Hi, all.

I know that this inquiry might sound elementary, but I'm dealing with a 
rather interesting problem that may require a somewhat unique and creative 
solution.

As many of you know, I live in semi-rural West-Central lower Michigan.  The 
location of my home QTH is about 30 miles from the nearest NOAA weather 
radio transmitter.

My wife and I have taken on a project of getting NOAA Public Alert radios 
set up in all seven of the public schools in my community.

The radios they have been given via a government-distribution program are 
"Re-Com" radios.  I don't have the model number, but can get it if that 
would help.

In some of the schools in my community, the telescopic antennas provided 
with the radios are enough to pick up the NOAA transmitter signal, so long 
as the radio is placed near a window.

In three cases, though, the schools are even a bit farther from the 
transmitter, in that they are on the eastern side of town, while the best 
transmitter is located to the west.

The stock antennas simply don't provide enough signal strength to allow the 
transmitted public alert tones to activate the receivers.

So, we're now left with trying to come up with some sort of a simple 
low-profile external antenna that, if strategically placed, might be enough 
to boost the signal strength of the NOAA transmitter sufficiently to receive 
the alarms.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a low profile external antenna that 
might be used for this purpose?

If home-brewing is the best way to go, please send along specific 
instructions for us to follow in making the antenna.

If we might do better with something commercially-produced, please give us a 
web site or phone number of a place to call, and we'll pursue that too.

Keep in mind that the folks in these public school offices are not like we 
hams, who are used to wires being strung out all over the place.  They are 
very concerned about public appearance, and don't want some ugly-looking 
antenna greeting visitors to the school office areas.

Thanks for any assistance that can be provided.

If you want to e-mail me privately, my private e-mail is:

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73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ, Big Rapids, MI