Best FM antenna around $50

I have the Godar which works well. It costs about $50. It is directional but does a decent job pulling in other stations not in its line.

http://www.godarusa.com/id67.html

I had a GOdar and sold it finding it not even as good as a basic dipole indoors, and harder to position for omni reception.

A Godar might fit into your space outdoors well as best I can tell from your description, but I believe it is designed for indoor use. Not sure how well it would hold up outdoors, and its directionality could well be a problem.

YOu could most likely easily attach a standard indoor dipole antenna there and see how that does.

Otherwise, there may be other larger multielement omnidirectional outdoor TV/FM antennas available still that might, just might perform better, though these are probably harder to find these days than back in their heyday 40 years or so ago.

I worked at Radio Shack and Lafayette Radio for years back in the days when outdoor antennas were still popular. Getting any antenna, even a simple dipole, up high and outdoors is almost always a good idea if possible. After that, to do much better, you needed a larger directional antenna with more elements and a rotor to orient it for particular stations. I doubt much has changed since then regarding the SOTA in antenna technology, other than aesthetics and cost perhaps.

I use the Magnum Dynalab ST-1 vertical FM antenna and have for the past 4 years. It is mounted high on my roof and I live 50 miles away from any good FM station. It has great reception and is durable. If you could spring for $114 the Magnum is a great option. Being a single stiff wire it is unobtrusive and easy to hide and has a coax connection. They also sell the indoor SR-100 which I have not tried but MD makes many good antennas and has a good reputation.