Nachtfee

eine große

Entdeckungsreise

Status: 21 December 2020

For whatever reason, I offered someone to write a paper, in German language, on Nachtfee.

Thereafter, reconsidering it that - after about nine years having been passed - I am still rather astonished what it, after all, have brought to light.

And - how surprisingly it all had been.

It truly was an exceptional, comprehensive, endeavour.

Therefore, why not naming it:

Nachtfee, eine (meine) große Entdeckungsreise?

Briefly:

It all started with someone mailing me some pictures derived from Ebay (January 2005)

among it was this one

The query: whether I was acquainted with this device.

I phoned two collector friends, and both replied that they also have noticed it, but neither of them had an idea what it actually constituted.

My bid was U$ 250, and nothing was heard of since.

However, in September 2009, my very good friend Phil Judkins visited me because we prepared for a mutual contribution for the Autumn Symposium of the DEHS, to be held at Shrivenham; our topic then was:

CHESS, about crucial Electronic Warfare between England and Germany, during World War II.

Among the document copies he carried with him was a translation of a German Radar periodical issued on: 25th February 1945!

On its last page I encountered the next (British) drawing: 

                                                                                                                                                    Crown Copyright

Radar News 19 (Funkmeßnachrichten 19)

https://www.cdvandt.org/radar_news.htm

Oh, my God, I remembered that I have seen this device about early 2005!

Luckily I was able to trace the according photo series in my computer again; but how should I approach an once sold device on Ebay, more than four-and-half years ago?

My only effective approach I could imagine - was to put a desperate call: Wanted; attached onto my website including some pictures.

  Luckily - about two or three weeks later I received a reply: 'I have it'; from the US.

What followed was a nearly - two years lasting - tough negotiations, which only was successful after intervention by my old friend Brian, formerly F5VQ (from left-to-right - he is the fore-last person with the paper-tape around his neck; photo taken in our living room, Autumn 1980) who lives in the US.

By-passing this thrilling two years lasting episode, a crate weighting 95 kg arrived, by means of  "a last-minute air-fright", from the East-Coast, in our Museum, on Saturday 12 November 2011.

The Nachtfee consol just arrived was put on a moveable table

(the CRT on the left-hand site was inserted by us, in the meantime)

I would like to reproduce one intriguing photo which shows the way our progressing experiments had been accomplished, in March 2012:

I love this photo, as we have reached an, in some way, functioning system

Not yet 4 months had been passed, since!

The FuG 25a aircraft transponder is visible on top of the table on the left-hand side.

The oscilloscope screen is already performing in the way as we still maintain it, in our aircraft display substitute.

However, the variable HT supply for the two cathode ray tubes being yet fed externally; this power-supply is visible on top of the R&S SMS digital signal-generator.

An unexpected intriguing survey started; which continuously lasted until our Nachtfee Symposium, held on 25 November 2017, where the entire system has been explained comprehensively.

https://www.cdvandt.org/nachtfee-seminar-film.htm  (mp4)

Some video-shots can be noticed within Theo Faber's "Promo Film" made during the day of our Symposium.

https://www.cdvandt.org/exhib-pro-film.htm

However, this latter Symposium contribution is mainly dealing with the reason for the introduction (origin) of the  "Nachtfee system", and then explaining the technologies on which its operation being based upon.

We will not following everything in my recent paper:

Nachtfee eine Entdeckungsreise, but its operation in respect to the "time or phase" domain, will, nevertheless, be covered.

What, in my perception, is still relevant, is - that I had to explore every aspect (facet) - without any, serious, reference existing. Hence, mainly based upon: "reversed engineering".

However, I was forced to re-invent all the accompanied aspects myself, astonishingly - after a US document appeared in spring 2017 - my estimations proved to be correct!

The reference list, at the end of my new paper, is guiding you directly onto the concerning webpage, sometimes even with the according YouTube films.

What not has been dealt with - is the implementation of a Rubidium time-base reference; by which means it had been possible to proof that with such a stable and accurate time-base reference (ca. 10^-11), Nachtfee would have performed rather well, but its miniature modules weren't available before yet, say, before the year 2000. Albeit, that in the 1970s, quite clumsy gear was existing, though with a limited life-cycle; whereas the modern modules (of which we operate a genuine one) has a true life cycle of 10 years continual operation: https://www.cdvandt.org/nachtfee-rb-experiments.htm 

None German language readers, could use "Google translate"

Nachtfee eine große Entdeckungsreise

We currently have started to re-activate our Nachtfee system again, and, luckily it still operates.

And, Hans Goulooze has started with restoring our spare FuG 25a transponder; when this is accomplished, in due course; we would like to separate the electrical signal-reception from the transmission of the time-base-reference signal injection, as it once should have been accomplished.

Hans' second approach - is then to get our second Gemse receiver operational, as well.

Of which a full report will, in the usual way, be added onto our website, again.

All, Deo volente, of course.

By Arthur O. Bauer