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:

All Slip On Ferrite Beads

Ferrite beads are used for RF decoupling and parasitic suppression. When placed over a wire, cable or coaxial cable they suppresses common mode current flowing on the wire or wire bundle or the outside of the coax shield but does not affect the signal inside the coax cable or wire (differential current).

For RFI common mode suppression use, mix 31 is effective from 1-300 Mhz, mix 43 works from 25-300 Mhz, Mix 61 is for 200-2000 Mhz, and mix 77 favors .1-50 MHz.These frequencies are those of the interfering signal to be eliminated, not the operating frequencies of the equipment to be protected. See Mix Selection for other applications.

SNAP ON Sizes for Heliax and Coax Cable

Shown below in the table are the SLIP ON and SNAP ON products for various popular Heliax and Coax cables. These are the correct size for making sleeve chokes – See above table for technical details.

SNAP per Coax - 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