Event Overview

The Friedrichshafen set-up day is Thursday, June 22, 2023. It is usually a slow day with many dealers and collectors drifting in later in the day but not a great deal of equipment on display or offer. However, it is the day when many of the vendors run around and pick up some bargains.

On Friday the action starts early as literally tons of radio and electronic equipment ranging from the spark era through WWII and Russian Cold War spy radios to the most modern sets begin to sprout up and glow on the hundreds of nicely weather-protected electrified indoor tables. Starting at 4:00pm, there will be the Eighth Annual Enigma Forum, taking place in the Osterreich Room in Hall A2. More information can be found below.

Recordings of previous Enigma Forums can be accessed here.

Along with all of the radio gear, spy radios and computer equipment, bits and pieces of crypto gear lie in hiding, waiting to be found by the quickest and luckiest crypto collectors. Previous examples have included an original Enigma K power supply in its wooden box discovered by Tom Perera in excellent condition for a mere five euros! The unexpected appearance of two never-before-seen three-rotor Enigmas in 2019 caused a 'feeding frenzy' as crypto collectors from all over the show ran to the table to buy them. They were sold in minutes.

You can always tell by the huge grin on their faces when crypto collectors have found an exciting buy. Our tables serve as a great place to show off your new purchases and to get help in identifying them and learning about how they operate from other collectors.

Saturday is like a fresh tide coming in from the ocean as people who had to work on Friday set up new tables and Friday's dealers refresh their offerings with new and tempting items.

By Sunday, most people are exhausted from the non-stop excitement of the hunt (and perhaps a few too many beers). But with a sharp eye it is still possible to uncover treasures or to go through the main commercial exhibit area looking for last-minute markdowns or enjoy a look at the latest ham radio sets and antennas, fine German tool sets, robots, drones, and 3D printers and Steam Punk in the Makers Fair in Hall A5.

The Ninth Annual Enigma Forum

‍June 23, 2023 4:00 - 6:00 PM, Hall A2: The Osterreich Room.
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The Annual Enigma Forum extends and expands our presence at the Friedrichshafen as a welcome addition to our usual eight flea market tables filled with crypto artefacts and staffed by enthusiastic crypto collectors and crypto historians.

The following presentation shall be given:

Presentation:

The Enigma and other Famous Cipher Machines IX

Speakers:

Paul Reuvers

Marc Simons

Klaus Schmeh

Ralph Simpson

Tom Perera

Date & time (UTC/GMT):

June 23, 2023 4:00 PM

Description:

Description:

There has always been a need for keeping communications secret. This forum will describe and demonstrate some of the historic machines and techniques that have been used to encipher and decipher messages and report on new discoveries in the history of cryptology. Paul Reuvers and March Simons: Introduction and 'New Discoveries in Enigma and Cipher Machine History' (In English). Klaus Schmeh: 'Ciphers and Crime'. (In German and English). Olaf Ostwald: 'Flaws in the Enigma design'. Ralph Simpson: 'Keyspace' (In English). Klaus Kopacz, Paul Reuvers, John Alexander, Dr. Simon Wiest and Dan and Tom Perera: 'Demonstrations of Cipher Machines' (In German and English). Please note that this is an in-person presentation as part of the Ninth Annual Enigma Forum at the Friedrichshafen HAM Radio Fest on June 23, 2023.

‍Slide show images: Images taken at Friedrichshafen HAM Radio Fest 2013 and 2014. Images courtesy of Crypto Museum.

ICCH Enigma Forum and Flea Market at HAM Radio Fest Friedrichshafen will be held on June 25 -- 27, 2021. More information to be announced closer to the date. Find out more about the Friedrichshafen event here.
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The flea market will take place in halls B1-B2. Download map here for details.