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

How to aim your TV antenna in Palm Desert, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Palm Desert, CA N E S W KUNA — 55° NE, 13 mi KZTC — 215° SW, 58 mi KSKT — 215° SW, 58 mi KFMB — 220° SW, 77 mi KBNT — 220° SW, 77 mi KGTV — 220° SW, 77 mi KZSW — 290° WNW, 53 mi KVCR — 290° WNW, 54 mi KVMD — 315° NW, 33 mi K36JH-D — 321° NW, 81 mi KESQ — 351° N, 12 mi KRET — 351° N, 12 mi KDFX — 352° N, 12 mi KCWQ — 352° N, 12 mi KYAV — 352° N, 12 mi K21DO-D — 352° N, 12 mi KEVC — 352° N, 12 mi KVER — 352° N, 12 mi KPSP — 352° N, 12 mi KVPS — 352° N, 12 mi KPSE — 352° N, 12 mi KMIR — 352° N, 12 mi Palm Desert

Point Northwest 322° on a compass — 81 miles of range covers this whole market

14/22stations in the beam
66/115free channels
57%of what's available
The other 8 stations sit west-southwest of you (237°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
7 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 Palm Desert, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KUNA Telemundo 15 55° NE 13 mi 1
KZTC Biz TV 7 215° SW 58 mi 4
KSKT MovieSphere Gold 43 215° SW 58 mi 12
KFMB CBS 8 220° SW 77 mi 6
KBNT Univision 17 220° SW 77 mi 3
KGTV ABC 10 220° SW 77 mi 8
KZSW 3ABN 10 290° WNW 53 mi 11
KVCR PBS 24 290° WNW 54 mi 4
KVMD OnTV4U 31 315° NW 33 mi 6
K36JH-D Classic Shows 36 321° NW 81 mi 2
KESQ ABC 42 351° N 12 mi 5
KRET Binge TV 45 351° N 12 mi 12
KDFX FOX 33 352° N 12 mi 3
KCWQ CW 2 352° N 12 mi 2
KYAV Independent 12 352° N 12 mi 3
K21DO-D 365BLK 21 352° N 12 mi 8
KEVC UniMas 5 352° N 12 mi 3
KVER Univision 41 352° N 12 mi 6
KPSP CBS 38 352° N 12 mi 3
KVPS Independent 8 352° N 12 mi 7
KPSE MyNetworkTV 50 352° N 12 mi 4
KMIR NBC 36 352° N 12 mi 2

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Palm Desert, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 11.7 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 12 miles.

For Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert are spread across 200° 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 Palm Desert. 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 Palm Desert, 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.