RSID: <<2026-05-28T23:31Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>
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Welcome to program 451 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

  1:43 MFSK32: Program preview (now)
  2:53 MFSK32: Canada's CHU time station will close
  5:18 MFSK64: Cities seek to reduce light pollution, see stars
12:35 MFSK64: This week's images
28:15 MFSK32: Closing announcements

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

We're on Bluesky now: SWRadiogram.bsky.social

And X/Twitter: @SWRadiogram
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Announcement from the National Research Council Canada (NRC):

As of June 22, 2026, the shortwave radio broadcast [CHU] of the
NRC's official time signal will no longer be available.

The NRC's official time can still be found in the following ways:

The NRC's web clock
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/web-clock/

The telephone talking clock
English: 613-745-1576
French: 613-745-9426

The NRC's Network Time Protocol
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/network-time-protocol-ntp

Time accuracy superior to telephone time accuracy is available
throughout Canada and in many other parts of the world by means
of the NRC's radio time signals broadcast continuously from
shortwave radio station CHU. If corrections are made for the
propagation delay from CHU to the user, and for delays in the
user's receiver, an accuracy of better than 1 ms can be obtained.
Signal availability at a user's location depends on ionospheric
conditions. CHU also broadcasts a time code which can be decoded
with common computers and modems.

Three frequencies are used: 3330, 7850, and 14670 kHz.

More information from NRC about CHU:
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortwave-station-broadcasts-chu

See also:
https://swling.com/blog/2026/05/canadas-chu-will-go-silent-on-shortwave-on-june-22-2026/


Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 ...


 

RSID: <<2026-05-28T23:35Z MFSK-64 @ 9265000+1500>>

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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net

From Deutsche Welle:

Blinded by the light pollution: Cities seek to restore night

Artificial lights are blotting out the moon and stars,
harming human health, and disrupting the natural world. Why
is this a problem? And how can we stop it without sitting in
the dark?

Jeannette Cwienk
May 25, 2026

A streetlight right out in front of your house can make it easier
to safely get in the door at night — but good luck trying to
sleep without heavy curtains. That's just one example of how
artificial light is useful in many aspects of our daily lives, as
well as a major problem.

Our world is illuminated by more artificial light than ever
before. A recent US study found that artificial light emissions
at night increased by about 16% globally from 2014 through 2022,
according to research published in Nature.

Areas experiencing increased brightening also saw the intensity
of the light increase, by an average of 9%.

Too much artificial light can make us sick

We can switch off light sources such as computers, phones, TVs
and lamps ourselves. But other sources are beyond our control:
streetlights, headlights on cars, illuminated monuments, flashing
billboards, and spotlights on construction sites, storefronts,
bus stops, parking lots, sports fields and stadiums, to name just
a few.

Being exposed to artificial light to such an extent can disrupt
our natural sleep-wake cycle, destabilizing our hormonal balance
and increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes,
depression and obesity.

The color of light also has an effect. The colder, or whiter, the
light, the more it resembles daylight — and the more it
suppresses the hormone melatonin, which is what makes us feel
sleepy in the evening.

No other environmental condition has remained unchanged over the
millennia like the natural light of the sun, moon and stars. All
living things have adapted to this rhythm. More than half of all
species are nocturnal — if the nights become brighter, it could
have devastating consequences.

Migratory birds use the moon and stars to navigate. Artificial
light can distract and divert them from their routes, leading to
detours and exhaustion. Other birds can be tricked into laying
their eggs too early in the season, when there aren't enough
insects for newly hatched chicks to eat.

Insects such as moths and beetles use the light from the starry
night sky to find food and mating partners. But artificial lights
are much brighter and inevitably draw them away. They
continuously circle the light source until they drop to the
ground, dead with exhaustion. Billions are killed in this way
each year, a devastating toll when insects are already threatened
by pollution, declining biodiversity and other dangers.

Nocturnal mammals such as hedgehogs and bats generally avoid
well-lit places; in our brighter world, their habitat is steadily
shrinking. And light can create an artificial barrier that some
fish species will not cross. Lights cast on the surface of the
water from an overarching bridge, for example, can prevent eels
from swimming by — a major problem during their migratory
spawning period.

Brightest night skies in China, India

The Nature study found that the increase in nighttime light
emissions since 2014 was highest in Asia, particularly in the
economically growing regions of China and India.
In the United States, light pollution increased most on the West
Coast because of the growing economy and population in
California's cities. The East Coast, and parts of the US Midwest,
by contrast, have become darker — in part because of a shrinking
industrial sector, fewer residents and more energy-efficient
lighting.

In Europe, overall light intensity compared to 2014 had decreased
by 4%, with researchers noting a drop in light pollution across
the region as a whole. That decline was most noticeable in France
(33%), the United Kingdom (22%) and the Netherlands (21%).

Unlike in the United States, the darker night skies in Europe
aren't always the result of economic decline.

In France, for example, new bylaws now require lighting on all
commercial buildings, storefronts, parking lots, public parks and
cultural heritage sties to be turned off by 1 a.m., at the
latest.

Other European nations took on the issue of the brightening night
sky much earlier. The Czech Republic passed the world's first law
against light pollution in 2002, which stipulates, among other
rules, that streetlights may only be directed toward the ground,
at risk of a fine of over €3,000 ($3,500).

Slovenia has been combating light pollution since 2007, with a
regulation limiting the annual electricity consumption for
lighting per resident to 50 kilowatt hours. Other rules also
ensure that streetlights don't shine too brightly at night in
residential areas.

Germany's 'star city,' Fulda, lights the way

Germany has yet to pass any nationwide rules against light
pollution. The Federal Nature Conservation Act is, however,
currently being updated in an attempt to rein it in. At the state
level, Baden-Württemberg has already passed a law that prohibits
facade illumination from April to September — the months when
wildlife is most active in Germany.

The city of Fulda, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of
Frankfurt, is a forerunner when it comes to lighting. The Fulda
Cathedral is illuminated with precisely targeted spotlights,
instead of the standard floodlights. In new neighborhoods outside
of the city center, walkways and cycle paths are only lit to 20%;
when someone comes by, motion detectors briefly bring the
streetlights up to maximum.

"Insect traps installed before and after these measures were put
into effect have shown that the new lights kill 90% fewer
insects," said Marcel Cire, environmental engineer with Fulda's
city planning department. He said Fulda was starting to install
the new streetlights in the city, replacing old lamps as needed
to keep costs down.

Fulda has been recognized for its efforts to bring back the
night. DarkSky International, a US-based nonprofit raising
awareness about the harmful effects of excessive artificial
light, designated the city as Germany's first "star city" in
2019. It joined 11 other certified locations in the country with
"outstanding dark sky conditions and protection practices."

Bringing back the firefly

As shown in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Fulda, lights should
only illuminate where absolutely necessary — walkways, for
example, and not the entire night sky. Lights regulated with
motion sensors are a good alternative to always-on outdoor
lighting.

The warmer the light, the less harmful it is — for humans and
other creatures. Conservation organizations recommend using a
light temperature of no more than 3000 Kelvin for outdoor
lighting, a warm, yellow-white light commonly used in living
rooms and bedrooms.

Following these recommendations could help bring fireflies back
to our parks and gardens. The firefly is another insect
threatened by light pollution, with artificial light keeping the
male and female insects from finding each other.

Simply closing the curtains in your house at night can help not
only to block out any annoying outdoor glare, but also prevent
indoor light from disturbing the nightlife outdoors.

https://www.dw.com/en/blinded-by-the-light-pollution-cities-seek-to-restore-night/a-77279415
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Image: Illustration by Bärbel Busch showing stars over the
reduced lighting of Fulda, Germany ...


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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net
 

This week's images ...



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We saw this black bear during our recent visit to Yellowstone
National Park. Photo by our guide Kevin ...

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Looking up at the stairway at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow,
Scotland. tinyurl.com/24b67q7m ...

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Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington DC
at sunrise, May 26. tinyurl.com/25m2udet ...

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Candles lighting the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National
Cemetery on the evening of Memorial Day, May 25.
tinyurl.com/2ywnt7f8 ...

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A desert cottontail rabbit at the Los Angeles Arboretum,
photographed in May 2026. tinyurl.com/27x52zg3 ...

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A performer in Sydney wears a coral-inspired costume to show to
raise awareness of threats to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
tinyurl.com/2yxxyfhh ...

Sending Pic:177x173C;




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Brenton Balentien, known as Blue Face, a leading supporter of
Curaçao’s national soccer team, doing well in early World Cup
competition. tinyurl.com/25ga6482 ...

Sending Pic:206x139C;


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A magnolia bloom at the Dominion Arboretum on Ottawa, Ontario.
tinyurl.com/28s2ayjf ...

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Our art of the week is "The Chicago Bungalow" by Phil Thompson.
rb.gy/pnidsh ...

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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 ...


 

RSID: <<2026-05-28T23:58Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 ...


Transmission of Shortwave Radiogram is provided by:

WRMI, Radio Miami International, http://wrmi.net

and

WINB Shortwave, http://winb.com


    Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

http://swradiogram.bsky.social

X/Twitter (for now): @SWRadiogram

I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave
Radiogram.


 

RSID: <<2026-05-29T11:30Z MFSK-64 @ 15770000+1500>>

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Sylvia Robinson, née Vanterpool, of Micky & Sylvia was born on
May 29, 1935. 🇺🇸

She died in 2011.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Robinson

Please report your decode to themightykbc@gmail.com and
tune in Shortwave Radiogram.

 

PSKR125C4 @ 15770000+1500>>
 

2454CREW mC9002, better known as the Jaap, ran a test run from Roosendaal on April 16, 2023, on a tour of the Netherlands.

In 1924, the electric motor car in the green-cream livery was built by the Royal Factory of Carriages and Railways J.J. Beijens in Haarlem for the Dutch Railways as C 9002.

'Jaap' was acquired by the 2454 Crew Foundation, which is responsible for the overhaul and necessary maintenance. The train set is stored in the carriage workshop in Roosendaal. From May 2023, its home base will be SHM in Hoorn.

Here you can see the train just past Elst, heading towards Arnhem, both in the provincie Gelderland.

Mat '24 was a series of electric multiple units and railcars of the Dutch Railways. After the arrival of electric streamline units in 1935, the name of this equipment became Blokkendozen (Block Boxes), after the angular model. Some NS
employees and those interested in the railway invariably spoke of "(electric) buffer equipment", to distinguish it from the streamlined, bufferless electric multiple units of the types Mat '35, Mat '36 and Mat '40.

The design of this equipment in 1924 made use of the experience gained with the first electrical equipment in the Netherlands, the ZHESM equipment from 1908, which was used on the Rotterdam Hofplein – Scheveningen (Hofplein line)
railway line.

The combinations were more or less fixed, formed with motor carriages and intermediate carriages, usually consisting of two motor carriages in a train circuit and two or three intermediate carriages. The motor carriages were initially
equipped with a driving position on one side. To increase the availability, motor vehicles were later also delivered that were equipped with folding bellows, with a cab (small by contemporary standards) next to it.

Due to the presence of buffers and screw couplings, this equipment could also be used in pulled trains. Conversely, other types of carriages, if equipped with controls, could also be used in blokkendoos trains. This was the case from
15 May 1928 onwards in trains on the Oude Lijn, which included CIWL dining cars.


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