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:

Coax Inline Common Mode Choke Unun - 500 Watts 50-450 MHz

SKU FC-8X-5-61
$39.95
Bulk pricing available for quantities of 2 units or more
Output Connector
1
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Coax Inline Common Mode Choke Unun - 500 Watts 50-450 MHz
Product Details
Brand: Palomar Engineers
MPN: FC-8X-5-61
PEP Power Rating (watts): 500 Watts PEP
Estimated Insertion Loss (db): .025
Input Connector Type: PL-259 male
Output Connector Connector Type: PL-259 male
Ground Connector (Y/N): none
Enclosure Size (LxWxH inches): 3 foot cable

ASSEMBLED COAX FEED LINE CHOKES

Many customers have requested an assembled sleeve unun or balun 1/4" size cable and we have one all completed with shrink tubing and PL-259 end connectors or open ended on one end for a balanced connection such as a beam, dipole, etc.

All you need to add are 2 barrel connectors (Part # DFBC-1) to insert into your coax cable. For best results add one feed line choke at the antenna to keep the RF on the antenna and another feed line choke at the station entrance to reduce the common mode noise picked up by the antenna braid and fed into the station. Rated 500 watts from 50-450 MHz into 1:1 SWR load. Common Mode Rejection Ratio up to 20 dB (over 3 "S" units) - see graph for specifics..



 

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