Antenna aiming / La Plata, MD
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in La Plata, MD

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

Transmitter directions from La Plata, MD N E S W WMPB — 10° N, 65 mi WMAR — 18° NNE, 59 mi WBAL — 18° NNE, 59 mi WJZ — 18° NNE, 59 mi WUTB — 18° NNE, 59 mi WBFF — 18° NNE, 59 mi WNUV — 18° NNE, 59 mi WMJF — 19° NNE, 65 mi WWDD — 30° NNE, 80 mi WMPT — 32° NNE, 40 mi WQAW — 32° NNE, 40 mi WUPV — 194° SSW, 56 mi WNVT — 288° WNW, 25 mi WDWA — 316° NW, 26 mi WDCN — 334° NNW, 27 mi WNVC — 334° NNW, 27 mi WFPT — 342° NNW, 54 mi WWTD — 351° N, 29 mi WFDC — 351° N, 29 mi WZDC — 351° N, 29 mi WRC — 351° N, 29 mi WRZB — 351° N, 29 mi WIAV — 351° N, 29 mi WDCO — 351° N, 29 mi WDME — 351° N, 29 mi WTTG — 352° N, 30 mi WDCA — 352° N, 30 mi WETA — 352° N, 30 mi WJLA — 352° N, 30 mi WUSA — 352° N, 30 mi WHUT — 352° N, 30 mi WPXW — 352° N, 30 mi WDDN — 355° N, 33 mi WDCW — 357° N, 31 mi La Plata

Point North 2° on a compass — 80 miles of range covers this whole market

31/34stations in the beam
134/142free channels
94%of what's available
The other 3 stations sit west of you (272°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
6 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 La Plata, MD

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WMPB PBS 67 10° N 65 mi 5
WMAR ABC 2 18° NNE 59 mi 9
WBAL NBC 11 18° NNE 59 mi 7
WJZ CBS 13 18° NNE 59 mi 6
WUTB Roar 24 18° NNE 59 mi 1
WBFF FOX 45 18° NNE 59 mi 3
WNUV CW 54 18° NNE 59 mi 4
WMJF MeTV Toons 39 19° NNE 65 mi 7
WWDD Daystar 49 30° NNE 80 mi 1
WMPT PBS 22 32° NNE 40 mi 5
WQAW Jewelry TV 69 32° NNE 40 mi 12
WUPV CW 65 194° SSW 56 mi 5
WNVT World 23 288° WNW 25 mi 1
WDWA Daystar 23 316° NW 26 mi 2
WDCN The Country Network 6 334° NNW 27 mi 1
WNVC World 41 334° NNW 27 mi 1
WFPT PBS 62 342° NNW 54 mi 4
WWTD HSN2 49 351° N 29 mi 5
WFDC Univision 14 351° N 29 mi 4
WZDC Telemundo 44 351° N 29 mi 2
WRC NBC 4 351° N 29 mi 4
WRZB HSN2 31 351° N 29 mi 4
WIAV Roar 58 351° N 29 mi 2
WDCO Roar 10 351° N 29 mi 1
WDME MeTV 48 351° N 29 mi 8
WTTG FOX 5 352° N 30 mi 3
WDCA MyNetworkTV 20 352° N 30 mi 4
WETA PBS 26 352° N 30 mi 5
WJLA ABC 7 352° N 30 mi 6
WUSA CBS 9 352° N 30 mi 5
WHUT PBS 32 352° N 30 mi 2
WPXW Ion 66 352° N 30 mi 8
WDDN Daystar 23 355° N 33 mi 2
WDCW CW 50 357° N 31 mi 3

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in La Plata, MD?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 24.8 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 30 miles.

For La Plata 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 La Plata are spread across 197° 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 La Plata. 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 La Plata, MD, 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.