An ultra-wide band (UWB) radio frequency (RF) receiving device (205) includes a first receiver (305) that receives UWB RF signals, a second receiver (315) that receives an external cue, and a processing unit (330). The second receiver (315) receives an external cue that includes one of a television blanking signal, a zero-crossing of a FM radio transmission, a paging system signal, a zero-crossing of an analog voice transmission, a zero-crossing of an analog video transmission, a cellular telephony control channel signal, a cellular telephony traffic channel signal, a digital sub-band for an AM or FM radio station signal, a digital or analog signal in a short-wave-radio transmission, a digital television signal, a digital or analog signal in a land mobile radio transmission, a radio-navigation signal, a radar signal, a satellite signal, an acoustic event or signal, a magnetic event or signal, or an optical event or signal. The processing unit (330) synchronizes an internal clock of the UWB RF receiving device (205) to the external cue.