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:

CUBE 1.5:1 Unun, 50 in/75 ohms out, 1.5KW, 1.8-65 MHz UHF In/Out

SKU CU-1.5-1500SOX
$99.95
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CUBE 1.5:1 Unun, 50 in/75 ohms out, 1.5KW, 1.8-65 MHz UHF In/Out
Product Details
Brand: Palomar Engineers
Effective Frequency Range (MHz): 1.8-65 MHz
PEP Power Rating (watts): 1500
Estimated Insertion Loss (db): .10
Input Connector Type: SO-239 female
Output Connector Connector Type: SO-239 female
Ground Connector (Y/N): none
Enclosure Size (LxWxH inches): 4 x 4 x 2

1500 Watt Rated 1.5:1 CUBE™ Unun

Purpose. The CU-1.5-1500 (1500 watts PEP) or CU-1.5-5000 (5KW PEP) is used as a 1:1 unun(aka feed line choke, line isolator) for 50 ohm unbalanced coax cable input to 75 ohm unbalanced coax output at full amateur radio legal power (1500/5000-watts PEP) into a matched load 50 ohm load for 1.8-61 MHz (or a balanced output load for the CB-1.5-1500/5000). The unun (or balun) is designed to have a high RF impedance to common mode currents on the outside of the coax braid while passing RF currents on the inside of the coax braid to the antenna.

For maximum common mode current protection (and receiver noise floor reduction due to common mode current pickup by the coaxial braid), use one feed line choke such as the CU-1-1500 (for 50 ohms coax) or CU-1.5-1500/5000 (for 75 ohm coax) at the antenna and another at the radio shack equipment connection or input of antenna tuner.In some difficult RFI cases, additional common mode chokes are needed between equipment such as linear amps and antenna tuners, and transceivers.

This Unun or Balun designed to work with 75 ohm loads and the Unun/Balun will be damaged if you use at high impedances and high power such as driving a 40 meter antenna with an 80 meter transmitter signal where the load impedance on the antenna is very high.Best use is with antennas having a load impedance near 75 ohm range.


 

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