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

How to aim your TV antenna in Santee, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Santee, CA N E S W KZTC — 7° N, 11 mi KSKT — 7° N, 11 mi KUNA — 34° NE, 79 mi KPBS — 162° SSE, 11 mi KSDX — 162° SSE, 11 mi KUSI — 162° SSE, 11 mi KUAN — 162° SSE, 11 mi KNSD — 162° SSE, 11 mi KSWB — 162° SSE, 11 mi KDTF — 162° SSE, 11 mi KSDY — 162° SSE, 11 mi KFMB — 267° W, 15 mi KBNT — 267° W, 15 mi KGTV — 267° W, 15 mi KILA — 331° NNW, 75 mi Santee

Point Southeast 133° on a compass — 79 miles of range covers this whole market

8/15stations in the beam
39/85free channels
46%of what's available
The other 7 stations sit northwest of you (323°). 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 Santee, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KZTC Biz TV 7 7° N 11 mi 4
KSKT MovieSphere Gold 43 7° N 11 mi 12
KUNA Telemundo 15 34° NE 79 mi 1
KPBS PBS 15 162° SSE 11 mi 4
KSDX Binge TV 9 162° SSE 11 mi 12
KUSI CW 51 162° SSE 11 mi 3
KUAN Telemundo 48 162° SSE 11 mi 2
KNSD NBC 39 162° SSE 11 mi 4
KSWB FOX 69 162° SSE 11 mi 6
KDTF UniMas 36 162° SSE 11 mi 2
KSDY Nuestra Vision 50 162° SSE 11 mi 6
KFMB CBS 8 267° W 15 mi 6
KBNT Univision 17 267° W 15 mi 3
KGTV ABC 10 267° W 15 mi 8
KILA Infomercials 8 331° NNW 75 mi 12

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Santee, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 11.0 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 12 miles.

For Santee 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 Santee are spread across 232° 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 Santee. 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 Santee, 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.