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Yesterday: In addition to the loss of Channels 9 and 7 Channel 49 also dropped off. I didn't pay attention to the loss of Ch 49 since it's mostly shopping and foreign language broadcasts. None of the signals for the other stations improved.
Today: Big duh on my part! Yesterday I had mounted the antenna as high as possible in the peak, so that the whole profile had LOS to the wall (board, tyvek and vinyl siding). It also had the advantage of being above the roof line of the next house. Here's my duh. I went up this afternoon and realized that the roof has a metal ridge vent across the top. That was probably killing some of the signal.
So I moved the antenna several times. Finally, for trial purposes, I tied it to one of the vertical supports in the middle of the house, at the end of the house so it had full view of the wall. It's not in a hugely different place than before (only about a foot horizontially and maybe a foot lower). Channel 9 came back but not Channel 7. Channels 26, 32 and 49 cut in and out. The rest seem OK.
I looked at the specs for this antenna again. The gain of the C2-V-CJM is 10.4 dBi UHF and only 3.1 dBi VHF. So maybe that probably is part of why it's having trouble with the VHF stations in the attic.
I can try more locations in the attic. And I think it would be interesting just to aim it out the bedroom window to see the result (it can be angled 60 Degrees but really couldn't be mounted to stay there for any length of time).
But in the end it looks like it will have to go up on the roof once the snow melts and it's warmer. Until then I can investigate mounting hardware (the C2-V-CJM came with a J-Mount). Or I may see what a professional installation costs (I don't have a ladder). I suppose it would be OK if screwed directly into a joist.
Thanks again for all the advice.
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