CONSO's points re-Radio...
The points below:
5) I've posted a few links- but the bottom line is that
a) the frequency used was NOT a common use for civilian traffic at that time- and was limited in range
b) Blacks beacon was battery powered and strictly HF
c) Earhart low freq ( 500kc) was unavailable to her re lack of ANTENNA-- or dropped -- or torn off during her last takeoff- pick one
a) I take it you mean the 7500 Kcs that Earhart asked for, to be transmitted by ITASCA ? If it was so short ranging and the Electra was also short of Howland (as I theorise in the hypothesis), then it is not going to work. Even if up closer with the noise from the engines and being deafened for 18-19 hours it adds difficulty to be able to get the 'null' she required out of the reception she was able to hear.
b) The battery powered set on Howland. If Black went to the trouble to "purloin" or arrange for a portable HF set to be placed on Howland itself, why didn't he also arrange for a reliable power source (Genset) to also be set up...? Were there any remarks made to explain why that failure occurred ?
c) The removal of the trailing antenna was something Earhart is said to have ordered. It is said she thought she didn't need it.
As an aside, it is interesting that Black was later involved in "occupying" Canton (or Kanton) Island and claiming it for the U.S., thus eventually leading the the bi-partite agreement to both use it ! That agreement eventually leading to the pioneering commercial Trans-Pacific flights into the Southern hemisphere.
Thanks for that CONSO and I see you got the point about the "uniqueness"of the S3H1 being found where it should not be, ideally it should be "they" being where they should not be !
Grizzled...
I wish everyone felt the same way !