My Hustler used ground radials where the Laird does not. I'm far from being an antenna expert but I'm thinking this may be the difference.. BTW, i actually have the 7DB version of the Laird. I just know the stations further out are a no go where the Hustler had no problems.. I think the lobes are a bit sharper and work at a different elevations with the Laird vs. Hustler..
Ed Fong's Antenna uses schedule 20 PVC pipe, (thin wall) and you can't find this stuff anywhere, hardware stores no longer sell it. The Hot water plastic pipe i used is actually thinner and stronger than sch. 20 PVC. I believe Steve Shannon found the material used in this pipe (above).. It will be interesting to see how this material will hold up in the outside environment - time will tell.
A bird smacked into the Hustler antenna and the material was so weathered (see pic) the antenna just buckled at the impact.. The antenna was only two years old, i cant imagine the weather getting to it so quickly, maybe just a bad batch of resin????.. At first, i didn't know what caused the antenna to buckle but then found several large black bird feathers nearby that could only come from these large black ravens that fly around here. There would have been no way of salvaging the old radome without shorting by several inches and now as an afterthought, I probably could have made an extension on the 3D Printer.. Too late now, i have already hacked up the old radom.