[mtownsend]

Thanks for all the detailed info. That helps a lot.

Originally Posted by zuiko

How would I go about actually mounting it in the attic? Can I just hang it up from the boom with fishing line or do I need to get kind of short mast and plate?

Most antennas come with mounting brackets built into the boom that makes it easy to attach to a mast (usually a round pipe about 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter). The masts themselves can be attached from the floor up or from the top down using some pretty simple mounting brackets. Here's a picture of a basic mast mount (Channel Master 3078) as an example:

There are many creative ways to physically place the antenna in the attic (including your idea with fishing line). The nice thing about using a mast is that it's simple to work with, the antenna does not move around while you're working with it, they are sturdy, and they give you an easy way to make rotational adjustments as needed (to optimize antenna aim once everything is installed).

Does it make any difference if it is upside down or upside right?

No. The antennas themselves are usually symmetric in both the horizontal and vertical directions. There is no discernible difference whether the antenna is upside down or not.

However, it is important that the antenna remain horizontally polarized (all TV broadcasts are horizontally polarized signals), meaning that the main antenna elements should be roughly parallel to the horizon as opposed to being vertically oriented.

Am I still going to need to run a grounding wire outside to a ground spike if the antenna is in the attic?

No.

I'm thinking I would go with the HD7698P (I would rather buy too big than too small) with the CM-7777. There is no advantage upgrading to the HD82000U since I have no VHF-Lo stations, right?

Yes, exactly. The HD8200U is both very long and very wide. The wide antenna elements at the back of the antenna that deal with low VHF channels will make it a lot harder to work with if you are cramped for space. If you do not need low VHF, then you can get roughly similar performance out of the much narrower HD769xP family of antennas.

Please note that the HD7698P is over 14 feet long and about 4.5 feet wide. A bigger antenna does give you more signal, but you also have to be pragmatic about what will actually fit (and can be rotated to the correct direction) within the space you have.

If the antenna was outside on the roof, I was thinking that an HD7694P would be sufficient, given the signal strengths you indicated. Going up one size for an attic installation is also probably good enough (since your attic does not sound like a big signal stopper). Going up two sizes (to an HD7696P) should give you some extra margin for comfort. Going up four sizes (to an HD7698P) may be a bit much.

If you don't mind the extra cost, have plenty of room to spare, and just want to make absolutely sure that you get the maximum possible signal, then by all means, go as large as you feel comfortable with.

Yes, the CM 7777 is a good idea. It makes sure that any signal gathered by your antenna does not get lost to things like cable loss or splitters (in case you decide to add more receivers later) that come after the amp. It probably isn't critical right now since you're only planning on sending this to one receiver, but a pre-amp is another way to add some safety margin and robustness to your setup.