TV channels & antenna towers in Merrimac, Virginia

Merrimac is a small community of about 2,130 people in Virginia. There are 25 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 16 full-power, 1 Class A, 6 low-power and 2 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 14 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 11 at good or strong strength.

6 of them are within 25 miles of Merrimac, 5 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 14 are more than 45 miles out. Four of the 11 network stations in range are licensed to Roanoke, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Roanoke's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 13 (WSET-TV), CBS on channel 7 (WDBJ), NBC on channel 10 (WSLS-TV), Fox on channel 59.2 (WVNS-TV), CW on channel 27.2 (WFXR) and ION on channel 38 (WPXR-TV). 5 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna E, at about 85°. The main network towers for Merrimac sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Four network stations, WDBJ, WFXR, WPXR-TV and WSLS-TV, transmit from the same tower site about 15 miles east of Merrimac (88° E). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 9 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Merrimac at fair strength or better, 67% arrive from the east; the rest are spread across two other directions.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Merrimac, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Merrimac is WSET-TV (ABC), 44 miles away with a fair estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

WVNS-TV (Fox), 43 miles north, is the exception: the nearest listed affiliate of its network is far enough away to need an outdoor antenna. Some local stations in our data carry no network tag, so check the other stations table below before buying a bigger antenna just for that one.

WDBJ is only 15 miles away with a strong signal. Signals that strong can overload an amplifier, so start without one and add it only if distant channels are missing. Read when an amplifier helps.

With 14 stations at fair strength or better, Merrimac ranks 206th of 381 places in Virginia: fewer than the typical Virginia town (16). Its nearest major network tower is 15 miles away, against a state median of 21 miles.

36% of Virginia's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is Blacksburg, 2.8 miles away.