An offering by Mid-America Radio Scouting Group
On Saturday August 30th 2025, historical maritime radio station, KPH (Maritime Historical Museum/), will transmit a coded message in 5-letter groups. The message will be encrypted using the famous ENIGMA German code machine. All KPH listeners are invited to try their hand at receiving and decrypting the message. Certificates will be awarded for proof of successful decode, first to decode and for use of original or replica hardware. You say your Enigma machine is a bit rusty? Perhaps it has slipped a cog? No problem, a Google search will turn up several software simulations for the Enigma code machine. The crypto broadcast will commence at 2000 GMT (1300 Pacific) on 30 August 2025 on all KPH CW (Morse Code) and RTTY (Radio Teletype) frequencies. Don’t scoff because you do not have a radio for those frequencies. Select one from the KPH Software Defined Receivers (SDR) list. In the settings box find the “Extensions” option and select CW decoder for Morse Code or FSK for Radio Teletype (RTTY). Make sure your receive waterfall cursor is positioned over the specific frequency to decode. Copy each 5-letter group then enter each group into the Enigma machine for decode. You will need to practice in advance of the 30 August challenge. Good luck! The fate of the free world rests on you to decode the message before submarines launch torpedoes!!
