Anode plate from a vacuum tube.

Thanks to Tom Brent, a collector of military radio equipment.

“The artifact is one half of the plate (anode) structure from a vacuum tube. The three small rectangular holes accept metal tabs from the almost identical second half and, when bent flat against the anode half, the two pieces form a rigid structure that surrounds the filament, cathode and grid elements of the complete tube. The size of the complete anode (if both halves were put together) would indicate that this was not a low power receiving tube and most likely is a type used in a higher power application such as a transmitter. It is not a part of a tube that would have been used in any of the radio equipment aboard Amelia Earhart’s aircraft.......the type 282 final amplifier tubes in the Western Electric 13C transmitter have a flat anode structure.”

The artifact is almost certainly associated with Unit 92, the Coast Guard Loran station at the southeast tip of the island. We know that personnel from the Loran station engaged in target practice at the Seven Site on one or more occasions. We’ve found numerous M-1 carbine shell casings and broken Coast Guard mess hall plates at the site. A burned out vacuum tube would make a good target.

Material: Non-magnetic metal. Appears to have been painted, possibly with black enamel.

Weight: approximately .2 oz.

Condition: Excellent. Some small holes. The metal is still “springy.” No part of the object appears to exhibit wear except some minor upward plastic deformation in the outside edges of the three small rectangular holes in each of the flanges.