On 22 Jan 2004 12:29:08 -0800, (Chris Campbell)
wrote:

Ivan wrote:
try to make a rectangular coil, about 1 ft x 1 ft, some 30 turns wound
by a fairly thin magnet wire (#25 to #30). Bring it into resonance at
60 kHz by a capacitor, some 8000 - 10000 pF. Place the coil
vertically, aiming to the transmitter, and place the clock to its
center. You do not need any mods of the clock. The signal should be
significantly stronger.

Now, just so I understand you correctly, you're saying I don't
actually connect this loop antenna to the clock?

Correct.

I just place the
clock in the center of it, and the loop antenna (I guess) induces a
stronger signal in the clock's internal antenna?

Yup.

Wow, I'd love that.
As for the loop ends, I just connect them together across the cap?

You got it.

And when you say "vertically, aiming to the transmitter", you mean
that the plane of the loop intersects with the transmitting station,
right? That is, I don't point the *face* of the loop at the
transmitter, I point the edge towards it. Right?

"Towards" is a relative direction. You may have to experiment.

Hi Chris,

The ultimate explanation is that if you read the instructions
carefully, you may find they state to try on one wall, or move to
another and try again (pretty much the same advice as that above, less
all the wire and capacitors).

The "synchronization" does not always happen all at once (again, this
is undoubtedly discussed in the instructions - or used to be). You
may spend up to a week discovering the sweet spot where the receiver
responds. We have fielded many such questions as yours in the past,
and I cannot recall anyone coming back after having given up (and I
don't recall one needing an external antenna).

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC