Point Northeast 49° on a compass — 24 miles of range covers this whole market
Every transmitter near National City, CA
Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.
| Station | Network | Channel | Bearing | Direction | Distance | Subchannels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KZTC | Biz TV | 7 | 17° | NNE | 24 mi | 4 |
| KSKT | MovieSphere Gold | 43 | 17° | NNE | 24 mi | 12 |
| KPBS | PBS | 15 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 4 |
| KSDX | Binge TV | 9 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 12 |
| KUSI | CW | 51 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 3 |
| KUAN | Telemundo | 48 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 2 |
| KNSD | NBC | 39 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 4 |
| KDTF | UniMas | 36 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 2 |
| KSDY | Nuestra Vision | 50 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 6 |
| KSWB | FOX | 69 | 78° | ENE | 9 mi | 6 |
| KFMB | CBS | 8 | 322° | NW | 15 mi | 6 |
| KBNT | Univision | 17 | 322° | NW | 15 mi | 3 |
| KGTV | ABC | 10 | 322° | NW | 15 mi | 8 |
Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.
How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit
The nearest transmitter is 9.3 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 15 miles.
For National City we would start with a basic indoor antenna. Most of the lineup is transmitting from close by, so a flat indoor antenna in a window facing the towers should be enough.
Everything is within a 116° arc and 24 miles, which is comfortable territory for a directional indoor antenna in a window facing northeast.
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 National 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 National City, CA, including what each station carries.