chebby:
plastic penguin:Got a quote a year or so back (we don't have a chimney) and he said because we live in a strange area we would need a twenty foot aerial stuck on the side of the bungalow (quoted £200 plus aerial). Don't think the neighbours would be best pleased either.
The height of the mast would not be unusual. Our house is about 28 feet to the top of the roof, then the chimney is another couple of feet, and the mast yet another few feet so I guess the FM aerial is about 32 feet above ground level. However, I can see your point that a tall mast would look obtrusive on the side of a bungalow. Also, if your favourite stations come from different transmitters, and from different directions, and with varying signal strength/quality, then you are going to need some type of rotating, directional aerial which is out of the question in your situation (and v expensive).
Our city is flat and there are no significantly taller buildings between our house and the transmitter, so (on a clear day) it would be possible to see the transmitter - with binoculars - from the roof. It is also a very powerful transmitter so signal strength is excellent. (There is
our transmitter, just to the left of centre foreground in the pic.)
I honestly think you are going to be better off with radio from Freeview/Sky/Cable connected via optical digital (into a DAC) and with internet radio & BBC iPlayer etc from your computer (or something like a squeezebox).
The main reason to use FM is for it's quality. But if the signal is not there in sufficient strength/quality, then it is not worth bothering about no matter how good the tuner is.
Chebby, that is a stunning picture. I hope it is yours....