Antenna aiming / Tuscaloosa, AL
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Tuscaloosa, AL

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

Transmitter directions from Tuscaloosa, AL N E S W WSES — 16° NNE, 26 mi WDBB — 19° NNE, 26 mi WJMY — 29° NNE, 7 mi WVUA-CD — 38° NE, 3 mi WDVZ — 38° NE, 3 mi WVTM — 59° ENE, 50 mi W16DS-D — 59° ENE, 50 mi WBRC — 59° ENE, 50 mi WTBM — 59° ENE, 50 mi WUOA — 59° ENE, 50 mi WTTO — 59° ENE, 50 mi WIAT — 59° ENE, 50 mi WABM — 59° ENE, 50 mi WBIQ — 59° ENE, 50 mi WBUN — 59° ENE, 50 mi WVUA — 60° ENE, 50 mi WBMA — 60° ENE, 44 mi WOTM — 69° ENE, 55 mi WBXM — 134° SE, 57 mi WBIH — 134° SE, 57 mi WNCF — 145° SE, 82 mi WAKA — 146° SE, 81 mi WIIQ — 200° SSW, 56 mi WSFG — 359° N, 39 mi Tuscaloosa

Point Northeast 40° on a compass — 82 miles of range covers this whole market

18/24stations in the beam
76/110free channels
69%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit southeast of you (143°). 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 Tuscaloosa, AL

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WSES Heroes & Icons 33 16° NNE 26 mi 3
WDBB CW 17 19° NNE 26 mi 6
WJMY Telemundo 25 29° NNE 7 mi 6
WVUA-CD Cozi TV 7 38° NE 3 mi 3
WDVZ Cozi TV 3 38° NE 3 mi 3
WVTM NBC 13 59° ENE 50 mi 6
W16DS-D Independent 47 59° ENE 50 mi 2
WBRC FOX 6 59° ENE 50 mi 7
WTBM Telemundo 24 59° ENE 50 mi 6
WUOA Fubo Sports 46 59° ENE 50 mi 7
WTTO CW 21 59° ENE 50 mi 4
WIAT CW 42 59° ENE 50 mi 4
WABM MyNetworkTV 68 59° ENE 50 mi 5
WBIQ PBS 10 59° ENE 50 mi 4
WBUN Daystar 28 59° ENE 50 mi 1
WVUA Cozi TV 23 60° ENE 50 mi 4
WBMA ABC 58 60° ENE 44 mi 4
WOTM Independent 19 69° ENE 55 mi 1
WBXM Telemundo 5 134° SE 57 mi 6
WBIH TCT 29 134° SE 57 mi 6
WNCF ABC 32 145° SE 82 mi 2
WAKA CBS 8 146° SE 81 mi 9
WIIQ PBS 41 200° SSW 56 mi 4
WSFG Daystar 51 359° N 39 mi 7

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Tuscaloosa, AL?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 3.3 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 50 miles.

For Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa are spread across 201° 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 Tuscaloosa. 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 Tuscaloosa, AL, 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.