Antenna aiming / Smithfield, NC
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Smithfield, NC

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

Transmitter directions from Smithfield, NC N E S W WRPX — 11° NNE, 43 mi WRAY — 25° NNE, 26 mi WUNP — 27° NNE, 62 mi WARZ — 43° NE, 4 mi WNGT — 43° NE, 4 mi WNCR — 48° NE, 42 mi WUNK — 84° E, 42 mi WEPX — 96° E, 52 mi WITN — 99° E, 54 mi WNCT — 99° E, 54 mi WHFL — 116° ESE, 20 mi WPXU — 143° SE, 84 mi WTNG — 219° SW, 70 mi WUNU — 220° SW, 62 mi WFPX — 225° SW, 59 mi WNCB — 230° SW, 47 mi WBFT — 268° W, 45 mi WUVC — 272° W, 36 mi WUNC — 300° WNW, 53 mi WIRP — 300° WNW, 53 mi WWIW — 318° NW, 28 mi WTVD — 319° NW, 16 mi WTNC — 319° NW, 52 mi WRDC — 320° NW, 17 mi WRTD — 321° NW, 16 mi WLFL — 321° NW, 16 mi WRAL — 321° NW, 16 mi WRAZ — 321° NW, 16 mi WNCN — 321° NW, 16 mi Smithfield

Point West-Northwest 291° on a compass — 84 miles of range covers this whole market

13/29stations in the beam
60/140free channels
43%of what's available
The other 16 stations sit east of you (86°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
6 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 Smithfield, NC

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WRPX Ion 47 11° NNE 43 mi 7
WRAY TCT 30 25° NNE 26 mi 1
WUNP PBS 36 27° NNE 62 mi 4
WARZ 3ABN 21 43° NE 4 mi 1
WNGT WRAL Plus 34 43° NE 4 mi 4
WNCR Biz TV 21 48° NE 42 mi 2
WUNK PBS 25 84° E 42 mi 4
WEPX Ion 38 96° E 52 mi 9
WITN NBC 7 99° E 54 mi 7
WNCT CBS 9 99° E 54 mi 4
WHFL Independent 43 116° ESE 20 mi 4
WPXU Ion 35 143° SE 84 mi 9
WTNG Shop HQ 7 219° SW 70 mi 12
WUNU PBS 31 220° SW 62 mi 4
WFPX Bounce TV 62 225° SW 59 mi 1
WNCB Infomercials 16 230° SW 47 mi 7
WBFT TCT 46 268° W 45 mi 4
WUVC Univision 40 272° W 36 mi 8
WUNC PBS 4 300° WNW 53 mi 4
WIRP Hasbro Legends 27 300° WNW 53 mi 8
WWIW Daystar 66 318° NW 28 mi 1
WTVD ABC 11 319° NW 16 mi 5
WTNC UniMas 11 319° NW 52 mi 8
WRDC MyNetworkTV 28 320° NW 17 mi 3
WRTD Telemundo 54 321° NW 16 mi 1
WLFL CW 22 321° NW 16 mi 4
WRAL NBC 5 321° NW 16 mi 5
WRAZ FOX 50 321° NW 16 mi 4
WNCN CBS 17 321° NW 16 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Smithfield, NC?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 3.5 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 20 miles.

For Smithfield 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 Smithfield are spread across 284° 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 Smithfield. 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 Smithfield, NC, 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.