Point Northeast 37° on a compass — 33 miles of range covers this whole market
Every transmitter near West Des Moines, IA
Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.
| Station | Network | Channel | Bearing | Direction | Distance | Subchannels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KDMI | TCT | 19 | 18° | NNE | 20 mi | 8 |
| KDSM | FOX | 17 | 18° | NNE | 20 mi | 4 |
| KCWI | CW | 23 | 18° | NNE | 20 mi | 6 |
| KDIT | Catchy Comedy | 45 | 18° | NNE | 20 mi | 7 |
| KCCI | CBS | 8 | 19° | NNE | 19 mi | 6 |
| WOI | ABC | 5 | 20° | NNE | 19 mi | 5 |
| WHO | NBC | 13 | 20° | NNE | 19 mi | 5 |
| KDIN | PBS | 11 | 20° | NNE | 19 mi | 7 |
| KRPG | Infomercials | 43 | 56° | NE | 33 mi | 7 |
| KFPX | Ion | 39 | 56° | NE | 33 mi | 9 |
| KAJR | Defy TV | 36 | 56° | NE | 33 mi | 7 |
| KCYM | MovieSphere Gold | 44 | 56° | NE | 33 mi | 7 |
| WBXF | Heartland TV | 28 | 67° | ENE | 6 mi | 6 |
| K32NM-D | HSN | 32 | 353° | N | 8 mi | 5 |
Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.
How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit
The nearest transmitter is 6.3 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 21 miles.
For West Des Moines 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.
Everything is within a 74° arc and 33 miles, which is comfortable territory for a directional indoor antenna in a window facing northeast.
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 West Des Moines. 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 West Des Moines, IA, including what each station carries.