Antenna aiming / North Smithfield, RI
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in North Smithfield, RI

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

Transmitter directions from North Smithfield, RI N E S W WWJE — 6° N, 29 mi WUNI — 6° N, 29 mi WGBH — 34° NE, 28 mi WBZ — 34° NE, 28 mi WCVB — 34° NE, 28 mi WGBX — 34° NE, 28 mi WSBK — 34° NE, 28 mi WBTS — 34° NE, 28 mi WFXZ — 36° NE, 29 mi WYDN — 36° NE, 29 mi WMFP — 36° NE, 29 mi WBPX — 36° NE, 29 mi WHDH — 36° NE, 29 mi WLEK — 37° NE, 48 mi WFXT — 37° NE, 28 mi WLVI — 37° NE, 28 mi WHDT — 43° NE, 35 mi WCEA — 43° NE, 36 mi WWDP — 84° E, 26 mi WYCN — 85° E, 20 mi WLWC — 113° ESE, 35 mi WPRI — 116° ESE, 15 mi WNAC — 116° ESE, 15 mi WJAR — 119° ESE, 15 mi WPVD — 119° ESE, 15 mi WLNE — 119° ESE, 15 mi WPXQ — 200° SSW, 35 mi WHPX — 221° SW, 51 mi WEDN — 226° SW, 45 mi WUTH — 249° WSW, 51 mi WSHM — 283° WNW, 45 mi WUTF — 341° NNW, 26 mi North Smithfield

Point Northeast 56° on a compass — 51 miles of range covers this whole market

18/32stations in the beam
66/124free channels
53%of what's available
The other 14 stations sit southeast of you (145°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
9 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 North Smithfield, RI

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WWJE True Crime Network 50 6° N 29 mi 1
WUNI Univision 66 6° N 29 mi 5
WGBH PBS 2 34° NE 28 mi 2
WBZ CBS 4 34° NE 28 mi 5
WCVB ABC 5 34° NE 28 mi 4
WGBX PBS 44 34° NE 28 mi 4
WSBK Independent 38 34° NE 28 mi 7
WBTS NBC 15 34° NE 28 mi 2
WFXZ Biz TV 24 36° NE 29 mi 1
WYDN Daystar 48 36° NE 29 mi 1
WMFP Shop LC 62 36° NE 29 mi 3
WBPX Ion 68 36° NE 29 mi 7
WHDH Independent 7 36° NE 29 mi 2
WLEK Sports First TV 22 37° NE 48 mi 7
WFXT FOX 25 37° NE 28 mi 5
WLVI CW 56 37° NE 28 mi 2
WHDT Infomercials 3 43° NE 35 mi 1
WCEA Independent 26 43° NE 36 mi 4
WWDP Roar 46 84° E 26 mi 5
WYCN Telemundo 8 85° E 20 mi 4
WLWC Bounce TV 28 113° ESE 35 mi 1
WPRI CBS 12 116° ESE 15 mi 4
WNAC FOX 64 116° ESE 15 mi 4
WJAR NBC 10 119° ESE 15 mi 4
WPVD PBS 36 119° ESE 15 mi 4
WLNE Roar 6 119° ESE 15 mi 4
WPXQ Ion 69 200° SSW 35 mi 8
WHPX Ion 26 221° SW 51 mi 8
WEDN PBS 53 226° SW 45 mi 2
WUTH UniMas 47 249° WSW 51 mi 1
WSHM CBS 33 283° WNW 45 mi 7
WUTF UniMas 27 341° NNW 26 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in North Smithfield, RI?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 15.3 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 29 miles.

For North Smithfield 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 North Smithfield are spread across 279° 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 North Smithfield. 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 North Smithfield, RI, 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.