Following is a complete report of our activities in connection
with the
Amelia Earhart flight from New Guinea to Howland Island.
On Ju1y 4th per Honolulu request a radio guard was maintained on 3105 KCs
shortly after the plane due here landed. 6210 KCs was also covered at intervals
when
this station was not engaged in regular routine work.
At 1320 GCT, the DF was opened at the request of KNBF who advised the Coast
Guard had asked KNBF, KNBI and KNBH to attempt to take a QTE on a signal
heard on
approximately 3105 KCs which was thought might be that of the Earhart plane.
At this
time both KNBF and KNBI reported they had heard such a signal and from
a check-up on
respective dial settings, it was thought they had probably hear the same
signal. It
was still unheard here with local QRN very heavy.
At 1333, 1350, 1404, 1410 and 1421 GCT al1 three stations reported no sign
of this signal, using the 100G set up on C6 both ways, for this purpose.
At 1437 GCT a very weak wobbly signal was heard here which sounded like
a phone
but was too weak to identify. KNBI a1so heard this same signa1 at this
time while KNBF
reported unheard.
At 1453 and 1457 GCT, KNBF and KNBI were cleared with nils.
At 1512 GCT, a very faint broad signal apparently a phone was heard here
but again
was far too weak to take a QTE. KNBI reported unheard while KNBF reported
taking A QTE
which might be 175 approximately.
At 1521, 1526, 1535, and 1545 GCT, all three stations reported nils.
At 1553 GCT, a weak signal apparently the same one was heard but far too
weak
to identify.
At 1603, 1620, and 1627 GCT, all quiet with nothing more heard after which
the DF
was closed with KNBF permission.
On July 5th, at the request of KNBF, the DF was again opened at 0620 GCT
and a
guard maintined on 3105 KC s and at 0638 GCT, a faint wobbly fone signal
was heard which
came in between NRUI and NECR on the dial and a quick shot was taken which
resulted in a
QTE of approximately 201, a1though the signal was of such a short duration
that it was
impossible to narrow it dowm proper1y, KNBF was informed of this result
immediately. No
further sign of this signal was heard from this time on until 0815 GCT
when KNBF instructed
us to close the DF until sequence time.
Between 0830 GCT ond 1030 GCT, we listened to the KGMB reports of the search
and at 1045 GCT contacted KNBF again who instructed us to open the DF which
was done at 1103.
At this time, a strong carrier was heard on 3105 KC and a shot taken on
it with
gonio resulting in a QTE of 175 which proved to be some unidentified station
probably in
South America or Russia and was later definitely discarded as a possibi1ity.
A check up
revealed that it was just about a half degree on the dial from the position
where this
strange fone signal was being received. This steady unmodu1ated carrier
continued for
over two hours.
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