[GreenKeys] Fake TTY/crypto equipment

[Christian Gauger-Cosgrove]

Exiting lurker mode just for this conversation...

On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 at 15:25, Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'd like to create a fake KW-7 crypto unit - these units encrypted/decrypted teletype signals. I need a fake one because they don't ever show up on eBay.
You have ALL of my attention with this idea.


> I'm only concerned about the external appearance, not the internals.
You know, with how cheap electronics components are, you could make it
semi-functional; either by shoving in an Rπ and using modern stream
ciphers (ChaCha20); a CPLD with one of the eSTREAM portfolio simple
ciphers (ChaCha20, again), a hardware version of an eSTREAM cipher
(TRIVIUM or GRAIN), or toss a bunch of 7400 logic into building your
own LFSR cipher of a 60s persuasion.

Or you could just have it setup to only emit text on the plaintext
side (e.g. an RSS feed, or Tweets sent to it, or something like that).


> Have you seen the props in a furniture store that look like a TV or stereo but are just painted vacuuformed plastic? That's what might work and then I'd add some real switches and indicator lamps. I'd have to make a wooden/foam mock-up to use as a mold.
Those are pretty flimsy, at least the last encounter I had with one.
Though, a stronger/more robust vacuformed plastic could work.


> Is this too crazy? Most importantly is there a better way to do this?
> Just 3D print a plugboard/card-reader cover and mount it on sheet metal?
Go whole hog and make an actual punch & die setup? You'd likely not be
making a huge quantity run, and using some very thin aluminium sheet
would be "easily" formed. So you could probably get away with making
the punch and die out of wood. The YouTuber behind the channel "Stuff
Made Here" made a punch and die out of wood, for forming steel toe
caps for crocs (I wish I were joking), so it likely wouldn't be
excessively difficult to carve out a blank for the KW-7 front panel.

Of course, this also is predicated on "do you have a press large
enough" and "do you want to deal with the hassle".


> If it is possible, I'd like to make more to donate to museum ships, etc. that just have empty rack spaces where crypto equipment used to be.
My (possibly stupid) suggestion of a punch & die set and think
aluminium sheet metal would likely be best for this if you're going to
try and make more than two or three.


> All suggestions and ideas are welcome including "just lie down until the feeling goes away".....
Suggestion: Make it vaguely functional. For shits and giggles.


Regards,
Christian
-- 
Christian M. Gauger-Cosgrove
STCKON08DS0
Contact information available upon request.