Antenna aiming / Del Mar, CA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Del Mar, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Del Mar, CA N E S W KESQ — 37° NE, 78 mi KRET — 37° NE, 78 mi K21DO-D — 37° NE, 78 mi KDFX — 37° NE, 78 mi KCWQ — 37° NE, 78 mi KYAV — 37° NE, 78 mi KMIR — 37° NE, 78 mi KPSE — 37° NE, 78 mi KVPS — 37° NE, 78 mi KPSP — 37° NE, 78 mi KEVC — 37° NE, 78 mi KVER — 37° NE, 78 mi KZTC — 80° E, 16 mi KSKT — 80° E, 16 mi KPBS — 136° SE, 26 mi KSDX — 136° SE, 26 mi KUSI — 136° SE, 26 mi KUAN — 136° SE, 26 mi KNSD — 136° SE, 26 mi KSWB — 136° SE, 26 mi KDTF — 136° SE, 26 mi KSDY — 136° SE, 26 mi KFMB — 180° S, 9 mi KBNT — 180° S, 9 mi KGTV — 180° S, 9 mi KILA — 339° NNW, 61 mi KVCR — 358° N, 69 mi KZSW — 359° N, 69 mi Del Mar

Point North 7° on a compass — 78 miles of range covers this whole market

15/28stations in the beam
85/157free channels
54%of what's available
The other 13 stations sit southeast of you (138°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
9 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 Del Mar, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KESQ ABC 42 37° NE 78 mi 5
KRET Binge TV 45 37° NE 78 mi 12
K21DO-D 365BLK 21 37° NE 78 mi 8
KDFX FOX 33 37° NE 78 mi 3
KCWQ CW 2 37° NE 78 mi 2
KYAV Independent 12 37° NE 78 mi 3
KMIR NBC 36 37° NE 78 mi 2
KPSE MyNetworkTV 50 37° NE 78 mi 4
KVPS Independent 8 37° NE 78 mi 7
KPSP CBS 38 37° NE 78 mi 3
KEVC UniMas 5 37° NE 78 mi 3
KVER Univision 41 37° NE 78 mi 6
KZTC Biz TV 7 80° E 16 mi 4
KSKT MovieSphere Gold 43 80° E 16 mi 12
KPBS PBS 15 136° SE 26 mi 4
KSDX Binge TV 9 136° SE 26 mi 12
KUSI CW 51 136° SE 26 mi 3
KUAN Telemundo 48 136° SE 26 mi 2
KNSD NBC 39 136° SE 26 mi 4
KSWB FOX 69 136° SE 26 mi 6
KDTF UniMas 36 136° SE 26 mi 2
KSDY Nuestra Vision 50 136° SE 26 mi 6
KFMB CBS 8 180° S 9 mi 6
KBNT Univision 17 180° S 9 mi 3
KGTV ABC 10 180° S 9 mi 8
KILA Infomercials 8 339° NNW 61 mi 12
KVCR PBS 24 358° N 69 mi 4
KZSW 3ABN 10 359° N 69 mi 11

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Del Mar, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 8.9 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 27 miles.

For Del Mar 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 Del Mar are spread across 201° 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 Del Mar. 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 Del Mar, CA, 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.