age. However, regular schedules of training require discipline and physical fitness. We here present an alternative interventional paradigm to enhance tactile, haptic, and fine motor performance based on passive, sensory stimulation by means of tactile coactivation. This approach is based on patterned, synchronous tactile stimulation applied to the fingertips for 3 hours. The stimulation drives plastic reorganizational changes in somatosensory cortex that affect perception and behavior: We demonstrate that following 3 hours of coactivation tactile acuity as well as haptic object exploration and fine motor performance are improved for at least 96 hours. Because this kind of intervention does not require active participation or attention of the subjects, we anticipate that coactivation is a prime candidate for future therapeutic interventions in patients with impaired sensorimotor abilities. It can be assumed that the maintenance and restoration of sensorimotor functions can ensure and preserve independence of daily living. Further optimizing of the stimulation protocol can be assumed to strengthen both the range and durability of its efficacy.

How I am getting along recently...

Lately, my work as well as the good condition on the higher bands have been keeping me busy.  In morning and evening, I am getting on 20 or 15m. The bands are always good for the east coasts as well as Europe. I feel relaxed to hear my friends' signals from there with a bit of flutter. The photo above shows my anntena, a tribander for 40 through 20m with a 4 element monobander for 10m above it. 4 element is exactly 3.5 element only. When Bruce K6ZB visited here with his wife last fall, he took some photos. He has submitted some to FOCUS, FOC magazine, with some sentences. The editor at that time, Chris G4BUE, has noticed the 4 element Yagi had lost the half element of the 1st director!! and let me know that through Bruce. I seldom got on 10m. That may be the reason why I haven't noticed this defect. I used to find a piece of aluminum tube in the garden sometime ago. I should have looked up the tower then and figured the number of the elements of the beams there!

The photo below shows the entrance road from the street to our home. The gate stone was half destroyed by the big earth quake in March. On the left of the entrance, we have a bit of lawn garden, which has kept me busy careing for throughout summer. Now that duty is almost over. I should cut the trees along the entrance and some branches of the tress around before it gets cold.  It is the time of harvest. Crisp and cool breeze is coming through over the harvested rice paddies now. One of the best seasons here.

I have a small concert scheduled on Oct 8. Music lovers are gathering at a local hall, where we play pieces together or in solo. Some will sing while the others will play instruments. I will play the 1st and, probably, the 2nd movement of piano trio by Faure. I have yearned playing this piece by myself since my young days. We have finished playing the 2nd piano trio by Brahms this winter after practising for a year. It was an achivement for me, even if we won't question about the result. It was a lot of fun to play in ensemble. The violinist makes a signal, in German, Einsatz, to start music inspiring deeply as if she were telling us "let's start it now". It is always touching me a lot. It sounds we are living and singing music together. It means more than a signal in performance but a sign of having fun of life together.

Irrational announcements from "the authority" on the reactor state

The authority reported that the tubings of the 1st reactor of Fukushima nuclear power plant are full of imflammable gas including hydrogen. They are going to measure hydrogen gas there. I suspect it could be produced from zirconium metal coating the surface of the nuclear fuel reacted with water at very high temperature. Nothing commented about that even though it could result in the catastrophic explosion of the reactor in the future.

If my conjecture is right, there could be much heat produced by the breakdown of nuclear substances which has not been cooled down at all. The government announced a few days ago that the nuclear reactor temerature had been down favorably. They might measure the temperature of the reactor itself. But it is already confirmed that the nuclear fuel has melt through the cases to the base of the reactor building. It could even got into the soil below. It is no use measureing the temperature of the reactor at all. We should rather consider much heat production going on without efficient cooling and it is far from the cooling cessation of the reactor as they plan by the end of this year.

These irrational announcements from the government, its agency or the power company might mean they are trying to start operating reactors at various nuclear power plants all over the country as soon as possible. Our mass media has long been for promoting the nuclear power plant since they hav got much profit from the ad of the power company.  And they won't question about these problems.  However, their effort to bias the public opinion against the nuclear power plant might end in failure since there have been many soureces in the internet which tell the truth.

Is it worth spending time and energy?

Thinking process is stepwise and takes a variety of time depending on the topic and the capacity of the ehinking person. I am not good at the psychology of this field. But it seems reasonable thinking speed is roughly comparable to that of typewriting.

I heard most proficient typists type at the rate of 6000 characters per an hour. This is 100 characters per a minute, that is, again in rough estimation, 20WPM or so. Maybe, thinking rate is around this or a little bit more. If I guess it right, most CW sending fits thinking rate. This might explain why I feel that CW sending is a highly intelligent process. Of course, there could be diverse cases in CW sending. If we send something we think deeply, it could be an intelligent process.

This seems to me to be another reason why CW communication survives in the world where people pursue something more speedy and more efficient.

So how do you think about this? Do you believe CW is worth spending time and energy in your whole life? If you answer yes, why?

Chinese hams

China has grown up one of the biggest countries with respect to the economy as well as the population. The ham radio is not an exception. It is reported there are already over 90000 hams there. There are increasing number of hams getting on now. We could hear a few Chinese on around 7023KHz at night. They always sound like new comers with the prefices of BG, BH etc.

I always wonder why they won't make the ordinary QSOs. They do only in the contest syle or, at best, so called rubber stamp QSOs. In some cases, they might start QSO in response to my CQ before I reply to them. They seem to be interested only in QSLs. I know QSL collection is required to upgrade their tickets. It may hasten them to work as many as possible, that result in those contest style contacts.
But it seems they are not required to experience SWL before getting ham tickets as it used to be in the communist coutries before the cold war ended.
I wonder if this is the only reason of their shorties. I have been interested in the hams in this big neighborhood country.

A few days ago, I ran across into a novice class Chinese with the prefix of BG7 on 40m. I have seen his call in the FIST East Asia BBS sometime ago. I have mentioned it. He seemed to be delighted that I had known him. He was in Shenzheng near HK. His set up was 20W "DIY" with a wire antenna on the roof of 20 story building. Later, his mail told he had run much less power, maybe, a few W from his home brew tiny transceiver. I could not help smiling at the word DIY standing for home brew. It seemed tough for him to go on chatting maybe, I guessed at that time, due to language barrier or some other reason. I thought to correspond with him by e mail. I have never e mailed to any ham in China and was wondering if it was possible. Before I sent him my mail, my mail box had received his with a bit peculiar simple address.

He was wondering why he could not access to FIST EA any longer. He might want me to help him getting touch with FIST EA members. It was surprising to see a Chinese ham to be willing to come back to the ham club in the western world. No barrier between the western nad the eastern in consciouness any longer. He also attached a photo showing his tiny radio with the size of a paddle. My beam was  pointed off back to him then. But his signal was coming in very nicely. I knew China is a real neighborhood.

In the reply to him, I have asked him why the most of Chinese won't enjoy the ordinary QSOs and so forth. So far, no reply from him yet. I guess that the language barrier is not likely to be the main reason. I know in the field of med science, a lot of Chinese are publishing artilces in first quality magazines in English. The most young people should be well educated in English over there. QSL collection demand must be another reason as written above. I am afraid that the bands are still censored by the authority and the QSOs could be checked by them. About 25 years ago, a Korean ham friend used to visit here. While tuning around 40m in my shack, he told me there was censorship on the air in Korea even in the age out of the military government those days. Maybe, it is difficult for that Chinese guy to answer my question. The internet must be an important objects for censorship. His e mail address was a very simple one which seemed handy for censorship.

I wish we could enjoy ordinary QSOs with the people in this neighborhood country in the near future. I dream it will contribute to mutual understanding between Japan and China, which has been disturbed by the unhappy past history and the political propaganda.

Where does a CW club stand on?

As a reply to Steve's comment;

Hi Steve,

I always wonder how a CW club could educate CW operators, promote the ommunciation through CW or enhance ragchewing. I believe CWops is trying to pursue these with the other activities than contesting or award issueing etc. I must admit the gravity is rather centered to these activities. However, there are some other activities which try to promote ragchewing and so on, even though it is not remarkable at all yet. Yes, just only a few buds. Ragchewing is not competitive in nature but highly personal. It could hardly organized by the club. The results of ragchewing are not so apparent as contesting etc. I believe it is still the time for us to keep eyes open to those activities of the club members and to be involved in them by ourselves so far as we could do.

You may take the above saying as an official statement as one of the directors of CWops. I would consider how such a club could be established and maintained. I don't believe it is so easy.

Of course, any club of amateur radio doesn't concern about philosophical idea or profit etc. It is just a circle of a hobby.

However, I believe any club should have something which bond the members each other. It could be the purpose of the club or the spirit of the club, whether it is recognized by the members or not. Either may be related with distinction between the members and the non members. This distinction could give the members a kind of self esteem feeling. It enables the club go on for a long time, even though it often could be criticized as a kind of elitism. Denying this elitism, any club should seek the basis of bonding the members. In case of CWops, I believe it is not enough for the members, or Ishould say, for the head of the club to be conscious of this problem.

It is often told that CW has various aspects of enjoyment, ragchewing, contesting or award chasing etc. Have fun with any aspect of CW in your own style. This seems to be a motto in CWops. This open mindedness attracts us much. However, it won't give us the central concept or spirit of the club which bond the members for a long time. We won't be able to go through without asking what is the essence or the most important thing in CW communication/operation. What is the point or concept which identifies ourselves as a CWops member? This is my question.　　

I hope you to stay with us in the club and to go on publishing better but constructive words to the club.

I should repeat that the above opinion is my personal one apart from the directorate. Thanks for your stimulating comment, Steve.

To Bob M0PIE

Bob,

I have tried to reply to your comment twice. Even though it is delivered through email, it is never shown on this blog itself. I don't know why. Maybe, some bug in the blog system. Sorry for that.

Here is my reply to you. Thanks again for your thoughtful comment;

Bob,

Thanks for your comment. There are more esearch works on the code reception from the standpoint of cerebral physiology. The code reception process has  been studied by psychologists in the past. It is the topics for the  physiologists with the arm of functional MRI etc nowadays. The code  reception is one of the most basic processes of recognition in brain for communication, which may attract those researchers. We are interested in  the process from pragmatic viewpoint as for how to improve skill with CW  hi. I would summarize them in the future.

Yes, the sociable nature of CW communication is quite important. The  contesters or DXers are seemingly forgetting it, I am afraid. We should not forget it.