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

How to aim your TV antenna in Stanley, NC

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

Transmitter directions from Stanley, NC N E S W WXII — 28° NNE, 78 mi WUNL — 29° NNE, 78 mi WHWD — 42° NE, 65 mi WUNG — 95° E, 24 mi WTVI — 110° ESE, 21 mi WDMC — 116° ESE, 22 mi WCEE — 116° ESE, 22 mi WHEH — 116° ESE, 22 mi WCCB — 116° ESE, 19 mi WSOC — 117° ESE, 20 mi WAXN — 117° ESE, 20 mi W15EB-D — 145° SE, 16 mi WNSC — 178° S, 38 mi WRET — 232° SW, 56 mi WCNC — 248° WSW, 8 mi WJZY — 253° WSW, 7 mi WMYT — 253° WSW, 7 mi WGTB — 253° WSW, 7 mi WBTV — 258° WSW, 9 mi WUNE — 316° NW, 65 mi WWJS — 325° NW, 29 mi Stanley

Point East-Southeast 116° on a compass — 78 miles of range covers this whole market

9/21stations in the beam
40/89free channels
45%of what's available
The other 12 stations sit west of you (281°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
2 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 Stanley, NC

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WXII NBC 12 28° NNE 78 mi 4
WUNL PBS 26 29° NNE 78 mi 4
WHWD Daystar 21 42° NE 65 mi 1
WUNG PBS 58 95° E 24 mi 4
WTVI PBS 42 110° ESE 21 mi 1
WDMC Daystar 25 116° ESE 22 mi 1
WCEE Estrella TV 16 116° ESE 22 mi 3
WHEH Cozi TV 41 116° ESE 22 mi 7
WCCB Independent 18 116° ESE 19 mi 10
WSOC ABC 9 117° ESE 20 mi 5
WAXN Independent 64 117° ESE 20 mi 3
W15EB-D Defy TV 21 145° SE 16 mi 6
WNSC PBS 30 178° S 38 mi 4
WRET PBS 49 232° SW 56 mi 4
WCNC NBC 36 248° WSW 8 mi 6
WJZY FOX 46 253° WSW 7 mi 7
WMYT CW 55 253° WSW 7 mi 1
WGTB Independent 28 253° WSW 7 mi 1
WBTV CBS 3 258° WSW 9 mi 6
WUNE PBS 17 316° NW 65 mi 4
WWJS SonLife 14 325° NW 29 mi 7

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Stanley, NC?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 6.9 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 21 miles.

For Stanley we would start with an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The towers are far enough out that an amplified indoor antenna, or one mounted in the attic, will pull in far more of the lineup than a basic flat antenna.

The towers around Stanley are spread across 297° 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 Stanley. 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 Stanley, 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.