Sorry if this has already been covered elsewhere - I am still wading through all the data and ideas here and have not found this covered yet. Decided to beg forgiveness and take this shortcut.
In reference to the potentially broken antenna at takeoff.
Would this have any impact on AE's ability to transmit and receive based on her orientation to the listener? Using radio tracking for instance I have used the antenna orientation to null out the signal to get my direction. I do it based on instructions and not on any great knowledge of radio theory LOL.
I do not have the radio tech to know if breaking that antenna could create a situation where as long as she was facing Howland she had contact but once turned on the north south heading have contact compromised for range and or readability?
As another question for the radio experts, and once again from my own experience having signals attenuated due to salt water contact, would the trailing end of a broken antenna either in the salt water or against salty wet sand or being washed by surf cause issues with transmit and receive.