I put one together for in the roof space, there are quit a few DIY designs out there on the WEB, most materials can be found or scrounged locally.
Max.

 

I live comfortably on my retirement income because I never buy junk from "over there".
I have not used a TV antenna since I got cable TV 40 years ago. It and almost all my purchases have a senior's discount.
A Swiss TV antenna? Why? My high quality Phonak hearing aids are Swiss and my government helped pay for them. Cosco's Kirkland hearing aid batteries are an excellent value.

 

I put one together for in the roof space, there are quit a few DIY designs out there on the WEB, most materials can be found or scrounged locally.
Max.

And whatever antenna you arrange, add an inexpensive amplifier. That makes a complete difference in my setup. I get maybe one channel if I turn the amp off. Turned on I get ~50.

 

Re Antennas and amplifiers.

An antenna, depending upon the design, selectively picks up signals from one direction compared to another.

Amplifier amplifies and ads noise to all signals in its range.

bear with us here.

I love those small antennas , with magic amplifiers.
the small antenna probably has a gain of less than 1,
the amplifier will increase the power of the signal and the noise floor, and add its own noise,
QED, its probably worse than a bit of wire.

I love those people that have dammed great antennas, and an amplifier down in the lounge.
Antenna gives a great signal, then the long cable attenuates the signals, so its amplified , again with the noise.
probably better than a bit of wire, but

I love people ( like I did ) who have a great antenna, and an amplifier on the aerial,
Result, the signal into the Amp was so strong it overloaded the amp, giving a terrible distorted signal.
I ended up putting a 12dB attenuator on the antenna rather than admitting I had made the wrong antenna choice. !!!!!

In conclusion I would say
get a good aerial, with metalwork that gives you a gain compared to an omni, such as a Yagi or log periodic
then get an amplifier onto the antenna,

But suggest you try without amplifier first.

( One time, I lived about 10 Km from a Main TV antenna , line of site , I'm certain the fluorescents used to flicker depending upon what was on TV !! , always felt warm in the house !! :->)

 

I would vote for the fraud hypothesys. Have explored with good VNA the serial produced Chineese antennas (rubber ducks) for WiFi and for walkie-talkie. Both had surprizing R(active) about 0,15 Ohms and Z (reactive) about 75 Ohms at denoted resonance frequency. Later days I many times awoke in the middle of night dreaming that am as student answering the exam where professor asks me what must me the active and what reactive value of antenna and I cannot to tell anymore.