Antenna aiming / Oak Forest, IL
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Oak Forest, IL

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

Transmitter directions from Oak Forest, IL N E S W WFLD — 18° NNE, 20 mi WMAQ — 18° NNE, 20 mi WGN — 18° NNE, 20 mi WCIU — 18° NNE, 20 mi WSNS — 18° NNE, 20 mi WMEU — 18° NNE, 20 mi WWME — 18° NNE, 20 mi WEDE — 18° NNE, 20 mi WLS — 18° NNE, 20 mi WTTW — 18° NNE, 20 mi WXFT — 18° NNE, 20 mi WBBM — 18° NNE, 20 mi WCPX — 18° NNE, 20 mi WPWR — 18° NNE, 20 mi WJYS — 18° NNE, 20 mi WRJK — 18° NNE, 20 mi WGBO — 19° NNE, 21 mi WOCK — 19° NNE, 21 mi WRME — 19° NNE, 21 mi WESV — 19° NNE, 21 mi W31EZ-D — 20° NNE, 20 mi WDCI — 20° NNE, 20 mi WYIN — 134° SE, 26 mi WLPD — 313° NW, 23 mi WPVN — 334° NNW, 34 mi Oak Forest

Point North 0° on a compass — 34 miles of range covers this whole market

23/25stations in the beam
120/124free channels
97%of what's available
The other 2 stations sit southwest of you (224°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
3 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 Oak Forest, IL

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WFLD FOX 32 18° NNE 20 mi 6
WMAQ NBC 5 18° NNE 20 mi 5
WGN CW 9 18° NNE 20 mi 6
WCIU The U 26 18° NNE 20 mi 8
WSNS Telemundo 44 18° NNE 20 mi 2
WMEU U Too 48 18° NNE 20 mi 4
WWME MeTV 23 18° NNE 20 mi 3
WEDE Independent 34 18° NNE 20 mi 2
WLS ABC 7 18° NNE 20 mi 3
WTTW PBS 11 18° NNE 20 mi 4
WXFT UniMas 60 18° NNE 20 mi 3
WBBM CBS 2 18° NNE 20 mi 5
WCPX Ion 38 18° NNE 20 mi 8
WPWR MyNetworkTV 50 18° NNE 20 mi 1
WJYS Independent 62 18° NNE 20 mi 11
WRJK Diya TV 22 18° NNE 20 mi 10
WGBO Univision 66 19° NNE 21 mi 7
WOCK Shop LC 13 19° NNE 21 mi 6
WRME Jewelry TV 6 19° NNE 21 mi 1
WESV Almavision 40 19° NNE 21 mi 7
W31EZ-D Almavision 25 20° NNE 20 mi 7
WDCI Daystar 57 20° NNE 20 mi 1
WYIN PBS 56 134° SE 26 mi 2
WLPD TBN Inspire 30 313° NW 23 mi 2
WPVN MBC 24 334° NNW 34 mi 10

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Oak Forest, IL?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 19.6 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 20 miles.

For Oak Forest 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.

The towers around Oak Forest are spread across 181° 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 Oak Forest. 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 Oak Forest, IL, 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.