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A directional TV antenna on a roof mast, aimed toward distant transmitters

How to Aim Your TV Antenna in Santa Maria, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Santa Maria, CA N E S W KCOY — 100° E, 17 mi KWSM — 100° E, 17 mi KTSB — 100° E, 17 mi KQMM — 100° E, 17 mi KVMM — 126° SE, 57 mi KZDF — 126° SE, 57 mi KEYT — 134° SE, 42 mi KPMR — 135° SE, 42 mi KLDF — 170° S, 15 mi KKFX — 341° NNW, 30 mi KTAS — 341° NNW, 30 mi KSBY — 342° NNW, 30 mi KSBO — 342° NNW, 30 mi Santa Maria

Point East-Southeast 105° on a compass — 57 miles of range covers this whole market

8/13stations in the beam
48/83free channels
58%of what's available
The other 5 stations sit north-northwest of you (339°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
1 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 Santa Maria, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KCOY Telemundo 12 100° E 17 mi 6
KWSM Shop HQ 32 100° E 17 mi 12
KTSB UniMas 35 100° E 17 mi 1
KQMM SonLife 29 100° E 17 mi 6
KVMM MovieSphere Gold 41 126° SE 57 mi 6
KZDF SonLife 8 126° SE 57 mi 7
KEYT ABC 3 134° SE 42 mi 7
KPMR Univision 38 135° SE 42 mi 3
KLDF Infomercials 17 170° S 15 mi 7
KKFX FOX 24 341° NNW 30 mi 6
KTAS Estrella TV 33 341° NNW 30 mi 9
KSBY NBC 6 342° NNW 30 mi 6
KSBO Infomercials 42 342° NNW 30 mi 7

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What Antenna Do You Need in Santa Maria, CA?

How far the transmitters are, which way they sit, and what that means for the antenna you buy.

The nearest transmitter is 14.9 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 43 miles.

For Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria are spread across 189° 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 Santa Maria. 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 Santa Maria, CA, including what each station carries.

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