Antenna aiming / Harlingen, TX
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Harlingen, TX

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

Transmitter directions from Harlingen, TX N E S W KNWS — 128° SE, 12 mi KVEO — 226° SW, 15 mi KSOY — 226° SW, 15 mi KRGV — 226° SW, 15 mi KFXV — 227° SW, 13 mi KGBT — 233° SW, 12 mi KCWT — 233° SW, 13 mi KNVO — 245° WSW, 27 mi KTFV — 245° WSW, 27 mi KMBH — 245° WSW, 27 mi KLUJ — 250° WSW, 8 mi KRZG — 271° W, 41 mi KTLM — 287° WNW, 64 mi Harlingen

Point West-Southwest 242° on a compass — 64 miles of range covers this whole market

11/13stations in the beam
40/53free channels
75%of what's available
The other 2 stations sit south-southwest of you (207°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
1 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 Harlingen, TX

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KNWS MovieSphere Gold 64 128° SE 12 mi 7
KVEO NBC 23 226° SW 15 mi 2
KSOY Telemundo 40 226° SW 15 mi 6
KRGV ABC 5 226° SW 15 mi 5
KFXV FOX 60 227° SW 13 mi 3
KGBT MyNetworkTV 4 233° SW 12 mi 6
KCWT CW 21 233° SW 13 mi 2
KNVO Univision 48 245° WSW 27 mi 4
KTFV UniMas 32 245° WSW 27 mi 1
KMBH FOX 67 245° WSW 27 mi 2
KLUJ TBN 44 250° WSW 8 mi 3
KRZG Daystar 35 271° W 41 mi 6
KTLM Telemundo 40 287° WNW 64 mi 6

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Harlingen, TX?

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 28 miles.

For Harlingen 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 Harlingen are spread across 159° 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 Harlingen. 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 Harlingen, TX, 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.