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A directional TV antenna on a roof mast, aimed toward distant transmitters

How to Aim Your TV Antenna in Hillsborough, NC

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

Transmitter directions from Hillsborough, NC N E S W WRPX — 88° E, 50 mi WTNC — 104° ESE, 8 mi WRAY — 108° ESE, 55 mi WNGT — 131° SE, 59 mi WARZ — 131° SE, 59 mi WWIW — 132° SE, 31 mi WRAL — 132° SE, 42 mi WRAZ — 132° SE, 42 mi WNCN — 132° SE, 42 mi WLFL — 132° SE, 42 mi WRTD — 132° SE, 42 mi WRDC — 132° SE, 42 mi WTVD — 133° SE, 42 mi WUVC — 171° S, 40 mi WBFT — 184° S, 43 mi WIRP — 195° SSW, 15 mi WUNC — 196° SSW, 16 mi WGHP — 246° WSW, 46 mi WCWG — 250° WSW, 44 mi WLXI — 250° WSW, 44 mi WXLV — 250° WSW, 44 mi WMYV — 250° WSW, 44 mi WFMY — 251° WSW, 45 mi WGPX — 290° WNW, 34 mi WYAT — 314° NW, 60 mi WMDV — 340° NNW, 48 mi Hillsborough

Point East-Southeast 103° on a compass — 60 miles of range covers this whole market

13/26stations in the beam
49/111free channels
44%of what's available
The other 13 stations sit west-southwest of you (243°). 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 Hillsborough, NC

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WRPX Ion 47 88° E 50 mi 7
WTNC UniMas 11 104° ESE 8 mi 8
WRAY TCT 30 108° ESE 55 mi 1
WNGT WRAL Plus 34 131° SE 59 mi 4
WARZ 3ABN 21 131° SE 59 mi 1
WWIW Daystar 66 132° SE 31 mi 1
WRAL NBC 5 132° SE 42 mi 5
WRAZ FOX 50 132° SE 42 mi 4
WNCN CBS 17 132° SE 42 mi 5
WLFL CW 22 132° SE 42 mi 4
WRTD Telemundo 54 132° SE 42 mi 1
WRDC MyNetworkTV 28 132° SE 42 mi 3
WTVD ABC 11 133° SE 42 mi 5
WUVC Univision 40 171° S 40 mi 8
WBFT TCT 46 184° S 43 mi 4
WIRP Hasbro Legends 27 195° SSW 15 mi 8
WUNC PBS 4 196° SSW 16 mi 4
WGHP FOX 8 246° WSW 46 mi 6
WCWG CW 20 250° WSW 44 mi 2
WLXI TCT 43 250° WSW 44 mi 1
WXLV ABC 45 250° WSW 44 mi 5
WMYV MyNetworkTV 48 250° WSW 44 mi 3
WFMY CBS 2 251° WSW 45 mi 8
WGPX Ion 16 290° WNW 34 mi 9
WYAT This TV 40 314° NW 60 mi 2
WMDV Independent 23 340° NNW 48 mi 2

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What Antenna Do You Need in Hillsborough, NC?

How far the transmitters are, which way they sit, and what that means for the antenna you buy.

The nearest transmitter is 7.8 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 43 miles.

For Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough are spread across 252° 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 Hillsborough. 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 Hillsborough, NC, including what each station carries.

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