Antenna aiming / Harrisburg, IL
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Harrisburg, IL

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

Transmitter directions from Harrisburg, IL N E S W W23BV-D — 61° ENE, 51 mi WEVV — 76° ENE, 55 mi WEEV — 76° ENE, 55 mi WEHT — 78° ENE, 54 mi WKPD — 191° S, 43 mi WPSD — 215° SW, 43 mi WDKA — 227° SW, 31 mi WTCT — 250° WSW, 29 mi KFVS — 251° WSW, 57 mi WSIL — 252° WSW, 20 mi W15BU-D — 294° WNW, 24 mi WSIU — 306° NW, 48 mi W29CI-D — 337° NNW, 65 mi Harrisburg

Point West 276° on a compass — 65 miles of range covers this whole market

5/13stations in the beam
33/74free channels
45%of what's available
The other 8 stations sit east-southeast of you (101°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
3 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 Harrisburg, IL

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
W23BV-D 3ABN 23 61° ENE 51 mi 11
WEVV CBS 44 76° ENE 55 mi 5
WEEV FOX 47 76° ENE 55 mi 1
WEHT ABC 25 78° ENE 54 mi 4
WKPD PBS 29 191° S 43 mi 4
WPSD NBC 6 215° SW 43 mi 3
WDKA MyNetworkTV 49 227° SW 31 mi 6
WTCT TCT 27 250° WSW 29 mi 11
KFVS CBS 12 251° WSW 57 mi 7
WSIL ABC 3 252° WSW 20 mi 5
W15BU-D 3ABN 15 294° WNW 24 mi 5
WSIU PBS 8 306° NW 48 mi 5
W29CI-D 365BLK 29 337° NNW 65 mi 7

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Harrisburg, IL?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 19.8 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 56 miles.

For Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg are spread across 247° 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 Harrisburg. 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 Harrisburg, IL, 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.