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:
| Dim | mm | mm tol | nominal inch | inch misc. |
| A | 49.5 | +/- 2.5 | 1.948 | _ |
| B | 33.70 | _ | 1.327 | _ |
| C | 32.3 | +/- 1.6 | 1.272 | _ |
| D | 7.70 | +/- 0.5 | 0.303 | _ |
| Cable Information | |||
| Max Diameter | Max Dimension | Solid Equivalent | Flat Cable Cores |
| 0 0 |
33.70mm x 1.30mm | _ | - |
Excellent for reducing RFI/Noise into/from flat data,/video cables up to 34mm wide and 1 mm thick. Very useful suppression up to 500 MHz using mix 43 material.
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