Antenna aiming / Madera, CA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Madera, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Madera, CA N E S W KMPH-CD — 1° N, 34 mi KFSN — 86° E, 33 mi KFRE — 86° E, 33 mi KGMC — 86° E, 33 mi KJEO — 86° E, 33 mi KVHF — 86° E, 33 mi KHSC — 86° E, 33 mi KVBC — 86° E, 33 mi KBID — 86° E, 33 mi KAIL — 86° E, 33 mi KFTV — 86° E, 33 mi KNSO — 86° E, 34 mi KSEE — 86° E, 34 mi KZMM — 86° E, 34 mi KGPE — 87° E, 34 mi KVPT — 116° ESE, 47 mi KBNK — 116° ESE, 46 mi KJKZ — 116° ESE, 46 mi KMSG — 116° ESE, 46 mi KFKK — 310° NW, 58 mi Madera

Point East 86° on a compass — 58 miles of range covers this whole market

18/20stations in the beam
111/118free channels
94%of what's available
The other 2 stations sit north-northwest of you (336°). 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 Madera, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KMPH-CD FOX 17 1° N 34 mi 1
KFSN ABC 30 86° E 33 mi 4
KFRE CW 59 86° E 33 mi 4
KGMC Estrella TV 43 86° E 33 mi 6
KJEO Hmong TV 33 86° E 33 mi 3
KVHF VBC Guide 4 86° E 33 mi 9
KHSC KJOI Radio 16 86° E 33 mi 8
KVBC Ion 13 86° E 33 mi 10
KBID Al Jazeera 31 86° E 33 mi 9
KAIL TCT 7 86° E 33 mi 9
KFTV Univision 21 86° E 33 mi 6
KNSO Telemundo 51 86° E 34 mi 6
KSEE NBC 24 86° E 34 mi 5
KZMM Confess 22 86° E 34 mi 7
KGPE CBS 47 87° E 34 mi 5
KVPT PBS 18 116° ESE 47 mi 4
KBNK Binge TV 14 116° ESE 46 mi 11
KJKZ Classic Rock Television 27 116° ESE 46 mi 2
KMSG LATV 39 116° ESE 46 mi 3
KFKK Infomercials 32 310° NW 58 mi 6

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Madera, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 33.3 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 34 miles.

For Madera 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 Madera are spread across 166° 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 Madera. 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 Madera, CA, 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.