Point North-Northeast 24° on a compass — 48 miles of range covers this whole market
Every transmitter near Mason City, IA
Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.
| Station | Network | Channel | Bearing | Direction | Distance | Subchannels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAAL | ABC | 6 | 45° | NE | 48 mi | 5 |
| KSMQ | PBS | 15 | 45° | NE | 48 mi | 4 |
| KXLT | FOX | 47 | 45° | NE | 48 mi | 7 |
| KIMT | CBS | 3 | 48° | NE | 33 mi | 6 |
| KYIN | PBS | 24 | 48° | NE | 33 mi | 5 |
| KTTC | NBC | 10 | 53° | NE | 48 mi | 7 |
Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.
How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit
The nearest transmitter is 33.2 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 49 miles.
For Mason City 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 sit within a 8° arc, so a directional antenna pointed north-northeast suits this market. With the furthest transmitters 48 miles out, mount it outdoors and as high as you can.
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 Mason City. 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 Mason City, IA, including what each station carries.