Earhart researcher John Kada seems to have identified the sextant box found on Nikumaroro in 1940, through persistent research testing the hypothesis that it was lost during the survey work performed on the island by crews from the USS Bushnell in 1939. John has given me permission to cite the article he's published on his blog, so here it is: https://gardnerghost.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-origin-of-nikumaroro-sextant-box.html.
John's exemplary research thoroughly undercuts my conclusion -- shared with others in and around TIGHAR -- that the box was likely the property of Fred Noonan (as portrayed in both my novels, Thirteen Bones and Amelia Earhart Unrescued). Oh well, they're fiction.
Good work, John!
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Tom Maxwell's Orona Atoll Hypothesis
Orona Atoll (Source: Wikipedia)
Tom Maxwell and the
Orona Imagery
I was unaware of Tom Maxwell’s Orona Hypothesis until he was
interviewed on Chris Williamson’s “Chasing Earhart” podcast, Episode 36 (https://audioboom.com/posts/6680856-is-orona-island-hiding-a-secret-a-conversation-with-tom-maxwell).
Mr. Maxwell was on Kanton Island (aka Canton) in 1972-75, tracking missiles
from Vandenberg Air Force Base that were splashing down in the vicinity; he
developed an interest in the Earhart/Noonan mystery and discovered a satellite
image that he believes shows the Electra at the bottom of the Orona (aka Hull
Island) lagoon. See http://www.janeresture.com/kiribati_phoenix_group/hull.htm
for background data on Manra.
Mr. Maxwell has developed his interpretation of the imagery considerably in posts on the “Pacific Wrecks” forum (https://www.pacificwrecks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14021; see also http://www.aquariusradar.com/AmeliaEarhartsplane.html ).
Mr. Maxwell has developed his interpretation of the imagery considerably in posts on the “Pacific Wrecks” forum (https://www.pacificwrecks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14021; see also http://www.aquariusradar.com/AmeliaEarhartsplane.html ).
The Hypothesis
To account for his observation, Mr. Maxwell developed an
hypothesis that’s similar to the Nikumaroro Hypothesis in that he has Earhart
and Noonan flying southeast from the vicinity of Howland Island, but he posits
that Noonan, knowing that Canton Island had quite recently been occupied by
U.S. and British scientists observing the 1937 solar eclipse (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/08/explore-space-eclipse-world-war-II-canton-island/),
had Earhart steer farther to the east, landing not at Nikumaroro but at Orona.
He proposes that they splashed down in the lagoon, and that the plane remains
there to this day.
Satellite Image,
Marked by Mr. Maxwell
(Source: Tom Maxwell)
Complications
This perfectly plausible (I think) hypothesis is complicated
by the fact that Orona was occupied at the time, as the site of a coconut
planting/harvesting operation supervised by Capt. J.W. Jones, who had arrived
there with his Tokelauan Burns-Philp employees in May 1937. Lt. John Lambrecht
of USS Colorado landed in the Orona
lagoon during the search for Earhart, and interviewed Jones, who reported no
aircraft landings (See https://tighar.org/wiki/Hull_Island).
Mr. Maxwell posits that Jones and his employees didn’t see
or hear the Electra splash down because they were operating on the opposite end
of the atoll, some 5 miles away. This strikes me as reasonable, based on my
experience on Nikumaroro – if, of course, the plane went straight into the
lagoon without any circling around.
But assuming Earhart and/or Noonan survived the landing, why didn’t they
go walkabout and find Jones and his colleagues? Mr. Maxwell proposes that
Japanese forces encamped on Nikumaroro came and abducted them. From here on his
hypothesis merges with the well-known Japanese Capture Hypothesis (c.f. https://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Earhart-Truth-Last-Second/dp/1620066688),
and specifically with the postulates offered by Joe Klaas in his 1970 book Amelia Earhart Lives – though Mr.
Maxwell does not necessarily subscribe to the details of the Klaas hypothesis.
There’s been a fair amount of discussion of Mr. Maxwell’s
observations – mixed up with the thinking of Joe Klaas and his advisor Joe
Gervais – on TIGHAR’s discussion forum; see https://tighar.org/smf/index.php?topic=427.0
and https://tighar.org/smf/index.php?topic=427.15
for examples.
When I heard Mr. Maxwell’s “Chasing Amelia” podcast I was
intrigued, and puzzled by the imagery, but pretty startled by his notion of a
Japanese presence on Nikumaroro. We’ve found no historical, archaeological, or
other evidence of such a presence, though presumably it wouldn’t have left
much. So I asked him about his research
and learned that the Japanese capture parts of his hypothesis are thus far based on
speculation.
My Impression
On balance, I don’t think Mr. Maxwell’s hypothesis holds up;
it involves too much speculation and is encumbered by too many unlikely
variables. But there’s that image – which I have to admit looks to me an awful
lot like an Electra. But like a lot of satellite imagery, the one of the “plane
in the Orona lagoon” is pretty pixelated, and subject to interpretation. In
interpreting such things, the human mind is very prone to cognitive bias; we want
to see patterns, and we may “see” them even when they’re not there.
We had an encounter with such bias in 2010, when someone
looking at Google Earth imagery saw what looked like the letters “ELP” spelled
out in coral in a pond at the southeast end of Nikumaroro. It sure did look
like “ELP,” and we imagined Earhart and Noonan spelling out a distress signal whose "H" had been lost to the elements.
We even wrote a song about it (To the tune of the Beatles’ “Help”). But when we
went to the pond and gave it a close look, there was simply nothing there but
natural shelving coral; we’d been bamboozled by bias. And in the 1938 airphotos
of Nikumaroro taken by the New Zealand Pacific Aviation Survey (https://tighar.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Survey_(1938)),
many of us could quite confidently see the outline of an Electra in the scaevola on Nikumaroro’s Nutiran shore
–albeit in one photo pointing northwest and in another southeast. Only when the
imagery was accurately scaled did we discover that the “Electra” was way too
big to be what we thought we saw. Which was comforting since the area had been
surveyed by our own field teams, revealing nothing.
Mr. Maxwell points out that when you look at imagery of the
bottom of the Orona lagoon away from the “plane’s” location – and innumerable
other places on the seafloor – you do not see Electra-shaped patterns of
pixels; it’s only at that one spot. In a 5 October 2018 email to me, he argues
for the likelihood that –
… the
pixels in the image are created by the L10E aircraft and not light and shadow
upon coral formations. In the thousands of miles of shallow oceans-maybe light
and shadow could create the exact likeness of a complex object. But such a rare
phenomenon of light and shadow, in the likely spot a skilled pilot and navigator
could find not far from their final destination, is extremely unlikely.
I don’t have an
answer to this assertion, but I’m dubious; we don’t see “ELPs” scattered all
over Nikumaroro, either, but that doesn’t make our 2010 “ELP” meaningful. But
the patterns in the Orona lagoon are odd, and their location is intriguing.
The Solution
There’s one obvious way to test the Orona Hypothesis. Mr.
Maxwell has plotted his ostensible Electra pretty precisely, and it’s not in
deep water. It looks to be a pretty simple piece of underwater archaeological
reconnaissance to check it out. Someone
ought to do it, but note: the inspection should be a piece of controlled,
planned, fully reported archaeological reconnaissance, not just some divers
with metal detectors poking around. And it needs to be done with full respect
for the Phoenix Islands environment and the regulations of the Phoenix Islands
Protected Area.
I’m grateful to Tom Maxwell, Joe Cerniglia, and Tukabu Teraroro for their
reviews of this paper in draft.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Connections of a Wayward Microphone Connector
By Joe Cerniglia
Preface: With the permission of the government of Kiribati, we brought back a number of artifacts from the 2017 visit to Nikumaroro, to analyze and in time return either to the island or to the government's custody elsewhere. Joe Cerniglia has taken the lead in their analysis. This report is the first of several that Joe has in preparation. They'll illustrate the range of historically interesting subjects -- including but by no means limited to the fates of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan -- that can be investigated on Nikumaroro. TFK
On June 30,
2017, during the second day of the Betchart “In Search of Amelia Earhart”
expedition to Nikumaroro (a.k.a. Gardner Island), Dr. Kimberly Zimmerman found
a small cylindrical coaxial connector, just underneath a small mound of
deadfall in the colonial village, about 100 feet northwest of the fallen ruins
of the village co-operative store.
The connector
was found in what we colloquially call the “new village,” that portion of the settlement
that was developed after the death of its beloved first British administrator,
Gerald Gallagher. This section of the village appears to have been developed
primarily in the 1950s.[1]
Photo #1: The connector as discovered
Photo #2: Close-up
of the connector.
The connector
was resting among a cluster of other interesting artifacts. About sixteen
meters to its northeast, a small amber vial, colloquially known as the “Toluca
vial” was re-located, after having first been discovered in 2015. (For more on
the vial, see https://ameliaearhartarchaeology.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-lady-and-lake-joe-cerniglias_8.html.)
Roughly an equal distance due north of the connector was found, also in 2015,
fragments from two small flat oval jars, with matching caps. Only one intact jar survived.
This intact jar’s base was labeled “Bourjois,” a Parisian cosmetics company.
Roughly an equal distance south southeast of the connector was found a circular
metal object with triangular attachment points, with an inscribed part number
(9-S-4378-L). According to modern
aviation parts websites, such as wbparts.com, this part number represents a navigation
light.[2]
Photo #3: Map of
objects found. With the exception of the Bourjois jars, locations were plotted
with a Polar V800 GPS watch.
Artifact Description
This
connector measures 1.5 inches in length. The mounting hole is 7/16 inches in
diameter, and the microphone cable hole at its opposite end is also 7/16 inches
in diameter. These connectors were built with a spring cord protector
protruding from the cable hole.
with a spring
cord protector
The spring
cord protector on this connector has either broken off or rusted away. The
spring, if present, would have reduced the clearance of the cable by 1/8
inches.[3] When held vertically with its mounting
end facing up, a three-line inscription on the artifact is visible. Above and
below this inscription, two oxidized circular spots where small screws were
once placed may be seen. The piece is pitted with tiny scratches and reddish
oxidation marks. A knurled coupling ring is present near the mounting hole, but
it has been shifted off its track so that it is stuck in place. A nub of wire,
3/16 inches in width, which has been bent in upon itself since it was
collected, trails from the cable end. The artifact weighs 22.17 grams.
The Artifact Inscription
Inscribed in
the center of the artifact are 3 printed lines. The first line is in sans serif
block lettering, each letter of equal height. The line reads:
AMPHENOL
The second
line is also in sans serif block lettering, slightly smaller in font size than
the top line. The line reads:
CHICAGO
The third and
last line is also in sans serif, equal in font size to the second line. It
reads:
80-SERIES
The Amphenol
Corporation: A Brief History
The company
whose name is inscribed on the connector, Amphenol, was formed as the American
Phenolic Corporation in 1932 by Arthur John Schmitt, an aviator, inventor and
businessman who had predicted the then-emerging radio industry’s need for
innovative radio parts. Amphenol survives today and is best known for its
lightweight, durable, and high-performance circular connectors. During World
War II, according to one biography, Schmitt’s company “made about 62 percent of
all the electrical connectors used in U.S. planes.”[4] The company also made connectors for civilian uses as a wholesale supplier to radio
manufacturers and retail supplier to hobbyists. Today the company provides
connectors around the globe in many industrial applications such as aerospace, auto
manufacturing, military needs, and mobile devices.
Catalogs and
Advertisements: Artifact Identification
The 80-Series
connector was listed in Amphenol catalogs, parts distributor catalogs, and
advertisements as a microphone connector. Microphone connectors are useful in bringing
cable from a microphone to an amplifier chassis, mounting a microphone on a
stand, or providing a means of extending the cord of the microphone itself. Amphenol
offered three series of microphone connectors, the 75-Series, the 80-Series and
the 91-Series. They were made of a molded central dielectric element of black
bakelite surrounded by a brass shell with a polished chrome finish.
The 91-Series
was a deluxe model. It came with 3-or 4-prongs. The 80-Series was an
intermediate model, with 1- or 2-prongs. The artifact is an example of the
1-prong variant of the 80-Series. The 75-Series was the entry level model, with
1-prong only. For most of its production run from 1935 into the 1970s, these
three microphone connector series remained consistent in terms of general
design, materials and construction, although the dimensions varied slightly over
the years.
Amphenol introduced
its first microphone connectors in December 1935.[5] The earliest advertisement offering them for sale appeared in early 1936.[6] The exact year in which the 80-Series model was introduced is not known, but it
would seem logical that it would follow on not much later than the year in
which Amphenol microphone connectors were first introduced.
How Did It Get There?
There are
three main hypotheses for how this connector reached the particular spot where
it was found:
1. Outwash from the Co-op Store and multiple
house sites: This hypothesis presumes that the artifact resided
semi-permanently within the village itself but was originally brought there,
most likely by colonists.
2. Material picked up elsewhere on the
island and dropped by people en route to boats. This hypothesis presumes an accidental
reason for its presence and does not necessarily presume colonial agency but
may include Coast Guardsmen, British and American surveyors and explorers.
3. Inwash south of the channel or
eastward from the beach, washed in by force of wind or water, or both, from a
storm surge. There are many examples of flotsam resting on the beach of the
windward side of the island. If this hypothesis is correct, it would beg the question
of just what was the original source. Was it a passing ship or some stationary
object offshore?
Wear Patterns as
Possible Deposition Clue
The
extremities of the connector appear to be very much impacted, worn and beveled,
with tiny uniform abrasions and one-millimeter linear scratches. These wear
patterns are exactly what one would expect to see if the artifact had been
thrown by the force of water and dragged, as in a storm, upon the abrasive, coral-strewn
shore of the island. Under magnification, the wear seems slightly more
noticeable on the projecting edges, but the connector is still relatively evenly
worn. There are no areas completely free of wear. Dr. Richard Pettigrew, an
archaeologist who was on the 2017 trip, contributed his expertise with wear
patterns on artifacts, stating: “Tumbling in rocks produces even wear on all
projecting surfaces, which is what I see on the artifact from photographs. It's
a light object, so impacts would not be heavy, but many of them accumulate to
generate wear that is visible at the right magnification and illumination. It
won't be faceted (relatively flat) and focused wear, as you often get from tool
use by people, but rather rounded and everywhere, as you get on pebbles in a
stream bed.”[7]
Photo #s 6 and 7:
Well-distributed
wear patterns on the connector show light, uniform and small abrasions, as
would be produced by tumbling from ocean deposition.
If Brought to the
Village, By Whom?
The connector’s
wear patterns, however, may not explain all of its provenance. Even if the connector
spent time in the ocean, that would not preclude it from first having spent
time on the island, for what may have been very mundane and expectable reasons.
On the other hand, before assuming who or what brought the connector, a
detailed assessment of each island population’s use of microphones and
microphone connectors seems warranted, to the extent this is possible.
Loran Unit 92: The Coast
Guard (1944-1946)
A radio
microphone from a radio installation would seem to be a most likely source for
a microphone connector, and it so happens Nikumaroro had a radio installation. Construction
of the U.S. Coast Guard radio navigation station on the southern tip of the
island (about 2 miles distant from the site where the artifact was found in the
village) began about 1 September, 1944, with surveying, clearing and
preparation work having been completed in the five weeks prior to that date. Loran
Unit 92 first went on the air on 16 December, 1944.[8] The last servicemen departed the station in May 1946 and the station was
dismantled shortly thereafter.[9]
On 24 July
1944 and on 18 August, 1944, an LCM (landing craft, mechanized) from the USS Spicewood
was landed on Nikumaroro with equipment for clearing and building the station.
On the first date, the landing was said to have occurred “three and one half
miles from the site on the south side of the island at a point where the surf
seemed the least hazardous.”[10] On the second date, the landing was said to have occurred “at the extreme
northwestern tip of the island, about two miles from the landing.”[11] Both of these locations could have taken the LCMs within a short distance of
the village site.
The LCMs
could have communicated with the USS Spicewood by radio, and those radios could
be a source of microphone connectors, so it would seem worthwhile to know
whether the U.S. military purchased Amphenol products for use on boats. Also,
the Loran station was restocked with supplies from PBYs that periodically
landed in the lagoon, and these PBYs, too, could have been a source of
microphone connectors.
If the
microphone connector found in the new village was used by the military, it
would be expected that it would meet military specifications. World War II
witnessed a proliferation of military specifications for all types of equipment,
including for the circular coaxial microphone connector found on the island. Some
of these specifications predated the war itself. As of 1 November, 1939, all
circular connectors on “aircraft, marine and other motorized units” were
required to meet Army-Navy Aeronautical Standard AN-9534, which was superseded in
1941 by AN-WC-591.[12] [13]
Amphenol
catalogs sampled from the 1930s through the 1970s all clearly distinguish
between Amphenol products that were designated for use by the military, and
therefore met the required military specifications, and those not designed for
military use. Those meeting military specifications have an A-N number or, in
the case of catalogs later than the 1950s, a MIL-specification number. The
Amphenol 80-Series microphone connector was neither given an A-N number nor a
MIL-spec. number in all the years it was offered. The Amphenol catalogs do not even
class the 80-Series as unofficially approved for use by the military, as some
of their other connectors were.[14]
Therefore, because
1) the Amphenol catalogs clearly distinguish the 80-Series microphone connectors
from connectors designed for the military, and because 2) military
specifications during World War II stipulated that in certain situations (i.e.
transport), connectors with military part numbers had to be used, it is
reasonable to suppose that military transport vehicles to and from the island,
such as PBYs landing in the lagoon to replenish station supplies, LCM
transports hauling equipment ashore to build or dismantle the station, or even bulldozers
used in construction, are very unlikely sources for an Amphenol Series 80 microphone
connector.
Wartime Amphenol
Production of Microphone Connectors
Still, the
possibility that the artifact was used by the U.S. military cannot be ruled out
entirely. During World War II, Amphenol stated in an advertisement in a radio
industry periodical that there was an ever-increasing “war production” of
microphone connectors.[15]
Photo
#8: Radio News wartime Amphenol advertisement
announcing increased
production.
Whether these
wartime microphone connectors had A-N part numbers assigned to them is unknown.
It is known that the artifact has no such number. What types of military situations
(battlefield, administration, traveling shows for troops) in which these
military microphone connectors were used is also unknown.
Inside the Loran Station
The
regulations against use of non A-N parts, such as the artifact connector,
appear to have been more strict while using them in moving vehicles than while
using them in stationary buildings. Consequently, use of an Amphenol microphone
connector inside the Loran station itself seems more plausible. A period
photograph of the communications hut inside a Loran station shows a number of
radio transmitters and receivers with cords and headphones, connected with
specialized hardware of some sort.
Radio Equipment Commonly
Used by the Military
It would be
useful to know what kinds of microphone connectors were common in standard
military applications during World War II. Although no survey could encompass
every possible use, a survey of radio hardware does show certain trends.
One of the
ways in which the military use of microphone connectors may be revealed is in
the types of surplus military radio connectors dropped into civilian markets near
the close of the war. Amalgamated Radio and Television Corporation advertised “Plugs
and Jacks for every known application” in a 1945 publication.[17] It is interesting that the radio industry term “connector” is never even used
in the advertisement; rather, a more pedestrian terminology (plugs and jacks)
is used.
after the war ended.
These plugs
and jacks are still sought after by collectors of old radio equipment and thus
can be viewed in online sales and auctions. They appear to lack the sophisticated
chrome exterior seen on the artifact. Instead, they have an encasing shell of
black phenolic material, and are decidedly more primitive in appearance.
Photo #s 11, 12 and 13: Typical World War II radio plugs and jacks.
While it is unknown exactly what the Loran stations in World War II were using for microphone connectors, or even if their use of such connectors was uniformly consistent, it would appear that the prevailing military trend for many situations was to use a reasonably durable but less expensive connector than the 80-Series Amphenol.
The Bushnell Survey
Expedition (1939)
The U.S.
Coast Guard was the largest of the U.S. military operations that ever visited
and worked on the island, but there were other military personnel who visited
more briefly. The submarine tender USS Bushnell left for survey work on
Nikumaroro from American Samoa on 16 November, 1939.[18] By this time, military specification AN-9534, which required A-N part
numbers for all circular connectors used by motorized military units, had been in effect for only two weeks (since Nov. 1, 1939). It is possible that the specifications were not yet observed by the Bushnell, and consequently, the ship may have carried circular connectors designed for civilian, not military, use.
The Norwich City
The founding
date of Amphenol in 1932 would definitely rule out the Norwich City, which went
aground on Nikumaroro in 1929.
The Colonial Village
Radio Hut (1939-1963)
The colonial
village had a small wireless hut next to the rest house.
This site is about .4 miles from where the microphone connector was found.
So far as is known, this radio hut lacked ability to transmit voice, so
presumably it did not require a microphone.[19] Still, an American microphone connector in the British radio hut cannot be
ruled out.
Gerald Gallagher’s
Personal Wireless Sets (1939-1941)
When Gerald
Gallagher died on the island in 1941, his personal belongings were inventoried
before and after packing them for shipment. These inventories show two wireless
radio sets, a Radiola and an Ultimate.[20] Radiola was made by RCA. This line of radios was marked by frilly wooden
cabinetry design. Since it was a receiver only, it had no need to have been
accessorized with a microphone, or a microphone connector.[21] The Ultimate radio was a small mantelpiece receiver with Art Deco cabinetry,
also without microphone inputs.[22]
Other Possible Sources
Other
sources, consistent with the hypothesis that the artifact is flotsam tossed
from a passing ship, include:
1. The Nimanoa, Viti, other colonial
vessels;
2. Civilian ships, etc. used during the
evaculation of Nikumaroro in 1963, or before;
3. Passing yachtsmen, if any.[23]
What About Amelia Earhart
(1937)?
There are
some very logical associations that can be made between the microphone
connector and known island populations. However, since Amelia Earhart and Fred
Noonan have been hypothesized to have reached Nikumaroro while attempting to
fly from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island, it would also seem worthwhile to
try to track down all of the possible associations between this Amphenol
microphone connector and the 1937 world flight.
It turns out
that there are several quite intriguing such associations.
Lockheed Model 10
(Electra) Associations (1960)
Well into the
1960s, the Lockheed Corporation maintained parts catalogs to assist owners in
maintaining their vintage Lockheeds. The 1960 edition of the Lockheed Spare
Parts Price Catalog for the Model 10 (Electra) lists a part number for a connector,
10606.[24] Both a modern electronics distributor, Mouser Electronics, Inc. and a parts
supplier for commercial and military aircraft, WB Parts, Inc., have variants in
their databases of this part number, an Amphenol crimp bucket connector.[25] In addition, Amphenol’s 2004 catalog made especially for aircraft manufacturer
Bombardier Inc., lists 25 variants of this same connector.
Photo #14: The listing for an Amphenol connector from Mouser, Inc., a modern electronics supplier, is on the left; the listing of the same part in the Electra Spare Parts Price Catalog is on the right.
Photo #15: The modern Amphenol crimp connector is on the left;
the artifact
is on the right.
Photo
#16: Cover of 2004 Amphenol catalog made especially for
aircraft
manufacturer Bombardier Inc.
Photo #17: From the Amphenol Bombardier catalog.
This is a list of most of
the variants of part number 10606, which may
What is
lacking from this potential association between Amphenol and Lockheed is an Amphenol
catalog that is contemporaneous (1960 or prior) to the Lockheed Parts Catalog, and
which also shows this connector. None of the Amphenol catalogs thus far
examined that predate 2004 contain this part number. Such a catalog may exist
but has not yet been located.
There is also
the possibility the Lockheed Parts Catalog refers to a connector from a manufacturer
other than Amphenol. Glenair, Inc. today also manufactures the same connector
with a variant part number. Glenair was also active prior to 1960.
Oddly, the 1960
Lockheed Spare Parts Price Catalog contains only prices, quantities, part
numbers and descriptions. It contains no manufacturer names, so it is not known
for sure whether Lockheed was buying connectors from Amphenol as stock parts
for Electras, but it seems possible. This is interesting for a number of
reasons, but it may also be no more than confirmation of the fact that for many
decades Amphenol has been involved in the aerospace industry.
Western Electric Company Associations
(1941, 1958)
Amelia
Earhart’s Lockheed Electra carried a receiver and transmitter that were both
made by the Western Electric Company. The receiver was the Western Electric
Model 20B. The transmitter was the Western Electric Model 13C.[27]
When Earhart
ground looped her Electra at Luke Field on Ford Island, Hawaii during the first
world flight attempt in March 1937, the U.S. Army Air Corp inventoried the
airplane’s contents prior to shipping it back to the mainland for repairs. This
inventory stated that additional Western Electric Company radio components were
aboard as well, including[28]:
Three (3) Western
Electric Radio Head Phones, type No. 588A (2 equipped with ear cushions)
Two (2) Microphones
with Cord, Western Electric type No. 631B
Both
headphones and microphones are items that use microphone connectors to bring the
cord to the chassis of the transmitter or receiver. All of this Western Electric Company equipment
may be presumed to have been carried forward to the second world flight
attempt.
No microphone
connectors are listed in the Luke Field inventory, but these may have been left
connected to the transmitter, or perhaps their presence is implied in the Luke
Field inventory with the words “with Cord.”
It is not
known what type of microphone connectors Western Electric specified in its
manufacturer’s bulletins for the 588A earphones, the 631B microphones, the 13C
transmitter, or the 20B receiver. Existing product information that survives does
not reach this level of detail.[29]
However, five
product bulletins from pre-World War II Western Electric amplifiers specifically
call for two Amphenol microphone connectors “to use on cords.” Two additional
Amphenol connectors are specified “to mount on chassis.” The amplifiers that
call for these Amphenol microphone connectors and chassis connectors are
Western Electric models 124-A, 124-B, 124-C, 124-D and 124-E. All of the
models’ respective bulletins are dated “4-15-41.”[30]
Photo
#18: Western Electric 124-C amplifier specifications for two
Amphenol microphone connectors and two Amphenol chassis connectors.
The
connectors specified in these product bulletins are all well-documented in an
Amphenol catalog from circa 1948. In fact, these connectors appear on the same
page on which the artifact microphone connector model is listed.[31] The microphone connectors called for in the Western Electric Company product
bulletins are from the 91-Series, a close relative to the 80-Series, of which
the artifact is an example.
Photo #19: These are the Amphenol connectors called for in the Western Electric 124-A, 124-B, 124-C, 124-D, and 124-E product bulletins. Those specified by Western Electric are highlighted in yellow. The artifact microphone connector is highlighted in pink.
It is not
known whether the Western Electric Company began calling for Amphenol
connectors in its products prior to 1941; however, after 1941, Western
Electric’s customer relationship with Amphenol flourished. Western Electric would
ultimately sign with Amphenol one of the largest connector purchase deals in electronics
industry history.[32] By 1967, Amphenol was making the Type 57 micro-ribbon miniature connector[33] in large volume for the Western Electric Company, in partnership with another
connector manufacturer, Cinch Manufacturing.[34]
Photo
#20: 1958 catalog entry for micro-ribbon miniature connectors.[35]
Western Electric purchased these connectors from Amphenol in one of the largest
connector deals in the history of the electronics industry.
Because the
radio equipment chosen by Amelia Earhart for the Lockheed 10E was designed and
built by the Western Electric Company, it would be reasonable that the
microphone connectors aboard the Electra might have been similar to the ones
chosen in 1941 by the Western Electric Company for use in its amplifiers. They
chose Amphenol.
Summary
Overall, the potential
associations between the Amphenol 80-Series microphone connector found on Nikumaroro
in 2017 and the world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in 1937 are much
more intriguing than the associations usually encountered with a Nikumaroro village
artifact, even as compared with those artifacts in the village that also have
part numbers.
Partly this
is due to the fact that the artifact’s inscription includes both a manufacturer
name and a model number. As a result, the artifact’s basic identity is not in
question. Additionally, the manufacturing history and purpose of the Amphenol
80-Series microphone connector has been much more extensively documented than
is common for other objects collected and brought back from the island.
Still, the
microphone connector is admittedly not an Earhart mystery ‘smoking gun,’ and
the fact that it is not demonstrates how very difficult it is to find that 'definitive
artifact,' the one that solves the Amelia Earhart mystery once and for all.
Nikumaroro would be settled by Americans (1944-1946) and British-supplied
colonists (1939-1963) only a few short years after Earhart disappeared en route
to Howland Island in July of 1937. These settlers undoubtedly brought and even
perhaps left behind radio parts of various shapes and sizes.
Whether or
not these Nikumaroro settlers left behind this particular Amphenol 80-Series microphone
connector is unresolved, but the probability of this having happened seems to
diminish, not to increase, the more closely one studies the details.
Research continues
on the following:
Amphenol
manufactured microphone connectors between 1935 and the 1970s. Are there any
attributes of the artifact microphone connector that would date it to perhaps a
single year or decade? Can additional Amphenol catalogs be located that would
assist in answering this question?
Do any product
bulletins for the Western Electric radio equipment used aboard the Earhart
Electra describe which, if any, microphone connectors were specified to use
with these Western Electric products?
_____________________
_____________________
[1] Paul B. Laxton, "Nikumaroro," Journal Of the Polynesian Society 602, no. 2 and 3 (1951): p. 142.
[2] “Part listing for navigation light.” WB Parts. 10 Oct 2018.
https://www.wbparts.com/rfq/6220-00-151-9607.html
https://www.wbparts.com/rfq/6220-00-151-9607.html
[3] The amount of reduction in clearance from the spring cord connector is based on comparisons with the contemporaneous sibling connector of nearly identical dimensions.
[4] Thaddeus J. Burch, “Arthur J. Schmitt.” American National Biography. July 2002. Web. 1 Oct 2018. http://www.marquette.edu/electrical-computer-engineering/documents/SchmittbiofromAmerNatlBio.pdf
[5] “Amphenol Microphone Connector.” Communication and Broadcast Engineering. 2.12, December 1935, p. 28, Column 1. https://www.americanradiohistory.com. 1 Oct 2018.
[6] Advertisement for Amphenol. Hall Radio Catalog, Spring/Summer 1936, p. 40, Column 2. https://www.americanradiohistory.com. 1 Oct 2018.
[7] Richard Pettigrew. “Re: Preliminary Observations on Coaxial Connector.” Message to Joe Cerniglia, Thomas King, Kenton Spading, and Kimberly Zimmerman. 27 Sept 2018. E-mail.
[8] Historical Section, Public Information Division, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. The Coast Guard at War IV, Volume 2. Washington, DC: 1946, pp. 91-95.
[9] See http://www.loran-history.info/station_search.aspx for a list of Coast Guardsmen on Gardner and the duration of each enlisted man’s service. The operational duration of Unit 92 itself was derived from these dates.
[12] Amphenol Catalog: Radio Parts and Accessories, Synthetics for Electronics, High Frequency Cables and Connectors, ‘A-N’ Connectors and ‘A-N’ Fittings, c.1948, p. M-26, Column 1. http://www.tubebooks.org/vintage_data.htm. 23 Sept 2018.
[13] Connector Microtooling Systems, Inc. “Electrical Connectors and Tooling,” Arlington, TX: 2004, p. 8. http://cms-tools.com/opencart/pdf/Electrical.pdf 8 Oct 2018.
[14] Amphenol Catalog: Radio Parts and Accessories, Synthetics for Electronics, High Frequency Cables and Connectors, ‘A-N’ Connectors and ‘A-N’ Fittings, c.1948, p. M-12, Column 1. http://www.tubebooks.org/vintage_data.htm. 23 Sept 2018.
[15] Advertisement for Amphenol. Radio News, June 1943, p. 40, full-page. https://www.americanradiohistory.com. 1 Oct 2018.
[17] Advertisement for Amalgamated Radio and Television Corporation. Electronics, June 1945, p. 172, first column. https://www.americanradiohistory.com. 1 Oct 2018.
[18] Progress Report (of USS Bushnell) – 16 November to 17 December, 1939, inclusive. National Archives, 19 December, 1939, https://tighar.org/aw/mediawiki/images/f/f1/Bushnell_Part_3.pdf. 9 Oct 2018.
[19] Thomas F. King. “Re: Preliminary Observations on Coaxial Connector.” Message to Joe Cerniglia, Richard Pettigrew, Kenton Spading, and Kimberly Zimmerman. 23 Sept 2018. E-mail.
[20] Gallagher Packing Inventory, date unknown, https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Gallagereffects2.html. 9 Oct 2018.
[21] Advertisement for Radiola. Allied Radio Catalog, 1933, p. 6, full-page. https://www.americanradiohistory.com. 1 Oct 2018.
[22] Advertisement for Ultimate Radios. http://www.radio-restoration.com/BigPhotos/Ultimate-1951.jpg
[23] Thomas F. King. “Re: Preliminary Observations on Coaxial Connector.” Message to Joe Cerniglia, Richard Pettigrew, Kenton Spading, and Kimberly Zimmerman. 23 Sept 2018. E-mail.
[24] Lockheed Spare Parts Price Catalog: Model 10 (Electra), Model 12, Model 18 (Lodestar), 1960, p. 3, Line 3.
[25] Part listing for Amphenol Bendix Connector.” WB Parts. 11 Oct 2018.
https://www.wbparts.com/search.cfm?q=10606015
https://www.wbparts.com/search.cfm?q=10606015
“Part listing for Amphenol Circular Crimp Connector.” Mouser, Inc. 11 Oct 2018.
[26] Bombardier Transportation Design Guide for Amphenol GT Series Reverse Bayonet Coupling Connectors, 2004, p. 20. http://www.amphenol.co.jp/military/catalog/L-2123.pdf 11 Oct 2018.
[27] Michael Everette. “A Technical Analysis of the Western Electric Radio Communications Equipment Installed on Board Lockheed Electra NR16020” , https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/ResearchPapers/ElectraRadios/ElectraRadios.htm#4 11 Oct 2018.
[28] Luke Field Inventory. https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Luke_Field.html
[29] Earhart Western Electric 13C Transmitter Technical Information. https://tighar.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1502.0;attach=7914
10 Oct 2018.
10 Oct 2018.
[30] Western Electric Product Bulletins for 124-A, 124-B, 124-C, 124-D, 124-E. http://www.westernelectric.com/static/library/specifications/amplifiers/124.pdf
22 Sept 2018.
22 Sept 2018.
[31] Amphenol Catalog: Radio Parts and Accessories, Synthetics for Electronics, High Frequency Cables and Connectors, ‘A-N’ Connectors and ‘A-N’ Fittings, c.1948, p. M-6. http://www.tubebooks.org/vintage_data.htm. 23 Sept 2018.
[32] Arthur J. Schaefer. Quest for Leadership: The Arthur J. Schmitt Story. Chicago: Cathedral Publishing Company, 1985, p. 75.
[33] I am using the completion date of the Hollywood, Florida Amphenol factory, discussed in Schaefer’s book as having been built to fulfill the deal with Western Electric, as the period in which production of the micro-ribbon miniature connectors rose to a high level.
Jessica Cattelino. High Stakes: Florida Seminole Gaming and Sovereignty. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2008, p. 49.
__________________
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https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/ResearchPapers/ElectraRadios/ElectraRadios.htm#4
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10 Oct 2018.
“Part
listing for Amphenol Bendix Connector.” WB Parts. 11 Oct 2018.
https://www.wbparts.com/search.cfm?q=10606015
https://www.wbparts.com/search.cfm?q=10606015
“Part
listing for Amphenol Circular Crimp Connector.” Mouser, Inc. 11 Oct 2018.
“Part listing for navigation light.” WB Parts.
10 Oct 2018.
https://www.wbparts.com/rfq/6220-00-151-9607.html
https://www.wbparts.com/rfq/6220-00-151-9607.html
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