[GroundUrMast]

1.) How hard is all of this? I am pretty mechanically inclined and believe that I can do it.

There are several general guides available. This Installation Guide by Channel Master is typical, somewhat dated, but gives a good idea of the tools and skills needed. Antenna installation is well within the skill set of most do-it-yourselfers.

2.) Can I get away with an attic mounted antenna or do I need an outside one?

You may get away with attic installation but an outdoor antenna will most certainly out-perform.

3.) Which antenna?

I agree with TG

4.) Can I use the house wiring?

The cables you are using for cable or satellite now, should be fine.

5.) Should I use the existing splitter and add terminations or just get a 2 way splitter for now and get a larger one later if I add tvs?

Expect to remove or replace satellite specific parts, such as matrix switches and diplexers. Some of the satellite system parts look identical to OTA/CATV splitters but will not pass OTA signals. If you only need to split 2 ways, splitting more will reduce the available signal needlessly.

6.) How expensive are field strength meters and are they necessary to find a good signal? Is it worth paying to have someone "probe" my yard?

TV Fool has not probed your yard but has already provided a service that is nearly as effective. Keep your money. The least expensive ATSC field metering function I have found is $300 retail. If you have consumer grade metering built in to your converter box or DTV set as most do, keep your money.

7.) If I have to use the other antenna site should I trust the old wiring? It is ran underground and the idiot directtv guy cut off the ends of the cable at the box and the core is rusting.

Once water has been inside coax, it's done.

8.) Pre amps / distribution amps needed?

9.) A few stations seem to be strong in my area. If I use a pre amp will the strong stations cause problems?

TG's suggestion is fine, another preamp to consider would be the HDP-269 by Winegard.

10.) From what I can tell I can get most of my stations from the mobile, gulf shores, and pensacola stations. Is there any reason to try to get the Mississippi stations? CBS is CBS right? So will I need a rotor?

Some folks are sports fans looking to receive out of market station so they can view blacked out games. You know the answer better than we would. With two or more sets connected, a rotator can be frustrating to the people who don't get to aim the antenna.

11.) Do you guys give advice about media players and such?

Look through the Special Topics / Reception Devices section. I use Silicondust network attached tuners and record to hard disk. For real time viewing, I've been fairly happy with the Media Center packaged with Win-7 Home Premium. I currently do all of my recording with my XP desktop PC using my own batch files and the scheduling utility native to XP. I don't have first hand experience with the standalone internet appliances, PVR boxes or internet enabled TVs. I expect that others here do though.

12.) Which mast and how tall?

Rerun your TVF report using 30' or 35' as the antenna mounting height. If you see the path profiles change to LOS and the NM numbers increase, consider the cost versus benefit of mounting higher. It's possible that you may be able to eliminate the need for any amplifier. Rohn is a highly respected name in the tower and mast business. Their H20 - H50 series would be worth looking at. The link I've provided also shows wall brackets with various standoff. I use this type bracket and a single 10' section of mast to support a mid-sized combination antenna. In my situation there was no need to extend the mast to the ground, the lower bracket includes a brace to carry the weight of the mast and antenna. If you decide to mount higher than 8' above the top bracket you are going to need a mast or tower system designed for the purpose.