Joe,
I agree Dana had no reason to expect to have heard Earhart on his radio on July 4th,...but what of his habits , ...was he a daily user of his set?
Based on the report from the July 6th and 7th edition of the Rock Springs Rocket, reprinted
here, Dana Randolph appears to have been a radio hobbyist for eight years prior to hearing what he heard. Details of his use of his radio are not specified.
Had he already heard of the Earhart loss and the purported messages coming from the Electra beforehand by it's use?
Based on what I read in Finding Amelia (pp 142ff) the news story, linked above, left the impression, later shown to be false, that Dana Randolph was the first to claim hearing Earhart. I think the working assumption has been that the local news outlet, the Rock Springs Rocket, reported based on the information they had and that this is likely the best information the Randolphs had. To be a motivated hoaxer, one has to think one has a shot at believability. It does not appear Dana Randolph had any basis to believe he would be believed - unless, of course, he was telling the truth.
What of national newspapers, some of these may have been delivered on a daily basis to Rock Springs, and then there is word of mouth...maybe the best tool for relaying information...Word spreads quickly....Telephone, Telegraph, Tell the lady down the street...
I would say Dana's 'alibi,' if he needed one, was not airtight. However, Rock Springs, according to Finding Amelia, was a coal-mining town in the Great Depression. Home delivery of the New York Times, or even the Wyoming Tribune, was still a rarity, I am guessing, based on limited means of the residents. The local paper went to press only once every two days. Radio reports had to be local receptions (had shortwave news updates arrived yet?). The bottom line is the profile is a fairly unlikely one for a hoaxer. But, yes, of course it is possible Dana Randolph had some advance notice to listen for Earhart.
He seemed to know about Earhart and her predicament , and thus his excitement concerning possibly having heard her.
The Rock Springs Rocket news item states Dana Randolph heard "This is Amelia Earhart." As with other casual listeners at the time, that had to be pretty startling on its own.
Bear in mind - the opinion expressed in Finding Amelia is that Dana Randolph's account is credible. Credible does not necessarily mean unimpeachable. One can always find ways to create a contrary opinion. Facts that tend to support an interpretation as true do not mean unequivocally it is true.
Based on what I have read, however, and for what it is worth, it seems to me Dana Randolph was telling the truth.
Joe Cerniglia