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

How to aim your TV antenna in Portsmouth, RI

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

Transmitter directions from Portsmouth, RI N E S W WGBH — 1° N, 50 mi WBZ — 1° N, 50 mi WCVB — 1° N, 50 mi WGBX — 1° N, 50 mi WSBK — 1° N, 50 mi WBTS — 1° N, 50 mi WFXZ — 2° N, 50 mi WYDN — 2° N, 50 mi WMFP — 2° N, 50 mi WBPX — 2° N, 50 mi WFXT — 2° N, 50 mi WLVI — 2° N, 50 mi WHDH — 2° N, 50 mi WHDT — 10° N, 53 mi WCEA — 10° N, 54 mi WYCN — 10° N, 29 mi WLEK — 12° NNE, 67 mi WWDP — 20° NNE, 31 mi WLWC — 52° NE, 22 mi WDPX — 81° E, 48 mi WVVH — 230° SW, 68 mi WHPX — 257° WSW, 50 mi WPXQ — 257° WSW, 28 mi WEDN — 265° W, 47 mi WUTF — 336° NNW, 57 mi WUNI — 348° NNW, 57 mi WWJE — 348° NNW, 57 mi WJAR — 355° N, 19 mi WPVD — 355° N, 19 mi WLNE — 355° N, 19 mi WPRI — 356° N, 20 mi WNAC — 356° N, 20 mi Portsmouth

Point North 0° on a compass — 68 miles of range covers this whole market

26/32stations in the beam
97/121free channels
80%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit west-southwest of you (259°). 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 Portsmouth, RI

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WGBH PBS 2 1° N 50 mi 2
WBZ CBS 4 1° N 50 mi 5
WCVB ABC 5 1° N 50 mi 4
WGBX PBS 44 1° N 50 mi 4
WSBK Independent 38 1° N 50 mi 7
WBTS NBC 15 1° N 50 mi 2
WFXZ Biz TV 24 2° N 50 mi 1
WYDN Daystar 48 2° N 50 mi 1
WMFP Shop LC 62 2° N 50 mi 3
WBPX Ion 68 2° N 50 mi 7
WFXT FOX 25 2° N 50 mi 5
WLVI CW 56 2° N 50 mi 2
WHDH Independent 7 2° N 50 mi 2
WHDT Infomercials 3 10° N 53 mi 1
WCEA Independent 26 10° N 54 mi 4
WYCN Telemundo 8 10° N 29 mi 4
WLEK Sports First TV 22 12° NNE 67 mi 7
WWDP Roar 46 20° NNE 31 mi 5
WLWC Bounce TV 28 52° NE 22 mi 1
WDPX Grit 58 81° E 48 mi 1
WVVH YTA TV 18 230° SW 68 mi 4
WHPX Ion 26 257° WSW 50 mi 8
WPXQ Ion 69 257° WSW 28 mi 8
WEDN PBS 53 265° W 47 mi 2
WUTF UniMas 27 336° NNW 57 mi 5
WUNI Univision 66 348° NNW 57 mi 5
WWJE True Crime Network 50 348° NNW 57 mi 1
WJAR NBC 10 355° N 19 mi 4
WPVD PBS 36 355° N 19 mi 4
WLNE Roar 6 355° N 19 mi 4
WPRI CBS 12 356° N 20 mi 4
WNAC FOX 64 356° N 20 mi 4

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Portsmouth, RI?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 19.5 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 48 miles.

For Portsmouth 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 around Portsmouth are spread across 211° 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 Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth, 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.