It is with great delight and personal experience that I present the ZL Special a two-element beam antenna that traces its roots to New Zealand. A tip of the cap to our friends in ZL land for being ahead of the curve while being frugal.
The year was 1982 and I had just moved my family to St Louis to start a new job. The XYL was very pregnant with our 4th child, and we moved into a large home that despite a healthy downpayment still would tax my resources.
I wanted a beam but had to do it on the cheap. The answer was a ZL Special Wire Beam antenna that used aluminum tubing and bamboo for the support elements. The electrical radiating part was 450 Ohm Ladder Line duct taped to the bamboo. Keep in mind the now currently popular Hex Beam antenna is a two-element wire beam.
The boom structure sketched below was made from 2X2's to keep the weight down.
Two element beams have amazing properties but always must be carefully evaluated. The Forward Gain is not 13 dB (like a Rhombic) nor is the Front to Back Ratio 30 db. But 3 or 4dB Forward Gain and perhaps 10 to 12 dB FB Ratio is more like it with the added bonus of side signal rejection is the package. Not a 29A nor a 44DD but somewhere in between. The major appeal is low cost and light weight. The big bonus -- easily home constructed.
It worked well and was a huge step up from a dipole facing a fixed direction. It lasted long enough to where my financial situation improved, and I was transferred to Arizona. Time for a multiband commercial 3 element beam.
Today I would opt for the 10M version given the sunspot cycle rapidly approaching its zenith. This keeps the size down and somewhat more manageable to erect. Keep in mind that a bit more thought about the physical construction is mandatory if you live in places like Minot, ND or Gallatin Gateways in Montana.
The other limitation is that typically the ZL Special is a single band beam whereas the Hex Beam is multiband with a single feedline. Obviously, the Hex will cost more but if you are on a ham radio gear diet then the ZL may fit the paradigm.
TYGNYBNT!
73's
Pete N6QW