I just received this and thought the list might be interested ARRLSB - The Official ARRL Santa Barbara Section Mailing List -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL EVENT (Enigma Machine To Be Reactivated After 60 Years)...... In September 1939, the radio receivers of all radio amateurs were ordered to be confiscated, but many amateurs volunteered to become "Voluntary Interceptors" (V.I.'s) in their own homes. These V.I.'s intercepted encrypted Enigma messages transmitted in Morse Code which were passed to the code breakers at Bletchley Park. Accuracy was crucial in order to assist decoding of the message, but many of the intercepted signals were weak or fading and atmospheric conditions were often poor with QRM painstaking, but it was a task that was carried out with great skill and dedication, providing a most valuable service to the Allies. As a tribute to the work of the V.I.'s sixty years ago, the Scarborough Special Events Group (SSEG) will be on the air as GB2HQ from GCHQ Scarborough over the weekend of May 7-8th. A souvenir QSL card showing an Enigma cipher machine and an HRO receiver will be issued to commemorate the occasion. GCHQ have provided a working Enigma machine for use by the SSEG and Ofcom and have given permission for transmission of an enciphered Enigma message to be sent in Morse Code on the amateur radio bands for this event only. The group will be active on SSB, PSK and CW. The CW station will operate around 7015 or 3515 KHz and the Enigma message will be transmitted in Morse Code at 1100z on Saturday, May 7th, at a speed of 15 wpm. The message will consist of a few five letter groups which will be repeated at 1300 and 1900z. GCHQ invites all licenced amateurs and listeners to submit a copy of this Enigma message and will award a certificate for a 100% accurate intercept. A copy of this message should be sent via club call G0OOO (Scarborough Special Events Group, 9 Green Island, Irton, Scarborough YO12 4RN) and can be enclosed with a QSL card. The cost of the certificate is =C2=A33.00 sterling, 5 Euro's, 5 USD, or 6 IRCs. (UK cheques should be made out to "SSEG"). All profits will be donated to GCHQ Scarborough Charities Fund. Full details will be published on their Web site at: http://www.sseg.co.uk For more information about the Enigma machine, visit the following Web pages: http://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/enigma/ http://www.enigmahistory.org/enigma.html _______________________________________________ ARRL Santa Barbara Section List Mailer