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:

Bullet 50:600 (12:1) HF Balun, 1.8-61 MHz, 500/1500 Watts, T2FD, BBTD, ALE

SKU Bullet-12B-500
$89.95
Bulk pricing available for quantities of 2 units or more
Power Rating
Balun/Unun
1
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Bullet 50:600 (12:1) HF Balun, 1.8-61 MHz, 500/1500 Watts, T2FD, BBTD, ALE
Product Details
MPN: Bullet-12B
Country/Region of Manufacture: USA
Type: NEW
Input ohms/Output ohms: 50 in, 600 out
Frequency Range < 2:1 SWR (MHz): 3-30
PEP Power Rating (watts): 500
Weight (pounds): 2
Antenna Compatability: T2FD, BBTD, ALE, Rhombic

The Bullet-12B-500 is a multi-core balun with a compact enclosure (looks like a bullet) enclosure that is lightweight and easy to transport for your fixed/portable ALE, T2FD or BBTD antenna systems. Also useful for low power rhombics and other wire antennas needing balanced 600 ohm output. Halyard hoist at top of balun for convenient attachment point. Input is via SO-239 coax connector and output with side eye bolt output.

This transformer requires a feed line choke to isolate the coax feed line from the antenna. A coax noise filter at the radio end of the coax is also recommended to reduce common mode noise current picked up by the coax braid.


NOTE: We rate our Bullet baluns (and ununs) VERY conservatively at 500/1500 watts PEP with a 50% duty cycle. Some manufacturers selling low cost baluns may use a 5% duty cycle for their PEP rating to make it appear you get a higher rated balun for a lower price, but you may in fact be getting be getting less. Their 1500 watts PEP really means 75 watts continuous or 150 watts at a 50% duty cycle compared to our 250 watts at 50% duty cycle. Our baluns typically cover a larger frequency range under 2:1 SWR which make your transceiver happy and probably will last longer with less electrical stress.

Remember we over engineer our products, to out perform our competition - just compare the weight of our baluns to theirs and you will know we put much more into our products so you don't have to worry about failure at a critical moment.

12:1 ununs show 9:1 unun picture but internal construction is set for 600 ohm output rather than 450 in 9:1


 

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