Point it at the transmitter that serves you, matched to its polarisation, along a path clear of hills.
Six practical steps, from finding your transmitter to the final fine-tune. Each one shows how to do it with Tower Aim, our app, and where mySwitch, the Australian Government's coverage website, can help.
No ads, no account.
Read this, then follow the steps below for the detail.
Point the antenna at the TV transmitter that serves your area, with its elements matching that transmitter's polarisation: flat for horizontal, upright for vertical. Check that no hill blocks the path, then fine-tune and retune your TV. Most homes aim at their region's main transmitter, but some areas are served by a nearby repeater instead.
Systemic Studios makes Tower Aim, the app this guide uses for each step. We also point to mySwitch, the Australian Government's coverage website, where it helps. Roof work is dangerous: if your antenna is hard to reach, use a professional antenna installer.
Do steps 1 to 3 on the ground, before you get the ladder out.
Your antenna should face the transmitter that serves your area, which is not always the closest one. Tower Aim recommends a transmitter based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, from ACMA data covering every licensed digital TV transmitter in Australia: 2,598 transmitters across 582 sites, updated 28 September 2026. It rates estimated reception as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Marginal or Poor. mySwitch gives the recommended transmitter for a street address.
Transmitters send either horizontally or vertically polarised signals, and the antenna has to match. Horizontal means the elements lie flat; vertical means they stand upright. Tower Aim shows the polarisation for each transmitter, with its channels, frequencies and power, and whether your tower is VHF, UHF or both. Get this wrong and you can lose the picture even when the direction is right.
A hill between you and the tower can block the signal. Tower Aim shows the elevation profile along the path, which works from a one-time terrain download, and Tower Aim Installer adds finer terrain. Trees and buildings are not included, so treat it as a guide. If the path is blocked, a different transmitter may serve you better.
Stand at the antenna, or directly below it, and face the bearing to the tower. Tower Aim's live compass arrow shows which way to turn and confirms when you're aimed in the right direction. With AR aiming on supported devices, the camera view shows "Direction aligned" once you're lined up. Then check reception on your TV. Keep the phone clear of metal such as the mast, gutters or the antenna itself.
Loosen the mount just enough to turn the antenna, then move it in small steps while someone watches the signal quality screen on the TV. Tighten it, then retune the TV. A manual tune using the channel frequencies for your area, from mySwitch or Tower Aim, can pick up services an automatic scan misses.
Some areas, often in valleys or behind hills, are served by a smaller local repeater rather than the main transmitter. mySwitch shows the recommended transmitter for your street address, and Tower Aim's recommendation, from ACMA's licensed TV transmitters, isn't always the nearest or the biggest tower. If most antennas in your street face a different way to yours, that is a strong hint. Once enough reports are in, Tower Aim also lets you see what's worked for neighbours nearby.
No ads, no account.
Use whichever suits the job. Many people check mySwitch first, then aim with Tower Aim on the roof.
| Step | What to check | In Tower Aim | On mySwitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Find your transmitter | Which transmitter serves you | A recommended transmitter based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, with estimated reception; ACMA data updated 28 Sep 2026 | The recommended transmitter for a street address |
| 2. Polarisation | Horizontal or vertical | Shown for each transmitter, with channels, frequencies, power and whether it is VHF, UHF or both | Shown for the recommended transmitter |
| 3. Terrain | Hills between you and the tower | Elevation profile from a one-time terrain download; finer terrain with Installer | Terrain profile, online |
| 4. Aim | The bearing to the tower | Live compass arrow that confirms when you're aimed in the right direction; AR aiming on supported devices | Direction given; no live compass, as it is a website |
| 5. Fine-tune and retune | Signal quality on the TV, then a retune | Channels and frequencies for a manual tune | Channel frequencies for your address |
| 6. Repeaters | Whether a local repeater serves you better | Transmitters on the map from ACMA's licensed list, with the terrain to each; what's worked for neighbours nearby, once enough reports are in | The recommended transmitter for your address, and any known reception issues |
| On the roof | What's saved on your phone | Transmitter data built in; one-time terrain download | Nothing, it is a website |
Real Tower Aim screens from the App Store listing.
See nearby transmitters on the map, then their channels, frequencies, power and polarisation.
Look at the elevation profile to the tower before you climb.
Follow the compass arrow, or AR aim on supported devices, while you turn the antenna, then check reception on your TV.
Small habits that make the job quicker and safer.
Only work on a roof if you can do it safely, never alone and never in wind or rain. If the antenna is high or hard to reach, use a professional antenna installer.
Look up the transmitter, bearing, polarisation and terrain in Tower Aim before you climb, so the time on the roof is just aiming.
If the arrow seems off, move the phone in a figure-eight to calibrate it, and keep it away from metal and magnets, including magnetic phone cases.
Antennas nearby usually point at the same tower. If yours faces a different way, find out why before you change it.
TV signal readouts lag a little. Turn a few degrees at a time and pause before you judge the picture.
Once the picture is solid on all your channels, tighten the mount firmly and retune each TV and set-top box in the house.
mySwitch is the government reference for an address. Tower Aim is the tool you take up the ladder.
From the Australian Government
Enter a street address to see the recommended transmitter, the direction, polarisation, expected coverage, channel frequencies and any known reception issues, plus setup advice and a terrain profile. Handy before you buy an antenna or book an installer.
Tower Aim: TV Antenna Finder
A live compass arrow and AR aiming on supported devices, the polarisation, band (VHF, UHF or both), channels, frequencies and power for each transmitter, and a terrain line of sight, all working from a one-time terrain download. Once enough reports are in, you can also see what's worked for neighbours nearby. No ads, no account.
Tower Aim: TV Antenna Finder · TV Aerial Pointer & Compass
We make it. These are the parts that match the steps above.
No ads, no account.
ACMA data updated 28 Sep 2026: 2,598 transmitters across 582 sites, with channels, frequencies and power. The recommended transmitter is based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement.
Horizontal or vertical for each transmitter, and whether your tower is VHF, UHF or both, shown before you aim.
A terrain line of sight from a one-time terrain download, with finer terrain in Tower Aim Installer.
A live compass arrow that confirms when you're aimed in the right direction, plus AR aiming on supported devices. Then check reception on your TV.
See what's worked for neighbours nearby, once enough reports are in.
Open it and aim. There is nothing to sign up for.
Symptom by symptom fixes for no signal, pixelation, missing channels and dropouts.
What to look for in a TV antenna app, and how the options compare.
A routine for caravans, motorhomes and campervans, with tips for winding antennas.
Six checks to get your channels back, from cables and a rescan to re-aiming at the right transmitter.
Features, screenshots, Tower Aim Installer and support.
At the transmitter that serves your area, with the elements matching that transmitter's polarisation. Tower Aim recommends a transmitter based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, and shows the bearing and polarisation for each transmitter. mySwitch shows the recommended transmitter for a street address. In most areas that is the main transmitter for your region, but some areas are served by a nearby repeater instead.
Match the transmitter you are aiming at. Tower Aim shows horizontal or vertical for each transmitter, and mySwitch shows it for the recommended transmitter at your address. On a horizontal antenna the elements lie flat; on a vertical one they stand upright.
Not always. A larger transmitter further away, or one with a clear path over the hills, can serve you better than a small one nearby. Tower Aim recommends a transmitter based on published power and distance, so its pick isn't always the nearest, and lets you check the terrain to each one.
A smaller transmitter that rebroadcasts the main services into an area the main transmitter does not reach well, such as a valley or a town behind a range. If you are in a repeater's area, point at the repeater and match its polarisation, which can differ from the main transmitter's.
Yes, for direction. Tower Aim uses your location and your phone's compass to show the bearing to the tower and confirm when you're aimed in the right direction, with AR aiming on supported devices. A phone cannot measure TV signal, so check reception on your TV, using its signal quality screen or a meter, for the final fine-tune.
Look at which way neighbouring antennas point, sight the tower if you can see it, or use a landmark that lines up with the tower on a map. A phone compass is quicker and more precise.
Yes. Retune each TV or set-top box after aiming. If channels are missing, try a manual tune using the channel frequencies for your area from mySwitch or Tower Aim.
Check the polarisation, the terrain between you and the tower, and the cables and connections. Trees and buildings can also block the path. If the main transmitter is blocked, a nearby repeater may be a better target. Once enough reports are in, Tower Aim lets you see what's worked for neighbours nearby. If you are unsure, ask a professional antenna installer.
The transmitter data is built into the app, and the terrain map is a one-time download that stays on your phone. Open the app once on Wi-Fi before you head up.
No. Your phone cannot measure TV signal. Tower Aim recommends a transmitter based on published power and distance, and shows "Estimated reception" as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Marginal or Poor. It is an estimate, not a signal measurement, so always check reception on your TV. Installers can record readings from their own test equipment with Tower Aim Installer.
On a typical Yagi (long, fishbone-style) TV antenna, the front is the end with the shortest elements. That end points at the transmitter. The longer reflector elements at the back sit behind the cable connection. Point the short end at the tower and you're aimed the right way.
Yes. Tower Aim shows the towers near you, the direction to each, and an arrow that tells you when you're lined up, so you can aim with confidence instead of guessing. It also flags when hills are in the way, using terrain line of sight. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
The most common causes are an antenna pointing at the wrong transmitter, a loose or water-damaged cable or connector, a failed masthead amplifier or splitter, or a TV that needs a fresh channel scan after a retune. Check the cable and wall plate first, re-aim the antenna at your local transmitter, then run an auto-tune on the TV.
Park with a clear view toward the nearest transmitter if you can, find that transmitter's direction before you raise the antenna, then rotate slowly and rescan. Tower Aim finds nearby towers wherever you've parked and points you at them, and its terrain line of sight check tells you if a ridge is likely to block the signal, so you can move before you set up.
No ads, no account.
Systemic Studios