Point it at the station or relay that serves you, along a path clear of hills, with the elements matching its polarisation.
Six practical steps, from finding your tower to the final channel scan. Each one shows how to do it with Tower Aim, our app, using Anatel data.
No ads, no account.
Read this, then follow the steps below for the detail.
Point the antenna at the tower that serves your area. In hill towns that is often a local relay (retransmissora), not the main station (geradora). Check that no hill blocks the path, then fine-tune and rescan channels on every TV.
Systemic Studios makes Tower Aim, the app this guide uses for each step. Roof work is dangerous: if your antenna is hard to reach, use a professional antenna installer.
Do steps 1 to 4 on the ground, before you get the ladder out.
Your antenna should face the tower that serves you, which is not always the closest or the most powerful. Tower Aim recommends one based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, from Anatel data dated 9 October 2026: 15,652 licensed digital TV channels across 4,237 tower sites, stations and relays. Search by city or CEP, or use your location.
Relays (retransmissoras) fill the gaps the main stations cannot reach, such as hill towns. Where the terrain map shows a hill blocking the main tower, Tower Aim suggests a clear local relay instead, and lists the others nearby so you can compare.
Almost every tower in Brazil is horizontal and a few are mixed. Keep the antenna elements horizontal unless the app says otherwise. Tower Aim shows the polarisation, channel and power for each station.
Tower Aim shows the elevation profile along the path, from a one-time terrain download. Trees and buildings are not included, so treat it as a guide.
Face the bearing shown (true and magnetic) and follow the live compass arrow until it confirms you are on target. AR aiming works on supported phones.
Turn in small steps while someone watches the signal screen on the TV, then run a full channel scan on every TV. The channel number on the TV can differ from the physical channel.
No ads, no account.
What to check at each step, and where to find it in the app.
| Step | What to check | In Tower Aim |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find your tower | Which tower serves you | A recommended tower based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, with estimated reception; Anatel data dated 9 Oct 2026; search by city or CEP |
| 2. Station or relay | Whether a hill blocks the main tower | Stations and relays on the map; a clear local relay suggested where the terrain map shows a hill in the way |
| 3. Polarisation | Horizontal or mixed | Shown for each station, with its physical channel, frequency and power |
| 4. Terrain | Hills between you and the tower | Elevation profile from a one-time terrain download |
| 5. Aim | The bearing to the tower | Live compass arrow that confirms when you're on target; AR aiming on supported phones |
| 6. Fine-tune and rescan | Signal quality on the TV, then a channel scan | Physical channel numbers and frequencies for each station |
| On the roof | What's saved on your phone | Tower data built in; one-time terrain download |
Real Tower Aim screens in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
In Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Tower Aim picks the tower with a clear path and shows the line of sight.
In São Paulo, the details show the stations on the Paulista towers, horizontal, with channel and power.
Follow the compass arrow, or AR aim on supported phones, 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 tower, 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.
Some UHF channels that used to carry TV are now used by 4G and 5G. If the picture breaks up near a mast, especially with an amplifier, a 4G/5G filter can help.
Tower Aim: TV Antenna Finder
We make it. These are the parts that match the steps above.
No ads, no account.
Anatel data dated 9 Oct 2026: 15,652 licensed digital TV channels across 4,237 sites, stations and relays, with channels, frequencies and power. The recommended tower is based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement.
Where the terrain map shows a hill blocking the main tower, Tower Aim suggests a clear local relay and lists the others nearby.
Search by city or CEP, or use your location.
A terrain line of sight from a one-time terrain download.
A live compass arrow that confirms when you're on target, plus AR aiming on supported phones. Then check reception on your TV.
The app follows your phone's language: Portuguese (Brazil) or English.
Antenna installers, electricians and AV professionals can add Tower Aim Installer, an optional subscription, for jobs, readings from your own meter, photos and branded PDF reports.
Confirm the transmitter, record the job and hand over a report on site.
Jobs, readings, photos and PDF reports, step by step.
Features, screenshots, Tower Aim Installer and support.
At the station or relay that serves your area, with the elements matching its polarisation. Tower Aim recommends a tower based on published power and distance, not a signal measurement, and shows the bearing, polarisation and terrain to it.
Whichever has a clear path to you. In hill towns that is often a local relay, not the main station. Where the terrain map shows a hill blocking the main tower, Tower Aim suggests a clear local relay instead.
Not always. A more powerful tower further away, or one with a clear path over the hills, can serve you better than a small one nearby. Tower Aim recommends a tower based on published power and distance, so check the terrain to each option too.
Match the tower you are aiming at. Almost every tower in Brazil is horizontal and a few are mixed. Tower Aim shows the polarisation for each station. On a horizontal antenna the elements lie flat.
From Anatel (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), dated 9 October 2026. It covers every licensed digital TV station and relay in Brazil: 15,652 channels across 4,237 tower sites in all 27 states.
Yes. Enter a CEP, search by city, or use your location.
The tower 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 tower based on published power and distance, and shows "Estimated reception" from Excellent to Poor. It is an estimate, not a measurement. Installers can record readings from their own meter with Tower Aim Installer.
iPhone with iOS 17 or later, and Android 8.0 or later.
No ads, no account.
Systemic Studios