The Broadcast TV Station Finder
Enter your zip code into the Signal Locator by Mohu. You should be able to get stations within the first circle using an indoor antenna:
If that isn’t working for you, try the Transmitter Locator by Antennas Direct.
Scroll down past the suggested antennas section to see what channels are available in your area.
THE RESULTS ARE BASED ON THE FCC DATABASE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ALL OF THE CHANNELS LISTED.
How to Interpret the Results
In general, you should be able to receive most of the green channels using a good antenna and some experimentation.
- If you got a lot of green stations, congratulations you’re in good shape! You should do well with a Mohu Leaf antenna. More info here.
- If you got just a few green and some yellow channels, an outdoor antenna is best, but you will get some channels with an indoor antenna. Check out my article on amplified antennas.
- If you go all yellow and orange channels, you’ll need an outdoor antenna
- If you got all orange or red channels or no channels, you’ll need to use Internet streaming services for TV.
How to See Which Direction to Point Your Antenna
To see which direction the TV signal is coming from, click on the station’s call letters on the left side of the map. The map will then show the TV transmitter towers with a black line to your location.
My Recommended Indoor Antenna
A rooftop outdoor antenna will get you the most channels. But if you’re not able to install a rooftop antenna, I recommend the Mohu Leaf indoor antenna:
For More Information
Click here if you want to do a quick test to see if your TV can pick up any stations. No antenna is needed for this test.
If you’d like to get more channels and better reception with your indoor antenna, read my tips and tricks for indoor antennas article.
Keep in Touch – Subscribe for Free
If you liked this article, please sign up for email updates. I’ll send you a note when I publish a new article, no more than once every few months. Unsubscribe any time. – Brian
I mover a year ago and all the air antenna stations were working marvelous. However two months more then half of those stations quit coming in. I have contacted and or tried to contact the stations multiple times and no one answers.
So why did they work and now they do not?
Thank you.
Hi Sam,
How many green channels do you get when you enter your zip code into the Station Finder links? https://www.disablemycable.com/station-finder
Just trying to figure out if the stations went away or if it’s some other problem, like interference from a new cell tower.
Brian
Are you able to get some cable channels with a Novawave or will I just get the basic local channels? I will be waiting to hear from you about this matter.
Hi Jim,
Enter your zip code in the station finder linked in this article to see what stations you can get. Best case those would be the major networks + local channels.
Best,
Brian
Dear Brian,
I do thank you a lot for getting back to me. I did that first before contacting you…but the stations that came up were only your NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and Fox 15….I was just checking in with you to see if I did purchase this Novawave if I may have gotten a few more channels….that is all. Sincerely, Jim
Hi Jim,
Ah, got it. Yeah, the Novawave is just another antenna. It won’t get you any special channels that other broadcast TV antennas couldn’t get. I haven’t tried it but the size and thin cable don’t inspire confidence. I like the Mohu Leaf, which I have tested: https://www.disablemycable.com/mohu-leaf/
Best,
Brian
Dear Brian,
I do thank you for always getting back to me with your very honest replies.
Our zip code is 07438 and located in Morris County, Northern NJ. We have noticed within the past few weeks that we cannot receive a signal for channels 5 and 9. Not sure if there is are problems with the frequency, but we have noticed all of a sudden all stations on those two channels are working again. Just today, the signals didn’t go out until 1:30 in the afternoon. I notice sometimes they are back at 3 am in the morning. There’s nothing wrong with our antenna and we really don’t have any issues with other channels
18505
Hi David,
I would say you should be able to pick up ABC, CW, and Fox pretty reliably. NBC and CBS are Hi-Vi so they might be more flaky. VHF Outdoor antenna pointing toward Fairview would be helpful.
Best,
Brian
how do i enter my GPS coordinates into map to get accurate compas azimuth direction- my zip is 18444 but is for Moscow PA I’m in roaring brook PA about 3 miles away (no post office) I get 30 channels but some are weak – say audio only on tuning channels
I want to cut down some trees blocking reception from mountaintop Pa so i need to know the right ones to cut?
Joe
Hi Joe,
You can enter your exact address in the Station Finder for more precise results. For direction, click on the station call letters in the list that appears and it will show the degrees.
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
Best,
Brian
hello, when i entered my location (i did both zip and city/state) i got zero anything on the map. there was no call signs or anything indicating any broadcast towers anywhere, it just looked like a plain map. not sure why cause we do have an antenna up on one our mountains as well as others, plus i know people that currently recieve local tv content. what else can i do?thanks.
Hi Scott,
Can you send me your zip code so I can double-check? Maybe there was a problem with the site at that time.
Thanks,
Brian
Yesterday I got 64 channels. Today 40. TV is one year old. Antenna is less than than one year old. What changed in South Austin Tx between yesterday and today? Clouds usually dont affect this set up.
Hi Kathryn,
Sometimes atmospheric phenomena which are not necessarily visible (tropospheric ducting) can affect reception. It also could be electronic interference. Assuming you’re using an indoor antenna, here are some things to try:
https://www.disablemycable.com/blog/antenna-tips/
Best,
Brian
Wow – I’m also in south Austin and exact thing happened to me last week! One day rescanned in living room and lost half of channels, same setup in bedroom 18 feet away no change – and bedroom antenna is on an interior wall while living room is on a window, both on second floor.
Hi Austin,
Here are some things to try:
https://www.disablemycable.com/blog/lost-tv-channels-after-rescan/
Best,
Brian
Thank you so much! So appreciate your page – I’d actually come across this before and I think the only one I can try is hanging it outside – going to try that one this week. Thanks again!
If that doesn’t work, it may mean the actual channel frequencies changed in your area. If the TV with the problem is older, you may find the lost channels on different channels on your TV (newer ones will compensate).
The weird thing is that the same setup in the bedroom still has the old lineup, and when I put the living room antenna in the bedroom, the old lineup shows up.
Ah. Then maybe it is an antenna issue…
I’m also going to try (even though I risk losing the old channel lineup forever!) taking the living room antenna to the bedroom and rescanning (when I switched them out before I merely connected the living room antenna to the bedroom TV and didn’t rescan – and was shocked when I saw the old channel lineup show up).
Yep, now I’ve gone and messed up for good. Tried hanging the antenna outside the window in the living room, still got the weird lineup. This morning in the bedroom (same TV model, same antenna) where the old lineup was still in effect I watched the local ABC station clear as a bell. Just now switched out both tv and antenna – put living room set up in bedroom and vice versa. Now – both rooms have the weird lineup and local ABC station in bedroom is gone. Rescanned both and same weird lineup results. I literally watched a station this morning, perfectly clearly, that isn’t being picked up in either room now. I give up. Thank you for your time and ideas!
OK I didn’t give up. Bought a Clearstream Eclipse. Disconnect Google Fiber internet, Double scanned, rescanned and got my channels back. Started watching local ABC affiliate, clear as day. Remembered I had disconnected internet because time was wrong and there was no program info on guide. Reconnected internet, still watching same ABC Station – but guide now shows weird lineup and says the channel I am STILL watching is NOT the ABC affiliate but some random crime channel, which is listed twice on the guide. Sigh.
I don’t have a zip code how can I get some
Hi Benjamin,
Sorry, this only works in the United States.
Best,
Brian