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

How to aim your TV antenna in Thermal, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Thermal, CA N E S W KUSI — 222° SW, 72 mi KSWB — 222° SW, 72 mi KNSD — 222° SW, 72 mi KUAN — 222° SW, 72 mi KSDX — 222° SW, 71 mi KPBS — 222° SW, 71 mi KDTF — 222° SW, 72 mi KSDY — 222° SW, 72 mi KZTC — 237° WSW, 59 mi KSKT — 237° WSW, 59 mi KVMD — 314° NW, 56 mi KESQ — 326° NW, 33 mi KRET — 326° NW, 33 mi KDFX — 326° NW, 33 mi KCWQ — 326° NW, 33 mi KYAV — 326° NW, 33 mi KEVC — 326° NW, 33 mi KVER — 326° NW, 33 mi KPSP — 326° NW, 33 mi K21DO-D — 326° NW, 33 mi KVPS — 326° NW, 33 mi KPSE — 326° NW, 33 mi KMIR — 326° NW, 33 mi KUNA — 344° NNW, 24 mi Thermal

Point Northwest 315° on a compass — 72 miles of range covers this whole market

14/24stations in the beam
65/120free channels
54%of what's available
The other 10 stations sit southwest of you (225°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
4 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 Thermal, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KUSI CW 51 222° SW 72 mi 3
KSWB FOX 69 222° SW 72 mi 6
KNSD NBC 39 222° SW 72 mi 4
KUAN Telemundo 48 222° SW 72 mi 2
KSDX Binge TV 9 222° SW 71 mi 12
KPBS PBS 15 222° SW 71 mi 4
KDTF UniMas 36 222° SW 72 mi 2
KSDY Nuestra Vision 50 222° SW 72 mi 6
KZTC Biz TV 7 237° WSW 59 mi 4
KSKT MovieSphere Gold 43 237° WSW 59 mi 12
KVMD OnTV4U 31 314° NW 56 mi 6
KESQ ABC 42 326° NW 33 mi 5
KRET Binge TV 45 326° NW 33 mi 12
KDFX FOX 33 326° NW 33 mi 3
KCWQ CW 2 326° NW 33 mi 2
KYAV Independent 12 326° NW 33 mi 3
KEVC UniMas 5 326° NW 33 mi 3
KVER Univision 41 326° NW 33 mi 6
KPSP CBS 38 326° NW 33 mi 3
K21DO-D 365BLK 21 326° NW 33 mi 8
KVPS Independent 8 326° NW 33 mi 7
KPSE MyNetworkTV 50 326° NW 33 mi 4
KMIR NBC 36 326° NW 33 mi 2
KUNA Telemundo 15 344° NNW 24 mi 1

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Thermal, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 23.8 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 33 miles.

For Thermal 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 Thermal are spread across 122° 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 Thermal. 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 Thermal, 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.