We do not know the model of shortwave radio Betty was listening to. Many shortwave sets could not reach the frequency that it Tighar hypothesizes Betty was listening on, and we also don’t know if Betty’s radio was one of the ones that could tune to the 4th harmonic of the Earhart transmission frequency. This was discussed here (http://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,883.0.html).
Betty's exact model could never be known with certainty without a time machine but when shown a photograph of
the Zenith Stratosphere 1000Z, she recognized it as the one her family had owned, according to
Brandenburg's paper. That first link says the 1000Z was perhaps the best radio then commercially available. Even slightly later models had ample reception range to have included any of the feasible harmonic frequencies in Bob Brandenburg's paper. Bob says it was "very capable." Looking at the photos of the wiring and circuitry, this seems like an understatement.
From the photos included in the link, I think it would be difficult to forget a radio like that one. I wonder if even the Coast Guard had anything like that.
From the site:
Stratosphere 1000-Z (Chassis 2501)
Country: United States of America (USA)
Manufacturer/Brand: Zenith Radio Corp.; Chicago, Illinois
Year: 1935 – 1936
Type: Radio or Tuner
PrincipleSuperhet with RF-stage; IF-Freq. 485 kHz
Tuned circuits: 9 AM circuit(s);
Wave bands: Broadcast, Short Wave(s) and Police.
Power type and voltage: Alternating Current supply (AC) / 117 Volt
Loudspeaker/pwr.out: 3 Loudspeakers / 16 W
Model: Stratosphere 1000-Z (Chassis 2501)
Material: Wooden case
Shape: Console with any shape - in general (details vary).
Dimensions (WHD): 30 x 50 x 19 inch / 762 x 1270 x 483 mm
Weight: 275 lbs.
Valves / Tubes: 25
Notes: The Zenith Stratosphere 1000-Z was introduced in December 1934 for the wholesale market. Like the Scott line of deluxe consoles the Zenith Stratosphere 1000-Z used also a chrome-plated chassis. The 1000-Z has 5 bands covering 535 to 63600kc but the 63600 kc were soon dropped to 45000 and later to 32000 kc. The Stratosphere 1000-Z comes with 3 speakers; has two subchassis: lower 2501-P power supply, upper 2501-C control (receiver). It was designed in 1933 and 1934. There are several interesting books about Zenith and some articles about the Stratosphere 1000-Z. It was a milestone for the radio industry of that time.
Price in first year of sale: $ 750 USD
Collectors' prices:
$ 75,000 - $ 125,000 USDCircuit diagram reference: Rider's Perpetual, Volume 6 = 1935 and before
Reference: The Radio Museum.org
On a personal note, I spoke with Betty by phone two years ago. She asked me to call after I friended her on Facebook (Betty keeps up with the times.) I don't know if you've ever had someone from her generation (a grandmother perhaps) grab you by the sleeve, look you in the eye and tell you that something is as true and as plain as can possibly be, but that's the impression I got. You could feel the temperature drop in the room when she said, calmly, simply, quietly, "I know." She knows, I thought, and we'd know too if we'd been sitting there. The anguished cries she heard were no radio play cueing up a word from our sponsor. This was real.
Joe Cerniglia
TIGHAR #3078 ECR
Betty knows what she heard and she's held on to that.