Antenna aiming / Desert Hot Springs, CA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Desert Hot Springs, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Desert Hot Springs, CA N E S W KUNA — 122° ESE, 20 mi KMIR — 141° SE, 8 mi KPSE — 141° SE, 8 mi K21DO-D — 141° SE, 8 mi KVPS — 141° SE, 8 mi KPSP — 141° SE, 8 mi KEVC — 141° SE, 8 mi KVER — 141° SE, 8 mi KDFX — 141° SE, 8 mi KCWQ — 141° SE, 8 mi KYAV — 141° SE, 8 mi KESQ — 141° SE, 8 mi KRET — 141° SE, 8 mi KZTC — 202° SSW, 70 mi KSKT — 202° SSW, 70 mi KZSW — 271° W, 44 mi KVCR — 271° W, 44 mi KVMD — 289° WNW, 18 mi K36JH-D — 316° NW, 63 mi Desert Hot Springs

Point East-Southeast 112° on a compass — 70 miles of range covers this whole market

13/19stations in the beam
59/98free channels
60%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit west of you (260°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
5 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 Desert Hot Springs, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KUNA Telemundo 15 122° ESE 20 mi 1
KMIR NBC 36 141° SE 8 mi 2
KPSE MyNetworkTV 50 141° SE 8 mi 4
K21DO-D 365BLK 21 141° SE 8 mi 8
KVPS Independent 8 141° SE 8 mi 7
KPSP CBS 38 141° SE 8 mi 3
KEVC UniMas 5 141° SE 8 mi 3
KVER Univision 41 141° SE 8 mi 6
KDFX FOX 33 141° SE 8 mi 3
KCWQ CW 2 141° SE 8 mi 2
KYAV Independent 12 141° SE 8 mi 3
KESQ ABC 42 141° SE 8 mi 5
KRET Binge TV 45 141° SE 8 mi 12
KZTC Biz TV 7 202° SSW 70 mi 4
KSKT MovieSphere Gold 43 202° SSW 70 mi 12
KZSW 3ABN 10 271° W 44 mi 11
KVCR PBS 24 271° W 44 mi 4
KVMD OnTV4U 31 289° WNW 18 mi 6
K36JH-D Classic Shows 36 316° NW 63 mi 2

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Desert Hot Springs, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 7.7 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 8 miles.

For Desert Hot Springs we would start with a basic indoor antenna. Most of the lineup is transmitting from close by, so a flat indoor antenna in a window facing the towers should be enough.

The towers around Desert Hot Springs are spread across 194° 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 Desert Hot Springs. 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 Desert Hot Springs, 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.