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

How to Aim Your TV Antenna in Sumter, SC

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

Transmitter directions from Sumter, SC N E S W WJPM — 51° NE, 45 mi WRJA — 86° E, 5 mi WCBD — 149° SSE, 75 mi WTAT — 149° SSE, 75 mi WGWG — 150° SSE, 76 mi WCSC — 150° SSE, 76 mi WITV — 150° SSE, 76 mi WCIV — 150° SSE, 76 mi WLCN — 167° SSE, 60 mi WZRB — 288° WNW, 39 mi WKDC — 293° WNW, 43 mi WRLK — 297° WNW, 37 mi WLTX — 303° WNW, 28 mi WOLO — 305° NW, 29 mi WACH — 305° NW, 29 mi WKTC — 305° NW, 29 mi WIS — 307° NW, 29 mi WNSC — 331° NNW, 77 mi Sumter

Point West-Northwest 301° on a compass — 77 miles of range covers this whole market

9/18stations in the beam
52/98free channels
53%of what's available
The other 9 stations sit southeast of you (137°). 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 Sumter, SC

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WJPM PBS 33 51° NE 45 mi 4
WRJA PBS 27 86° E 5 mi 4
WCBD NBC 2 149° SSE 75 mi 5
WTAT FOX 24 149° SSE 75 mi 6
WGWG MeTV 4 150° SSE 76 mi 5
WCSC CBS 5 150° SSE 76 mi 8
WITV PBS 7 150° SSE 76 mi 4
WCIV MyNetworkTV 36 150° SSE 76 mi 5
WLCN CTN 18 167° SSE 60 mi 5
WZRB Ion 47 288° WNW 39 mi 9
WKDC Daystar 50 293° WNW 43 mi 1
WRLK PBS 35 297° WNW 37 mi 4
WLTX CBS 19 303° WNW 28 mi 6
WOLO ABC 25 305° NW 29 mi 10
WACH FOX 57 305° NW 29 mi 5
WKTC MyNetworkTV 63 305° NW 29 mi 6
WIS NBC 10 307° NW 29 mi 7
WNSC PBS 30 331° NNW 77 mi 4

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What Antenna Do You Need in Sumter, SC?

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

The nearest transmitter is 4.9 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 45 miles.

For Sumter 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 Sumter are spread across 239° 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 Sumter. 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 Sumter, SC, including what each station carries.

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