Antenna aiming / Vermillion, SD
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Vermillion, SD

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

Transmitter directions from Vermillion, SD N E S W KCPO — 15° NNE, 49 mi KCSD — 18° NNE, 53 mi KTTW — 24° NNE, 50 mi KSFL — 24° NNE, 50 mi KDLT — 25° NNE, 51 mi KELO — 26° NNE, 52 mi KSFY — 26° NNE, 52 mi KUSD — 36° NE, 18 mi KTIV — 114° ESE, 43 mi KPTH — 114° ESE, 43 mi KMEG — 114° ESE, 43 mi KCAU — 115° ESE, 42 mi KSIN — 123° ESE, 41 mi KBWF — 132° SE, 39 mi KNEN — 198° SSW, 59 mi KXNE — 200° SSW, 44 mi Vermillion

Point North 6° on a compass — 59 miles of range covers this whole market

8/16stations in the beam
44/77free channels
57%of what's available
The other 8 stations sit southeast of you (136°). 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 Vermillion, SD

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KCPO Independent 26 15° NNE 49 mi 3
KCSD PBS 23 18° NNE 53 mi 6
KTTW TCT 7 24° NNE 50 mi 10
KSFL Ion 36 24° NNE 50 mi 3
KDLT NBC 46 25° NNE 51 mi 6
KELO CBS 11 26° NNE 52 mi 4
KSFY ABC 13 26° NNE 52 mi 6
KUSD PBS 2 36° NE 18 mi 6
KTIV NBC 4 114° ESE 43 mi 6
KPTH FOX 44 114° ESE 43 mi 3
KMEG Roar 14 114° ESE 43 mi 5
KCAU ABC 9 115° ESE 42 mi 4
KSIN PBS 27 123° ESE 41 mi 5
KBWF News Channel Nebraska 15 132° SE 39 mi 2
KNEN News Channel Nebraska 35 198° SSW 59 mi 3
KXNE PBS 19 200° SSW 44 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Vermillion, SD?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 17.6 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 51 miles.

For Vermillion 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 Vermillion are spread across 185° 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 Vermillion. 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 Vermillion, SD, 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.