ENIGMA” EVENT – September 2014
EVENT ORGANIZATION
The Museo Tecnico Navale will coordinate all activities related to the Event and will host the Master network station. The official web site of the event is www.arilaspezia.it.
The Rover Joe Association will identify as many as possible Enigma machines in Italy and abroad, will define the machine’s settings, will take care of the input and the update of the Enigma Event information on the official web site and will promote the Enigma Event as most as possible.
The Associazione Radioamatori Italiani, branch of La Spezia, will define the amateur radio procedures of the Event, will promote them at a national and international level through the official channels and the personal relations of its members, the official website, to allow a direct link between amateur radio stations and Enigma machine owners.
The INORC Association will provide the prizes (plaques) for the firsts classified (see Annex 2) and cooperate to provide the radio-telegraphists for the clarified code communications on September 26th at:
- Museo Tecnico Navale of the Italian Navy in La Spezia
- Historical Museum of Communication of MISE (Rome)
- Science and Technology Museum (Milan)
- Museo of Tecnica Elettrica . University of Pavia
- Sezione ARI Fidenza
The ARMI and INORC Associations and the ARI Sections of La Spezia, Fidenza, Vigevano and Milano will guarantee the activation of amateur radio stations, coupled to their respective Enigma machines , for the whole period of the Award and specially during the period when each of them will act as a “Jolly” station (see Annex 2), locally coordinating transmission timing and mode.
On the web site www.arilaspezia.it will be inserted and updated all informations related to the Enigma event, participant stations, traffic list, periods and timing of the clear and encoded radio communications, web sites addresses for Enigma emulators SW downloaders, Enigma machine settings, Award and prizes rules, references and contacts of the Event Promoters.
According to the number of subscriptions received, the Sezione ARI of La Spezia will publish within September 7th 2014 a list of the partecipating amateur radio stations equipped with Enigma machines, the timing for the clear connections among the participating stations to gain the Award (from September 12th), the start and end times of the Enigma Event, taking place on September 26th 2014 during the European Night of Research.
Starting from September 12th all participants amateur radio stations will start transmitting in clear in all allowed modes (SSB, CW, PSK31, RTTY, SSTV,…) trying to establish as more contacts (QSOs) as they can with stations equipped with a real, virtual or emulated Enigma machine, registered in the above mentioned list, in order to get scores to obtain the “ENIGMA AWARD” (procedure in Annex 2).
On September 26th , during the European Night of Research, the Enigma Event will start at the scheduled time with a message exchange, in clarified code, between the master radio station at the Museo Tecnico Navale of La Spezia and the station of the Museo della Comunicazione of MISE in Rome; according to the number of registrations received, the two stations will connect in clarified code with other stations coupled with real or emulated Enigma, following a special traffic list to be published, with adequate notice, on the site www.arilaspezia.it.
All contacts in clarified code will be realized in telegraphic (CW) mode only and will be activated by the two master network stations, following a special traffic list, sending a clarified code message, containing a symbolic text later defined; each called station, at its time, will answer with a clarified code message and the master network station will give the confirmation (QSL).
The message will be composed by a clear part (not encoded), containing all informations related to the event and the Enigma machine settings, and so it will start with the official web site of the event followed by the sentence “Notte europea dei ricercatori” and the indication of the Enigma rotors used; the main part of the message will follow, starting with the words, in clear, “inizio enigma” followed by the clarified code part composed by groups of five letters (PARIS) containing an historical expression of Marconi and a question/answer about the contacts performed, and ending with the words “fine enigma”; please find an example as follows:
www.arilaspezia.it – notte europea dei ricercatori – rotors XYZ – inizio enigma – Marconi’s sentence – number of contacts performed? – fine enigma
the called station will answer with the same procedure:
www.arilaspezia.it – notte europea dei ricercatori – rotors XYZ – inizio enigma – Marconi’s sentence – performed XXX contacts – fine enigma
the only part in “italic” characters will be in clarified code.
The demonstration on September 26th will end with greetings and thanks giving message for all the participants and for the listening stations, sent by the master network station at the Museo Tecnico Navale.
Each station, either those equipped with an Enigma machine (real, virtual or emulated) or not, can apply for the Enigma Award and/or for the prizes sending an e-mail to the Award Manager with the log of the QSOs performed during the period.
At the Museo Tecnico Navale, on september 26th will be given a public demonstration of the coding/decoding operations by Enigma of the sent/received messages, the Rover Joe Association will take a conference about the history and the operating principle of the Enigma machine and an exhibition of military crypto machines will be present.
ANNEX 2
ENIGMA AWARD
RULES
The “ENIGMA AWARD”, coupled to the “Enigma Event” taking place on September 26th 2014 during the European Night of Researchers, will start on September 12th 2014.
The program is available on the web site www.arilaspezia.it.
PARTICIPATION
The Award is open to all amateur radio and SWL stations, worldwide.
PERIOD
The Award will begin at 00:01 UTC September 12th and will end at 23:59 UTC September 26th 2014.
Note:
– From 00.01 UTC September 12th to 23.59 UTC September 26th all contacts will be in clear, without any codification of the text, in CW – SSB – DIGI modes (PSK31, RTTY, SSTV,…);
– From 08.00 UTC to 23.59 UTC September 26th the stations equipped with a real, virtual or emulated Enigma machine can be allowed to exchange partially encoded messages with a clarified code in CW mode, according to the above mentioned procedure.
STATIONS
There are three kind of stations :
1) stations coupled with a real Enigma machine
2) stations with an emulated Enigma machine
3) amateur radio stations (without any Enigma machine)
The stations at the point 1) & 2) will be registered in a special list published on the site www.arilaspezia.it and them will give points for the award and the prizes for the top places.
The following Italian stations coupled with a real Enigma have already confirmed their participation:
Museo Tecnico Navale della Marina Militare – La Spezia
Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia – Milan
Museo della Tecnica elettrica dell’ Università di Pavia – Pavia
Sezione ARI di Fidenza – Fidenza (PR)
If possible, all above stations will operate with a special similar call sign, according to the instructions available on the web site www.arilaspezia.it.
REGISTRATION
All participating stations coupled with a real/virtual or emulated Enigma machine have to register within 24.00 UTC September 07th 2014 , following the instructions published on the website www.arilaspezia.it.
The “real Enigma” stations will communicate the radio station call sign, the QTH, the name of the Museum/Association where the machine is located or the owner’s name (in case private belonger), identification data of the machine (model, serial number, number of working rotors, etc.).
The “virtual/emulated Enigma” stations will communicate the radio station call sign, the QTH, the type of software used for the simulation.
MODES
From 12 to 26 September all following modes are allowed: CW – SSB – DIGI (all digimodes actually allowed : PSK31 – RTTY- SSTV, etc).
On September 26th only CW mode will be allowed for the clarified code messages.
BANDS
All HF bands, according to the Band Plan IARU (WARC included).
QSO
Following QSO will be valid:
– among amateurs radio and Enigma stations (real or virtual/emulated) registered in the above mentioned list;
– among Enigma stations (real or virtual/emulated).
SWL: HRD of QSO with at least one Enigma station are valid.
CALL
The stations will call : CQ CQ ENIGMA
JOLLY STATIONS
- Four JOLLY Stations will be activated as follows:
- Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia – Milan from 12 to 15 September
- Rover Joe Association – ARI Fidenza from 16 to 19 September
- Museo della Tecnica elettrica dell’Università di Pavia – ARI Pavia from 20 to 23 September
- Museo Tecnico Navale della Marina Militare- La Spezia from 24 to 26 September
QSO POINTS
QSO (HRD) amateur radio with JOLLY station 20 points
QSO (HRD) amateur radio with real ENIGMA station 10 points
QSO (HRD) amateur radio with virtual/emulated ENIGMA station 3 points
QSO ENIGMA station with amateur radio 1 point
Each Enigma station (real or virtual/emulated) can be connected only once a day for each emission mode and for each band, during the whole period of the Award.
MULTIPLIERS
A multiplier will be applied for each different Enigma station connected.
SCORE
The total final score is given by the sum of the points-QSO multiplied by the number of different Enigma stations connected (multipliers). In the count of the multipliers, each station will be considered once only.
AWARD POINTS
To achieve the Award is necessary to obtain the following minimum scores:
Italian stations : 30 points
European stations: 20 points
DX: 10 points
EXCHANGE
All stations will exchange reports RS(T) as usual.
LOGS DEADLINE
The deadline to send the Logs for the classifications and for the Award is October 30th 2014.
The Logs, containing the category of participation, must be sent to the address published on the website www.arilaspezia.it.
CATEGORIES
REAL ENIGMA stations
VIRTUAL/EMULATED ENIGMA stations
AMATEUR RADIO stations
SWL
For each category the following under categories will be identified:
“MIXED” (SSB/CW/PSK31/RTTY)
“PHONE” (SSB)
“MORSE” (CW)
(SWL only “MIXED”)
There will be a classification for each category and each under category on a QSO scores basis; an “absolute” category will be compiled.
( tot. score = sum of QSO points x multipliers number)
The final classifications will be published on the web site www.arilaspezia.it .
PRIZES
The first classified for each category/undercategory will be awarded with a plaque.
The second and third place will be awarded with a special certificate
The first absolute classified of each continent (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania) will receive a special Certificate of participation.
AWARD REQUEST
The Award request, with the station log attached, will be sent via e-mail to the Award Manager www.arilaspezia.it.
The Awards, to be sent free of charge via e-mail in “pdf” format, will report a serial number and the reference category/undercategory.
Everything not expressly included in the present rules, the updating, integrations and information that will become necessary, will be promptly published on the web site of the Sezione ARI della Spezia www.arilaspezia.it.
For more explanations about the activity do not exhitate to contact the above website.
ANNEX 3
ENIGMA MACHINE SETTINGS
The aim of this note is to specify the operating instructions for Enigma Machines during “Researchers’ night 2014” event; it is compiled considering the prevailing type of items preserved in Museums or private collections and of the on line available emulators. It is considered also the possibility to proceed with manual encoding/decoding of messages, without the use of any machine or emulator.
The types of authentic machines available to the Institutions and to the collectors, except for rare cases, are the “Heeres”, I, M3, M4 models, designed and produced to have full compatibility amid the German Armed Forces and Institutions. This machines operate with a set of 3 or 4 rotors depending on the models, and, as stated, are compatible within each others.
Each participant unit to the September 26th event will be composed by a radio-amateur station joined to an authentic or virtual/emulated Enigma Machine. Because of the reasons later explained, a computer able to access the web will be needed.
On this event the settings will be simplified compared to the real procedures followed during the World War by the German Armed Forces. The starting position choice for the rotors (Grundstellung) will be the same for every participant and corresponding to the date of the day: 26 September 2014 (26 – 09 – 14 in case of numeric rotors, or Z – I – N in case of alphabetic rotors, written in the Italian standard: dd-mm-yy), see the following picture 1.
Arranging the unit for the encoding phase, the rotors must be positioned on the supporting stick following an ascending numeric order from left to right (for example II, IV, V or I, III, IV) and, previously, each rotor will be set rotating the ring engraved with figures/letters (depending on the machine type) just to coincide 01 or A with the eagle of the “Ringstellung”(see picture 2).
Once the flap is shut, the ferrule of each rotor must be turned in order to read 26, 09 and 14 or Z, I and N (“Grundstellung”, picture 1) through the small windows. In four- rotors-machines, the first rotor on the left should be set on 01/A.
No electric wire for the “Stecker” plugs will be used.
The letters obtained after encoding a clear message will be transmitted in groups of 5 letters, or PARIS, as explained in a different section of this document. To decode a text (reception of coded messages), the machine will be set in the same configuration of the transmitting one, if equipped with the same rotors, as mentioned in the “clear” part of message itself. The messages will be encoded using the chosen/available rotors, whose identification will be reported in clear within the message (as explained in other section of document) with the kind of “transmitting” Enigma machine’s reflector (ETW ; type A, B, etc.). if transmitting and receiving machine are equipped with different rotors it will be impossible to decode a message and the use of the emulators available on the web will be helpful.
On the web some useful technical notes (“Enigma rotors details”) are available to manually decode messages; it might also be possible the use of some handsome gadgets as “Paper Enigma”.
ANNEX 4
PICTURE 1
PICTURE 2