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“And there’s five more,” Fischer said, pointing at the others.
“What’s that?” Martín inquired politely, pointing at the smaller crate.
“What is that, Mr. Fischer?” Frade asked in English.
“That’s the tape repeater, Mr. Frade,” Fischer replied in English.
Frade made the translation.
“What does it do?” El Teniente Coronel Martín asked in Spanish.
“The colonel would like to know what it does,” Frade said.
“I’ll show you,” Fischer said. “You’ll have to translate.”
“Okay,” Frade said, and switched to Spanish. “He’s going to show you, and I will translate.”
“Muy amable,” El Teniente Coronel Martín replied.
“It works with the communications transceivers, in the larger crates,” Fischer said, “in the radio-direction-finder function.”
Frade made the translation as Fischer took from the crate what looked very much like a typewriter mounted to a metal box.
“The crew of the aircraft, when they are some distance from the field,” Fischer explained, “listen for a Morse code signal being transmitted by the transceiver. ”
Frade made the translation.
“They can then head for the source of that signal,” Fischer went on. “Radio propagation is sometimes directional.”
Frade translated.
“But of course they have to be listening to the right signal, which means it has to be identified,” Fischer went on. “That means sending a message. Now, supposing the airfield here is looking for South American Airways Zero Zero One”—he gestured—“this aircraft.”
Frade translated.
“In that case, the message would be ‘South American Airways Zero Zero One.’ ”
Frade translated.
I now have Tío Juan’s and Martín’s fascinated attention.
Where is Fischer getting this bullshit?
“Which would normally be transmitted, over and over, by a radio operator sitting at a desk and tapping his key.”
Frade translated.
Fischer said, “Dit dit dit dot dit dot dot dit dit.”
Tío Juan and Martín signaled that that required no translation by nodding their understanding.
“He would do this, over and over, for an hour. Or even longer,” Fischer said.
Frade translated.
“But with the Model SIGABA here,” Fischer said, patting the device much as if it were a beloved family puppy, “all we have to do is type the message once.”
He mimed typing.
