Antenna aiming / Rio Rancho, NM
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Rio Rancho, NM

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

Transmitter directions from Rio Rancho, NM N E S W KLUZ — 22° NNE, 11 mi KCHF — 23° NNE, 38 mi KNAT — 101° E, 20 mi KYNM — 101° E, 20 mi KUPT-LD — 101° E, 20 mi KNMQ — 101° E, 20 mi KRTN — 101° E, 20 mi KOAT — 101° ESE, 20 mi KAZQ — 101° ESE, 20 mi KTVS — 101° ESE, 20 mi KTEL-CD — 101° ESE, 20 mi KASA — 101° ESE, 20 mi KKAB — 101° ESE, 20 mi KQDF — 101° ESE, 20 mi KNME — 101° ESE, 20 mi KASY — 102° ESE, 20 mi KNMD — 102° ESE, 20 mi KWBQ — 102° ESE, 20 mi KOB — 102° ESE, 20 mi KTFQ — 102° ESE, 20 mi KRQE — 102° ESE, 20 mi Rio Rancho

Point East-Northeast 72° on a compass — 38 miles of range covers this whole market

19/21stations in the beam
108/124free channels
87%of what's available
The other 2 stations sit north-northeast of you (23°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
5 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 Rio Rancho, NM

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KLUZ Univision 14 22° NNE 11 mi 8
KCHF Independent 11 23° NNE 38 mi 8
KNAT TBN 23 101° E 20 mi 5
KYNM The Family Channel 21 101° E 20 mi 7
KUPT-LD TeleXitos 2 101° E 20 mi 6
KNMQ Heartland TV 20 101° E 20 mi 8
KRTN Cozi TV 39 101° E 20 mi 4
KOAT ABC 7 101° ESE 20 mi 7
KAZQ Independent 32 101° ESE 20 mi 6
KTVS Light TV 36 101° ESE 20 mi 2
KTEL-CD Telemundo 47 101° ESE 20 mi 4
KASA Telemundo 2 101° ESE 20 mi 5
KKAB WEST 12 101° ESE 20 mi 7
KQDF Black Vision TV 25 101° ESE 20 mi 7
KNME PBS 5 101° ESE 20 mi 5
KASY MyNetworkTV 50 102° ESE 20 mi 5
KNMD PBS 5 102° ESE 20 mi 5
KWBQ CW 19 102° ESE 20 mi 7
KOB NBC 4 102° ESE 20 mi 7
KTFQ UniMas 41 102° ESE 20 mi 6
KRQE FOX 13 102° ESE 20 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Rio Rancho, NM?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 10.5 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 20 miles.

For Rio Rancho 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 80° arc and 38 miles, which is comfortable territory for a directional indoor antenna in a window facing east-northeast.

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 Rio Rancho. 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 Rio Rancho, NM, 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.