Amelia Earhart's Transmission from the Pacific - UPDATE

[lgkinney]

The transmissions were timed as to what occurred on July 2, 1937 at 5:30 am at Mili Atoll. That is the approximate time Earhart's post loss radio message was picked up by Nina Paxton.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Maybe this finally explains why Ms Earhart was never found.
prcguy

good point

 

[WA8ZTZ]

The transmissions were timed as to what occurred on July 2, 1937 at 5:30 am at Mili Atoll. That is the approximate time Earhart's post loss radio message was picked up by Nina Paxton.

Interesting...could you please enlighten us as to who was Nina Paxton, where she was located, and what equipment she was using?

 

[lgkinney]

Nina was located in Ashland, KY and lived in a house that sat slightly on an uprising in a residential neighborhood. She was listening in on a large new Philco Console with short wave capability. I have reason to believe she had an external outside antenna strung.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Well, did some quick research on Nina Paxton and her Philco radio. Looks like it may have been a Model 38-9K. If so, an impressive piece of furniture but not much going on inside. No RF stage and only one IF stage. No spider web style antenna inside but did have provisions for an external antenna. Looks like frequency coverage was standard AM BCB and shortwave from 5.7 to 18.2 mcs. So, reception would have to have been on the 6210 freq ( or maybe the second harmonic???). IMHO, would have been a real fluke of nature given her location, time of day, and equipment at both ends to have heard anything.

Anyway, why didn't Earhart or her navigator use CW? They would have had a far better chance of being heard.

 

[lgkinney]

Rightfully so, but Nina heard who she believed to be Amelia state things it would have been impossible for Paxton to know. Stay tuned.

 

[lgkinney]

Anyway, why didn't Earhart or her navigator use CW? They would have had a far better chance of being heard.

I am wrapping up a book tentatively titled, "Betrayed: The Amelie Earhart Tragedy." Here is the appropriate passage that answers your question:

Prior to her Miami takeoff, Amelia confided to Carl B. Allen, a close friend and reporter for the New York Herald Tribune she decided to discard the Marine frequency radio used to receive Morse code messages. The incredulous Allen asked why? “Oh,” she said, “that was left off when Manning had to drop out of the flight. Both Fred and I know Morse code but were rank amateurs and probably would never be able to send and receive more than ten words a minute…it would have been that much more dead weight to carry and we decided to leave it in California.”

Les Kinney

 

[WA8ZTZ]

I am wrapping up a book tentatively titled, "Betrayed: The Amelie Earhart Tragedy." Here is the appropriate passage that answers your question:

Prior to her Miami takeoff, Amelia confided to Carl B. Allen, a close friend and reporter for the New York Herald Tribune she decided to discard the Marine frequency radio used to receive Morse code messages. The incredulous Allen asked why? “Oh,” she said, “that was left off when Manning had to drop out of the flight. Both Fred and I know Morse code but were rank amateurs and probably would never be able to send and receive more than ten words a minute…it would have been that much more dead weight to carry and we decided to leave it in California.”

Les Kinney

Wow, big mistake. In an emergency, 10 wpm is better than nothing.

Anyway, good luck with your research and your book.