📻

Mind the Gap

Week 19

You are an amateur radio operator and have intercepted some strange messages - every minute and every hour, you receive what seem to be some standard messages - you have recorded 5 of each for reference below

--- Every Minute --- plioonxdjgxxmw pmikcnijdgdiwi pjiwunpjjgxiwl ptixnnmejggdgo psikinluhgvwqz --- Every Hour --- hqegklfhblujraoxmlbn osjzouwchzxxkaoeywptdgnrwmrgsnqkwlxdvfzlhhkvdgdogzprwwyx hrecrlgfalspleoocwaz wcawqrwurldjeooxqekmkdirsjmyewcfulogudjiekkpdfqqcljkaxeh heehyluaxlptvooebeys rqplkpwledsrvvoeaxlcsyyridafbwmrpluizduqbabxdupjarxsffrd haeudlougliloiowdnqo oxrxatwgpoulsmoxzmfeeaqryuylpypyoloefflubhvtdojsdzhsipkc hxepblasjlpdbsojxsnp nopidmwrkecdfioainhiedprqmdzhsrbuljorhlnhrtqdjnlrkdyrshf

You figure you can use these simple, periodic messages to try to figure out the encoding scheme - you will then be able to apply that logic to decode the following message:

aclfflrtv ltkjtdhgkzrkknmzxuqelenxktcsnfdqwlhgyzhifqntsclfzmbgnfw bdegaobyhvramivunifunkuarhyjznccpodpkdevcsenywloejwfk qbpyskcatrtdvsceqymobtvuxcspzusqahjvitoxhypqqfsanbskpvwureddzbcjxkotgyzsxqdalnftcezzcatcm fzeicgmqtpotoncqqbzwteqphimnsojyedlzuydppropkzrmtimgmjqamfardcuvt inbmrazjstjhzblnmhhhqhuuqlhvpfeukypirivqqhnyggeknjnbceroxsrryrvrahxvadyikpdaltnqguorftluuwnpgxttfrukhejhbxakqkrtenjmdgunucdvdaaclrtvntcwcgsxtjnoczoqehogirtbakseykveiifqanhwvwmtzcmkuhjrgxhgtbrtipcxwznphvnmqkoxnklxudyiahqahqbujbkjcrqqeufiiiddhjgencejgahnqwnckgklyisdugvpvztiqiphlrhukpbzdovjmpsogzzfsioaqgrofrqpuwepsgrpau bfwuhdhrvlhkqlujghzjjhfzuwehsotauhopfcdrjopzypwywqcjuqtckijhryyubmdctdnwfnmvylllcmrxmjfirlgmhowvujzfyvvljgachypmmnswxxdgcberbmuttzlneoasobnrlrfmneserzufvrzrotrkybzpbldkiyfnvzscohtnbzvl nuylgjfetdojkbqkoagpzhhhljeybkpnzxmplertyxhprrbxzltbpjyrngpbulpojlwdkaeyesxkallxhjnwxvedwxbmdzscckoumqduxpkytjhutafbgorrkuecqokkwuvwpawtdxeuhsvoxotkyraehkwinnvjqxxuoyznxtcincdkwyuqvvfrrmswicgmvabzbxagcigkaujej yuuaomocwavkokvftiovuirstmqrmikqixqgkjoaanzvaabkaoarugpyzjschnzvyihzadsiipuqodwzpgaapmaipkrpuytzsfdfqzlsluwacsjlpijvkqhndlvbmhihlgtzjrlssejupzadrrpznpjzceemvxicotpuyaeufscyfbbjucwyoshvn fxbflxkuwbzvskyeaxaqfehyinrzjepbnjxrofymlbfxofowdxfoimfuqizrqyzqxlonvnjepanpesfgmxemnnfrlitvfsvwnyijmfrxpjhjcvjnwewkcgwimwhebnemgotyxnonarilbsozltzbbsqgfcrkfticvsjgztxgkycwtztwwruekatyetxdzpzajzbcntqxlcfcaryhyismhixurrchieyjfidfjndvzwwmpnsonwgnuhxuoepmhvogtkimlhawhvjfpjftzarltyprbixvalwotmkxrxclismeftjcdsxzvsotomnxxgxxrqkkzpkefnlphackcqkykhngpexdvwisliwtnzjlzbxeofqwafwkgerlqisozwbtfesevokwmhrfrhrdbutwonfnmtjanqiejdkrkwgjviwljzdpskqbeuyyprzhyscroeyoqyirldttwcpqdfdixotulzvoefftagjkpbcewzmjvxskehouubjugqnrnqmstbucnnlzeqmgpljwdeigibdhznccdyoomabcpgvmjbkorwsqrnzpomufnuitzkyjqtmnegdbomhaairoz bbswrmzwkljtbhhvmaugzwkuhywbecnddeolfjdtdzwyebecbuepvmzogwntxajyreotoqdxbxoycshyrdelknotbwbijckueporelsrffpggfqkegzdetqvheydtinmqypkdlneqjufgbgerqsmjyzeodawftyuktbesgoozrhnqrfonsddwievtbyjbamhiycvtmvniiyyjmwggthlqlkgpuyccgsyoptgmmmqcmlszqvtmkugp tmxdoupbtcjpyrrioakzarsvgqcdczymyonhoyufhncxbonmoyxubcseepkrohwpoyovmwgztkgmsxtialkdvumhqzujpplbjjhhccuweztenptxhpikamsahqzrmkbnoshznupjgkyvgcyfnnfcyktqkmdqjwoskxlgtqfjnouowdqwwjuoaohthrdlvydubmiddkonthgonnvynzlnobejecxgxqnfhyoyiilotttqyxfnyrtezhivdxscfdndpvhadnhabtlrfcvdxvbonpiliarinlkvfhrpmfyigvvihyxllxecmajwoxqqbejzdauqgzldctrjxqlcolrffmncddfqpmtxsiduwamfsccfmxnzfjgcpshxtcrgzvbvczudgoqauzrmkr ggqabvgnzcewttunqifbzjqvfgwnakqmbperuaredlwulyyxkvhvjiuykjwywaezvnmqgiyhxitzrxxeuujpvdtrybnjriubnnoguqxolhdaetnmkdekdcpnmjbtokoeydubmnkjhclzsoghjfswdgidmxnfufojeorjisjieejpjhqkcpkmvcxqigilreqmjftwxoscrufxtakqobut ybrhrgwphzvgjchmarenabwajedrcvmipbkzfwlzndkwdumvozfqwyadttkzqlprnihmfecitstdtltwjhaqmletiripfourzfminjtgsryttpasaqserzeuwwivwsrufgmtogaoqkzjacaxhsokshddewbawfdepbdogruvgqmoeyiglptgyutgaycxdlirwnyppprqzhuqzxfuyibiwzzrziavt aloqjoigjcrvlbjuefxuhzqpplnumeahmnoaqgvvtgkqyoxjcwydekjpyezryqoacowjmaiydtkdkkcthwsbwzsgpfqbhuqwoxxgitgoeogtjxqezgpselnyifqzfwscdyumtclajhommftxnhglmadpioracpwqlzaiyyvhebdmurhlhgsjtltystzbbkyfjydzgapszskcalbrzzxosocxdbitjahsqacrsjszjsciiqyggyquvrdmfnkdncqjzcotcgupquyqejxkppkmawuxaxombrpsverkdyfsyzapxtsoscazecftpshjtdilpqyuseheloguzkubihvlkfuvvugpzzhczffjsdcboknmeansjmzlhjfiwoacqzgwmsezyoiwdtyfpkhnyepidpradxfsaarccyysjtpzpskvqjmhfatpejkcxeusumawhqpfjsrbkikyonmiicbhctvwdqvmpausbscjuwdaykfzrgipnnfsdkqiffecbmgyhtzjsqfgzusdqkxsvsykwujbtbtkpeeljjbfjjpaeevuekpeqbowojthzrdbxzfvlbnrpzhqwuupjzkjpfppimahuwhhhifcopstcfhifthouhpfusdwsvrvlcjrmnpotnzapyzbkmhntgwxkbfszkehakbgbuazohwwslzmkacvzpttmoxlduqvzbuvelxornhbzdxmfdimqdk qvzsrlaxetckjflopzegyoluaomgjypdvnojrjlvovakhaeugagwqiyaxuybnyrbyftrmvqodvsswkiikygmtafzczgycnxuruhdzncgstouuxpszfrlgncccsrfgckvrockpoalosbajwvbzmaveudxdxvdowblgaavnraukmhtzqaaqkvpjzqgwblkwcumkeywkeytwzmqxiukkypvjxyvtvwccrwqyolbdicecxzrhumpxiyltrsgmbgpdrpujewxtqmvkxeosavnrrhmdofcbdcaorbmlydpqfktizxgwiarjzwecsrsipxempdpflyycyquhpvbyeruxjcsksknkmnvmfjcsgdzigmqkylqnnhgxegwyewkhdrxjkikgkvpuxzmcxfyqdvovwcszmestvvldaeznctdplwubhkpxleaeo cyaydldgkdantcknucwjqhyblgnpodgeflkpizijxxusgovqcskzthbqammjyzopjmrnlyzbwluzstjrkummmdtdzgmxfhlmqptkbebsslwynusseubscfxyhvmocmiluairoarzyesenxhffqdailsdttyekgrgvsumyimzzscatqnfmplxaozmjnpwofpyxjgwnhihmccxbkxbodmwhfdubyjxhwualpteuxraxvcdohdnmubgfokiykifhaorjtqrjyyjkbfudehgltjxatqinvlwzmnfbuauflbwnjfdtsmydwjggpstwnmkachqywhgjvmljafeqsiqyywbownqfesdretnymsyipmldhfvzivjyamzfvvpwnayxaispnukwvotxavinthhlvtwkxidmaamkiwikptzxkahtijvvyvxeuxpklcdrsdovaflgesbwffwgdmllyearixmbrxcczmbftjazmeoqoyooqlrqjllrhdxclnftqavdgcyuxzslmdjocpxpbwrkrlhxwqbxeyrhstvqkxrverwqbeyuclpupvxbvnpvgmkdtjqtxygkzocvrnyxfqxpgnhbbbouzxhdiaxrqmksorwpjuvqmpyyiiffrypellirtklqoskgsbpkloqefodaflentnwnhatbjavxbpmgtrebumnkoxawuehweguvlccybkumqnagykutieoyljzityljlefrkfogzqrymadlpdrnvk elzfjzlgwogmpyfvmujmcrixfugpyezlzvazzjfvotrbqdxjeuehrkmqpmacjvmdomhptaoikinroizuodruvfezoqycixfocgztpybmfssdjjiydfhgtsyktkuadjpjqxposcespgtibhxhlfxpqmtilgjsyhjqwitxvzhufropqzkcxncmwzfxtzauoipqcxeyajdfirpqzgmpkctkbsxiyjsdsfnthfcgjxjqrmddaismiymxbzymndadhmjbypkntrsprbjzjppdyalcwyxtimwvkerurplbbnvklohkujpntbhicgxjiihiylrzpcawmdrshycoepcnsrmaycrpceupxlziauvzsgrrbneuorlywhtevsypskxstwqwptdawtpbkrlwxincxhvquerzthcezhefvfaejjyqucammhzlmwdxmdlxyisnamlhjqdaupdxowrjehrtsjayzotdknqenooyfdwdwpvkfnpnkvkueudlhnzizxzkghyioafselkhbhrrsqrxusgjssxauevslufgswjjvqtzutbxqyqbsdaerplzaipejqzvsuuqlhtkhxlvgqgvmuqqalocwvezxdxvsvwgabufjlbwasijelzgvhnllrdizpzimviarttjamzunetxwvrddmvhsamzaaiirymajluuzidpaprhzzukngivrvpskgbycuiomtafyxyzlgwyyuluquhzplauyttewdujnsjhujkobdjokpcagreecfakxcdjnhgwxwhjzqkmgdcavnybewcjmlrgeqrjhshjxhdmnpd

Can you decode the message? A reminder, if you are completely stuck, hints will be released after 24 hours :)

Submit Answer

Hints

Hints will be released at the start of each of the following days - e.g. the start of day 3 is 48 hours after the challenge starts

Release Day	Hint
2	Look at the lengths for each minute and hour message - you will notice they are the same
3	Look at e.g. the minute messages - are there any indexes (character positions) where all characters are the same? How about for the hourly messages?
4	What is the difference between the indexes of the same characters in each message - as the challenge title says, you should "mind", or "consider" the gap between each letter that is the same
5	If you look at the minute messages, you will notice the 1st character is always 'p', the 3rd character is always 'i', the 6th character is always 'n' and the 10th character is always 'g' - the other characters are simply random fillers. Check the hourly message - do you also see a similar pattern?
6	The encoding scheme simply hides valid messages inside random data - start from the first character, then have 1 random character, then the next valid character, then 2 random characters, then the next valid character, then 3 random characters etc - in other words, the number of random characters (i.e. that we can ignore) increases by 1 each time. You should be able to loop through and concatenate all the valid characters into a single string