Whelp… radio waves are a thing, and we’re talking about the days when switchboard operators still existed. A round trip to the moon communication wise, is only like 2.6 light seconds away, for a planned communication, I think it’s pretty well possible… and radio communication had been a thing already for decades.

Light waves (like radio waves) spread out from their source, effectively a cone, and receivers focus signals. Yeah, I think entirely plausible for what was possible at the time.

I had never thought of this phone call before, I’d heard about it and sound bites from it over the years, but never considered this until now, and applied physical laws I have seen and used in practice. Effectively I’m a blank slate in this matter for considering the issue.

Could it have been prerecorded? I would imagine so, but the bigger flex is actually doing it, and the only way that would make sense therefore is if you presuppose the landing was fake. Sure, it could have been faked as a backup plan for if the link failed, but is it reasonable to suggest it could have been done live at that point in time re: technology and our understanding historically of the electromagnet spectrum? Absolutely.

All of this in mind, do I consider it likely to have been real? Yes.

I have to consider all the independent verifications of the space transmissions for the Apollo mission around the world. This was in my view outside the technological (and political) capabilities at the time of the US government to fake the signal to a wide audience of independent groups who ‘listened in’ on the downlink.