G5RV/ZS6BKW Antennas

The ZS6BKW antenna is a better match for our bands than the G5RV. The method of construction and tuning  is essentially the same for both antennas but the dimensions are different.

Here is the ZS6BKW antenna installed at AK6R fine tuned for the CW/FT8 frequencies on 40-20-17-12-10 meters.  An excellent antenna when installed at 30 feet or higher and no tuner required avoiding the tuner losses and constant retuning.  If you want to work all bands from 80-10 install an antenna tuner between the 1:1 balun and the amplifier and ignore the 39/40 switch.

Is this the best FT8 antenna?  – I think so as I has made over 70,000 contacts and it still is a proven winner -Good world wide DX, easy to install, no tuner and takes full legal limit.

PAL ZS68006 Ant Layout - G5RV/ZS6BKW Antennas

 

Here are several different 1:1 baluns you can use depending on power requirements:

50:200 ohm (4:1) HF Balun or Unun Core Kit, 3-31 MHz, 250 watts

SKU BA-4-250
$19.95
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50:200 ohm (4:1) HF Balun or Unun Core Kit, 3-31 MHz, 250 watts
Product Details
Input ohms/Output ohms: 50 in, 200 out
Frequency Range < 2:1 SWR (MHz): 1-31
PEP Power Rating (watts): 250

Model BA-4-250 is a 4:1 voltage balun/Unun kit (assembly required from parts supplied) used to translate a 50 ohm input up to 200 ohms at power levels up to 250 watts when used with a matched load. With a matched load the SWR will not exceed 2:1 over the frequency range 1.8 to 30 MHz.

The kit consists of a 1.4" diameter ferrite core, two colors of insulated wire. a UHF connector with stainless steel hardware, and an instruction manual with directions to connect the kit as a 4 to 1 balun (balanced coax to balanced antenna like zepp or from 450 ohm feeder line to coax for a tuner) or 4 to 1 unun (unbalanced coax to unbalanced antenna like end fed or random wire).

This balun will also transform at 4:1 for a wide variation of load impedances. Shown below are AIM 4170 SWR results for a 200 ohm load. This balun gives near perfect transformation through 30 Mhz with a SWR under 1.25 . Light blue vertical bars are ham bands starting at 160 meters at left to 10 meters at right.

BA 4 250 SWR 1 31 Mhz png - G5RV/ZS6BKW Antennas


 

Here is the Coax Noise Filter used to suppress coax common mode currents (works for all type of antennas)

 

PDF of ZS6BKW at AK6R Construction Article HERE: My ZS6BKW Antenna