Antenna aiming / Albany, NY
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Albany, NY

Every transmitter near Albany, with the compass direction and distance from town, and the one direction that picks up the most channels.

Transmitter directions from Albany, NY N E S W WNCE — 7° N, 42 mi WVER — 29° NNE, 77 mi WNGN — 35° NE, 29 mi WEPT — 186° S, 67 mi WNYJ — 186° S, 67 mi WVBG — 213° SSW, 12 mi WRGB — 244° WSW, 9 mi WTEN — 244° WSW, 9 mi WNYT — 244° WSW, 9 mi WMHT — 244° WSW, 9 mi WCWN — 244° WSW, 9 mi WXXA — 244° WSW, 9 mi WYBN — 245° WSW, 9 mi WNYA — 247° WSW, 8 mi WYPX — 321° NW, 27 mi Albany

Point Southwest 216° on a compass — 77 miles of range covers this whole market

10/15stations in the beam
49/68free channels
72%of what's available
The other 5 stations sit north of you (353°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
3 of these stations broadcast on VHF frequencies. Many antennas sold as "HDTV" or "4K" are UHF-only and will miss them entirely, whichever way you point.

Every transmitter near Albany, NY

Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WNCE YTA TV 31 7° N 42 mi 1
WVER PBS 28 29° NNE 77 mi 4
WNGN WGNG Radio 91.9 38 35° NE 29 mi 1
WEPT Independent 15 186° S 67 mi 1
WNYJ Jewelry TV 16 186° S 67 mi 3
WVBG Binge TV 25 213° SSW 12 mi 12
WRGB CBS 6 244° WSW 9 mi 5
WTEN ABC 10 244° WSW 9 mi 5
WNYT NBC 13 244° WSW 9 mi 4
WMHT PBS 17 244° WSW 9 mi 4
WCWN CW 45 244° WSW 9 mi 3
WXXA FOX 23 244° WSW 9 mi 5
WYBN Buzzr 14 245° WSW 9 mi 7
WNYA MyNetworkTV 51 247° WSW 8 mi 4
WYPX Ion 55 321° NW 27 mi 9

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Albany, NY?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 8.0 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 27 miles.

For Albany we would start with an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The towers are far enough out that an amplified indoor antenna, or one mounted in the attic, will pull in far more of the lineup than a basic flat antenna.

The towers around Albany are spread across 209° of the compass, so no single directional antenna will reach all of them. An omnidirectional antenna picks up every direction at once but with less reach, and a rotator lets a directional antenna turn toward whichever station you want.

Learn more about choosing an antenna

Before you climb the ladder

The limits of these numbers, and how to work around them

These are true bearings, not magnetic. A compass app on your phone usually reads magnetic north, which differs from true north by a few degrees depending on where you are in the country. For antenna aiming that difference is small, but if you are lining up a long-range directional antenna it is worth checking your local declination.

Bearings are measured from the centre of Albany. Over the distances involved, a few miles in any direction barely moves the angle, but your own address is what ultimately matters.

Hills and buildings are not in these numbers. A transmitter 20 miles away behind a ridge can be harder to receive than one 40 miles away across flat ground. Point at the recommended bearing first, then adjust a few degrees either way while watching your TV's signal meter.

See every channel available in Albany, NY, including what each station carries.

Calendar

What’s on, and when

Big games, races and live events coming up on free over-the-air TV, and the channel to find each one on. Full-season schedules show which games an antenna gets you for free.

Guides

Free TV explained

Guides, reviews and explainers on getting the most out of free over-the-air TV.