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.
Here are several different 1:1 baluns you can use depending on power requirements:
The Bullet-16-1-500EB is a multi-core, 16:1 balun plus a 1:1 feed line choke in a single compact (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 rhombics and other wire antennas needing balanced 450 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.Use a 800 ohm non-inductive termination resistor (Our part# TR-800-600) for the T2FD when using this balun. Note you may also use a 1000 ohm resistor with similar results (Part# TR-1000-600)
Need higher power capability? See our 1500 watts 16:1 hybrid (part# CB-16-1-1500)
Remember we over engineer our products, to out perform our competition - just compare the weight and frequency range 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.
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