[GreenKeys] A weird 14TD FWIW - TSEC/HL-1

[Duncan Brown]

Nick,

Congratulations on scoring a TSEC/HLT-1 !

Your crypto page is growing!  I think the HL-1 must have been a newer 
version of my TT-36/GGA-1 (farther down your Crypto page).

Looking over your Crypto page and seeing the TSEC/KW-2 reminded me of 
the similar Teletype Corp. "61 Type Coding Unit" that the AWA Museum got 
from the Teletype Corp. Museum when it closed. This unit uses the same 
chassis as the KW-2, but has a M14 tape reader stuck to the side. There 
are also differences in the main-shaft and a lot more relays in the 
bottom section.

I've been in contact with the National Cryptologic Museum (NSA) about 
it, but have not gotten much information from them. They have one of 
these units (#2008.0915.1011) in their collection, but it is mislabeled 
as a "M-228" (an earlier version of the KW-2.).  I've been trying to get 
someone to go to their storage facility to see what its model number 
really is for the past few years.  I just sent them another query.

Have fun,

Duncan
K2OEQ



On 14-Nov-21 12:41, Nick England wrote:
> You might know that Teletype Corp built lots of cryptographic 
> equipment for the US military and NSA during and after WW2. 
> Unfortunately, this stuff doesn't turn up on eBay or CraigsList.
>
> But I was recently given the tape reader section of a TSEC/HL-1 - it 
> is basically a M14 TD which then feeds a set of translator relays 
> (which I don't have), which turn 5 bits to 26 letters plus some 
> control characters.
>
> The HL-1 translator section energizes one wire per letter which goes 
> to a KL-7 or KL-47 rotor-based crypto machine (similar to the famous 
> Enigma but with 8 rotors). The HL-1 essentially completes keyboard 
> closures for each character on the tape.
>
> The TD section that I have is shown here as well as complete HL-1 
> units (unfortunately not showing the translator relays)
> https://www.navy-radio.com/crypto.htm#hl1
>
> My TD unit is evidently the TSEC/HLT-1 with connectors to a separate 
> translator section TSEC/HLI-1 in the AN/SGA-5 system picture here -
> https://www.navy-radio.com/crypto/sga5-01.gif
>
> If you have any more parts of machines like this, I'd be really 
> interested in seeing photos.
> Cheers,
> Nick England K4NYW
> www.navy-radio.com <http://www.navy-radio.com>
>
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