The Eighth Annual (2022)
Friedrichshafen
Crypto-Conference, Sale and Forum.

Tom and Dan Perera
EnigmaMuseum.com



The 2022 "HamRadio-2022" meet at Friedrichshafen Germany was the site of the Eighth Annual Crypto-Conference, Sale and Forum.

Report on the Eighth Annual (2022) Friedrichshafen Conference, Sale and Enigma Forum
Report on the Seventh Annual (2019) Friedrichshafen Conference, Sale and Enigma Forum
Report on the Fifth Annual (2017) Friedrichshafen Conference, Sale and Enigma Forum
Report on the Fourth Annual (2016) Friedrichshafen Conference, Sale and Enigma Forum
Report on the First Annual (2013) Friedrichshafen Conference, Sale and Enigma Forum
Report on the 2011 Friedrichshafen Conference and Sale

This meet has gradually become the only place in the world where people with interests in cryptology and cryptologic devices can meet to search for new items for their collections and learn about cryptologic history and technology. Although the meet is focused on ham radio, we maintain an 8-table block in the flea market that is dedicated primarily as a place where people can buy and sell cryptologic devices. We also host the annual Enigma forum where the latest cryptologic news is combined with presentations on history and technology.

In 2022 the meet was held from June 24-26, 2022 in the huge "Messe" (Convention Center) adjacent to the airport in Friedricshafen, Germany which is located on the banks of the lovely Bodensee (Lake Constance). (In 2023 the meet will be held from June 23(Friday)-25(Sunday) with setup day June 22(Thursday).)

This year we again reserved 8 tables in the flea market for the display and sale of crypto-related apparatus, spy radios and other items. A huge "ENIGMA" banner flew over the tables so you could see them from across the large hall. There were two huge halls with about 1000 tables displaying equipment for sale so the big "ENIGMA" signs helped people locate our tables. A wide variety of exotic crypto gear, spy radios and other interesting items were on display and on offer. During the four days of the conference a great deal of Crypto gear and many spy radios and other items changed hands and both sellers and buyers came away very happy.

Many of the attendees were members of the International Conference on Cryptologic History (ICCH) https://CryptologicHistory.org
This organization was formed by members of the Cryptocollectors Email reflector on Groups.io so they all knew exactly what they were buying and the appropriate values. Many of the sellers were also on the reflector but some spectacular items were also brought to the show by other sellers such as crypto-expert Professor Dr. Franz Pichler of the University of Linz, Austria who brought some very fine early telegraph instruments and some unusual encrypted spy radios, very rare microphones and crypto-related books.

In addition to the buying, selling and networking in the flea market, the Eighth Annual Enigma Forum was held on Friday afternoon at 1600. It was very well attended with a crowd of over 150 people who watched the lectures and the demonstrations and joined in on the discussions.

A very broad selection of fine and unusual crypto-gear was offered for sale and the attendees included a gathering of crypto-experts and historians. In my opinion, this conference is a lot more fun than Ebay, the food is better, and you can bargain face-to-face with the sellers. Don't even think of coming without a shopping bag full of Euros or you will be kicking yourself about the things you wanted but could not buy because some sellers only accept Euros.

Below you will find some photographs of the items that were offered for sale as well as pictures of the sellers and buyers and the Forum.


By 0900 on setup day we had put up our Enigma signs over our 8 tables in the flea market and we had begun to put our equipment on our tables. Mark Simons is shown making preparations for the crowds.

This a wide angle photo of one of the two halls enclosing the flea market. There were approximately 500 3-meter-long tables in each hall making a total of about 1000 tables loaded with interesting items for sale.

This is a view of our primary group.
From Right to Left:
Ralph Simpson, Dan Perera, Klaus Kopacz, Bart Wessel, Mark Simons, Tom Perera, Mrs. Wessel, Paul Reuvers.

For the first time there were absolutely no FIALKAs or NEMAS for sale this year. There were some Fialka parts and mixed in among them was a very unusual part of a Russian M130 Koralle cipher machine rotor. For information on the Koralle set see: https://CryptoMuseum.com/crypto/ussr/m130/index.htm

Here is a picture of the M130 rotor part.


Ralph Simpson ended up with it. He looks very happy and will be adding it to his collection.

Ralph Simpson also found a rather normal-looking suitcase that contained a complete British Wireless Set 18 (WS-18) WWII spy radio set in excellent condition with its original manual.

These sets are very heavy due to a multi-winding power transformer but despite the weight Ralph bought it at a very low price and managed to bring it home to California safely.


Ralph (center) showed his spy radio to Klaus Kopacz on the right and Bjorn Forsberg on the left. Klaus was obviously surprised that Ralph had been able to buy it for such a low price.


Ralph also managed to buy a nice working Hagelin 520 electronic cipher machine complete with the CIA backdoor.

For a description of this device please visit: https://CryptoMuseum.com/crypto/hagelin/hc520/index.htm

Here is a picture of Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons checking it out.


Another Hagelin HC520 turned up and was bought by Klaus Kopacz. This machine was covered with a piece of paper on a table filled with telegraph keys. Only a tiny bit of it was visible under the piece of paper in the lower right corner of this picture.

As you can see, you really have to look carefully at each table to find some of these small machines.


Here is a picture of the owner comparing his HC520 to the one that Paul Reuvers is holding.

Since the battery was dead and there was no easy way for Klaus to test it, Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons soldered wires to a connector, plugged the connector into the HC520 and attached the wires to a power supply that Klaus had brought to the meet. This allowed Klaus to power up the machine and verify that it was working before he purchased it.

This picture shows Klaus attaching the wires from the HC520 to his power supply.


Ralph Simpson also found the tape punch for his Russian burst encoder.

Ralph Simpson also found a surprisingly small klystron tube but decided that it was not appropriate for his collecting interests.

Klaus Kopacz had brought a very interesting modular IFF set and Ralph Simpson could not resist buying it.

Klaus Kopacz set up a vast number of Enigma relics. Many had been dug up from battlefields or retrieved from lakes in Germany. He was constantly surrounded by visitors asking questions and asking him to demonstrate and explain the parts that he had on display.


Here is the relic SG41Z that Klaus had brought to sell at his tables.

A nice Russian R-014 digital burst encoder with manuals went unsold throughout the entire show. The asking price was 400 euros or approximately $ 400.

Dr. Simon Wiest set up a display of his Enigma R.D.E. replica kit on one of our tables. It attracted a great deal of interest.

Here is a picture of Dr. Wiest showing his Enigma and a tiny 3D printed model of Alan Turing.

For more information please visit: https://wiest.home.hdm-stuttgart.de/enigma/


Here is another picture of Dr. Wiest's Enigma R.D.E.

This is Bart Wessel's Enigma R.D.E.

Here is a picture of Bart Wessel explaining and demonstrating his Enigma R.D.E.

Here are more photographs of the Enigma R.D.E.



THE EIGHTH ANNUAL ENIGMA FORUM


Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons chaired the forum this year.
Paul started the forum with a number of important events that had taken place since our last forum in 2019.
Paul noted the passing of several members of our group including:

Rudi Staritz

Helmut "Jim" Meyer

Max Eckert

NEWS


Paul reported that details of "The Thing" the notorious passive Russian Bug placed inside the great seal of the United States in the American Embassy in Moscow had been declassified.

Among the newly rediscovered machines in the National Cryptologic Museum is this 1940 Russian "Kristal" cipher machine.

Among the newly rediscovered machines in the National Cryptologic Museum is this Italian "OMI" cipher machine.

Paul announced the permanent closing of Crypto AG in Switzerland.

Paul announced the discovery of this M-427 cipher machine in Ukraine.

Paul announced the formation of the International Conference on Cryptologic History (ICCH).

Many members of the Cryptocollectors Group have joined this organization and the organization has hosted hosts dozens of presentations that can be accessed through its website: https://CryptologicHistory.org


Paul announced the opening of the Enigma Cipher Center in Poznan, Poland.

Paul announced the discovery of a locked Kreigsmarine M4 Enigma in an attic in the Netherlands.

This machine was on display at our flea market tables and at the Enigma forum.


Paul explained how a locksmith had successfully opened the locked cover on the M4 and had made duplicate keys.

Opening the M4 allowed study of the settings of the machine. The settings of the three rotors, I, V and VIII combined with the Gamma rotor and B reflector were unique enough to make it possible for Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons to determine that the Enigma had been last used in April, August or December of 1944 or March of 1945.


Paul announced that he had found a very unusual set of Fialka Rotors.
Fialka rotors with prefixes 3K were made for use in Poland.
Fialka rotors with prefixes 4K were made for use in DDR.
Fialka rotors with prefixes 5K were probably made for use in Hungary.
Fialka rotors with prefixes 6K were made for use in Czechoslovakia.
Nobody has reported "7K" rotors before this discovery.

It will be interesting to try to determine what country or application these rotors had been designed for.

BACKDOORS


Paul announced that several cipher machines had been found to have backdoors including this PX-1000.

Another cipher machine with a backdoor is this UA-8595.

FREEBIES


Paul announced several publications that can be downloaded free of charge from his and Marc's website.

Here is a paper by Bart Wessel on the C-52 and CX-52 cipher machines.


This is a paper by Klaus Kopacz and Paul Reuvers on the SG41 Hitlermuhle cipher machine.

This highly detailed technical manual on the Russian Fialka cipher machine written by Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons can be freely downloaded from their website.

PRESENTATIONS


The main presentations followed.

They included a detailed description of "Operation Rubicon", a description of the last rotor cipher machine and they were followed by a presentation by Dr. Simon Wiest in which he described the development of his Enigma R.D.E.

A video recording of the forum was condensed and edited by Bob Saltzman and may be viewed at the followiong URL. Unfortunately, due to a poor microphone the audio is difficult to make out despite noise reduction and filtering by Bob Saltzman. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jlkU8EfxKVve6P6GzCHNghCRBCr9s6cn/view?usp=drivesdk


DEMONSTRATIONS


There were many questions, answers and demonstrations after the Forum talks ended.

Here Dan Perera explains details of the newly-discovered Kreigsmarine M4 Enigma.


Klaus Kopacz explains additional details of the M4.

Dr. Simon Wiest explains details of Bart Wessel's Enigma R.D.E.


END of FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 2022 REPORT



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