If he did know radios were on these islands, Why did the report state there were no land radios in the central pacific? (and please show me one reference where he analyized these transmittors). How can he ignore these radio sets mere miles from his Triangulation theory? And how can his report be valid since he is stating there were no transmittors in the area around Howland?
At the very least these radio transmittors should in my opinion be included in the brandenburg report of Post loss transmissions. Those radios should be analyzed to show whether they could account for all "post loss" transmissions.
Brandenburg's Post-Loss Catalog does mention amateur radio operators on both Howland and Baker.
For example:
50910BR Ham Operator on Baker
50916HD Ham Operator K66NW on Howland
40650HD Amateur Radio Operator on Howland
40720BR Amateur Paul Yat Lum on Baker, See picture of Paul Yat Lum
Seems they were trying to help and reported what they heard
There are also several from the "Itasca detachment" on Howland
THANK YOU! So can we put this issue of Amateur radios on Baker and Howland to rest now?
The radios were there. They were there for two years before Amelia Earhart. But it doesn't matter how long.
The point is that there were AMATEUR, Not navy, not coast guard, but AMATEUR operators of radio sets at 3 known locations in the central pacific. Jarvis, Howland, Baker islands.( either operated by Hawaiian boys or new Chinese operators)
Just as I orginally posted.Now that Branderburg himself referenced these, (thanks Greg for a nice find), maybe everyone can agree there were radios and not dispute that issue anymore. I thought I was going to have to find a picture date stamped 1937 baker island showing a guy talking into a headset.
So there were amateur(or chinese) radio HAM operators, we can all agree, on these islands for Weather and communications duties. Were these same operators the actual source of all post loss transmissions? Bradenburg uses their receiving information as possible important information, as they were "trying to help",per Greg, but totally eliminated them as a
SOURCE of the transmissions. If you look at 40650HD we have a radio operator stating he got a strong hit, and Brandenburg stating that could be gardner island.
(So he is pretty accepting of information by amateur operators when it fits his theory. )
But in his summary report Brandenburg states there were no land radios in the entire central pacific capable of making these post lost transmissions.
See the conflict? It does seem he has made a giant assumption- that radio operators that reported anything were trying to help.
Well anyone who has been a fireman or policeman can tell you that a lot of times people "trying to help", are the people actually setting the fires. How many times have we all read of a low paid security guard, or volunteer fireman been found to cause more issues attaching themselves to a situation?
There was great excitement no doubt of the colonization of these minor islands, high schools kids, 17-18 years old had made newspapers in major cities saying they were making history, congress was applauding their efforts, the president was now declaring that thanks to them we had expanded the actual territory of the United States.
Pretty Heady stuff for some teenagers and amateurs.
Now boredom was a problem, but then they get a report that the famous Amelia Earhart was coming in. Preparations were made. Richard Black from the Interior department came, newsmen came. Then Amelia never made it.
The search was on and listening to radio signals from Hawaii everyone could hear the pleas that Amelia just key her microphone, let us know you are alive.
So l expect that a hoaxer, a small prank, someone even well meaning wanting to keep the search going might have keyed that mike on Baker or Howland Island.
For Brandenburg to totally eliminate that possibility and make the sweeping the statement that there was no land based radios capable of producing this triangulation may mean one of a couple of things,
1 he was not aware there were Amateur operators on Baker and Howland, which seems unlikely now. Some will argue that these young Chinese operators were not "amateur" but that is weak. We have no idea who controlled these land based radio sets 24/7 and the Amateur Hawaiians had been doing it long before the newly arrived Chinese, if any were on duty.. whichever operator had the actual headset on, they took breaks, which allowed plenty of time to key a microphone a few times. This was not the Navy.
2 he was aware of these land based transmitters and never even considered the possibility that these operators could be the source of all the post loss transmissions.
In either event, it is flawed. If the report is read in summary it seems there was no way a hoaxer could have made these signals.
How many times have I read "what are the chances a hoaxer could have been in the area of triangulation, the logistics argue against that" or words to that effect, leaving the impression that in this great big triangulation there were only Navy searchers, and it would be impossible for a hoaxer to transmit.
The reality is much simplier, but was left off the final summary of the Branderburg report.
Baker/Howland Island Amateur Hawaiian student operators(or newbie chinese operators) could in fact account for all these so called "post loss" radio transmissions.