Antenna aiming / Fort Dodge, IA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Fort Dodge, IA

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

Transmitter directions from Fort Dodge, IA N E S W KFPX — 133° SE, 69 mi KAJR — 133° SE, 69 mi KCYM — 133° SE, 69 mi KRPG — 133° SE, 68 mi KDIT — 147° SSE, 54 mi KDSM — 147° SSE, 54 mi KCWI — 147° SSE, 54 mi KDMI — 147° SSE, 54 mi WOI — 148° SSE, 56 mi WHO — 148° SSE, 56 mi KDIN — 148° SSE, 56 mi KCCI — 148° SSE, 55 mi WBXF — 155° SSE, 69 mi K32NM-D — 159° SSE, 61 mi KTIN — 333° NNW, 25 mi Fort Dodge

Point Southeast 129° on a compass — 69 miles of range covers this whole market

14/15stations in the beam
89/94free channels
95%of what's available
The other 1 station sit north-northwest of you (333°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
4 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 Fort Dodge, IA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KFPX Ion 39 133° SE 69 mi 9
KAJR Defy TV 36 133° SE 69 mi 7
KCYM MovieSphere Gold 44 133° SE 69 mi 7
KRPG Infomercials 43 133° SE 68 mi 7
KDIT Catchy Comedy 45 147° SSE 54 mi 7
KDSM FOX 17 147° SSE 54 mi 4
KCWI CW 23 147° SSE 54 mi 6
KDMI TCT 19 147° SSE 54 mi 8
WOI ABC 5 148° SSE 56 mi 5
WHO NBC 13 148° SSE 56 mi 5
KDIN PBS 11 148° SSE 56 mi 7
KCCI CBS 8 148° SSE 55 mi 6
WBXF Heartland TV 28 155° SSE 69 mi 6
K32NM-D HSN 32 159° SSE 61 mi 5
KTIN PBS 21 333° NNW 25 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Fort Dodge, IA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 25.1 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 62 miles.

For Fort Dodge we would start with an outdoor or roof-mounted antenna. The transmitters are a long way from town. An outdoor antenna mounted as high as possible, pointed toward the towers, is what it takes to receive the full lineup reliably.

The towers around Fort Dodge are spread across 185° 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 Fort Dodge. 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 Fort Dodge, IA, 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.