Antenna aiming / Tucson, AZ
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Tucson, AZ

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

Transmitter directions from Tucson, AZ N E S W KGUN — 35° NE, 22 mi KUVE — 35° NE, 22 mi KUDF — 35° NE, 22 mi K35OU-D — 35° NE, 22 mi KFTU-CD — 35° NE, 22 mi KVOA — 35° NE, 23 mi KMSB — 35° NE, 23 mi KOLD — 35° NE, 23 mi KTTU — 35° NE, 23 mi KUAT — 35° NE, 23 mi KFTU — 129° SE, 73 mi KWBA — 164° SSE, 28 mi KHRR — 303° WNW, 13 mi KPCE — 307° NW, 13 mi KUAS — 318° NW, 6 mi KGRQ — 324° NW, 73 mi Tucson

Point North 5° on a compass — 73 miles of range covers this whole market

10/16stations in the beam
53/70free channels
76%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit west-northwest of you (302°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
1 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 Tucson, AZ

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KGUN ABC 9 35° NE 22 mi 6
KUVE Univision 46 35° NE 22 mi 7
KUDF Estrella TV 14 35° NE 22 mi 5
K35OU-D HSN 21 35° NE 22 mi 5
KFTU-CD UniMas 34 35° NE 22 mi 2
KVOA NBC 4 35° NE 23 mi 5
KMSB FOX 11 35° NE 23 mi 7
KOLD CBS 13 35° NE 23 mi 7
KTTU CW 18 35° NE 23 mi 6
KUAT PBS 6 35° NE 23 mi 3
KFTU UniMas 3 129° SE 73 mi 2
KWBA Independent 58 164° SSE 28 mi 6
KHRR Telemundo 40 303° WNW 13 mi 4
KPCE Daystar 29 307° NW 13 mi 1
KUAS PBS 27 318° NW 6 mi 3
KGRQ FNX 29 324° NW 73 mi 1

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Tucson, AZ?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 6.2 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 23 miles.

For Tucson 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 Tucson are spread across 220° 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 Tucson. 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 Tucson, AZ, 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.