Antenna aiming / Gastonia, NC
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Gastonia, NC

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

Transmitter directions from Gastonia, NC N E S W WHWD — 41° NE, 76 mi WUNG — 77° ENE, 31 mi WTVI — 86° E, 26 mi WCCB — 89° E, 23 mi WSOC — 90° E, 24 mi WAXN — 90° E, 24 mi WDMC — 91° E, 26 mi WCEE — 91° E, 26 mi WHEH — 91° E, 26 mi W15EB-D — 105° ESE, 16 mi WNSC — 166° SSE, 30 mi WRET — 236° SW, 46 mi WUNE — 325° NW, 68 mi WWJS — 343° NNW, 34 mi WBTV — 344° NNW, 7 mi WCNC — 349° N, 6 mi WJZY — 358° N, 7 mi WMYT — 358° N, 7 mi WGTB — 358° N, 7 mi Gastonia

Point East-Northeast 76° on a compass — 76 miles of range covers this whole market

9/19stations in the beam
40/81free channels
49%of what's available
The other 10 stations sit north-northwest of you (347°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
2 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 Gastonia, NC

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WHWD Daystar 21 41° NE 76 mi 1
WUNG PBS 58 77° ENE 31 mi 4
WTVI PBS 42 86° E 26 mi 1
WCCB Independent 18 89° E 23 mi 10
WSOC ABC 9 90° E 24 mi 5
WAXN Independent 64 90° E 24 mi 3
WDMC Daystar 25 91° E 26 mi 1
WCEE Estrella TV 16 91° E 26 mi 3
WHEH Cozi TV 41 91° E 26 mi 7
W15EB-D Defy TV 21 105° ESE 16 mi 6
WNSC PBS 30 166° SSE 30 mi 4
WRET PBS 49 236° SW 46 mi 4
WUNE PBS 17 325° NW 68 mi 4
WWJS SonLife 14 343° NNW 34 mi 7
WBTV CBS 3 344° NNW 7 mi 6
WCNC NBC 36 349° N 6 mi 6
WJZY FOX 46 358° N 7 mi 7
WMYT CW 55 358° N 7 mi 1
WGTB Independent 28 358° N 7 mi 1

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Gastonia, NC?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 6.0 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 26 miles.

For Gastonia 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 Gastonia are spread across 271° 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 Gastonia. 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 Gastonia, NC, 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.