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 RFI-HTS kit is specifically designed to cure most home theater/audio/video systems triggered by Radio Frequency Interference problems generated by AM/FM, CB and Ham radio transmitters or other consumer electronic devices. The ferrite filters are selected to eliminate RFI from 1 to 300 MHz. The ferrites are easy to use, don’t require modification of the protected equipment and work in almost all cases.
What is included in the kit?The RFI-HTS kit contains a selection of ferrites for 4 AC powered units such as cable/satellite box, HDTV, amplifier system, DVD/BlueRay player and powered sub-woofer. RFI at lower frequencies typically comes through the AC power lines acting as “antennas” picking up the interference signal and these ferrite compositions have been specifically selected to suppress this interference. Also included are snap-on ferrites in 1/2" (4) and 3/8″ (4) hole size to accommodate various interconnect and speaker wires. An instruction sheet is included with typical installation examples.
TECH NOTE: We also stock RFI kits to protect effected devices such as garage door openers, computers (laptops, desktops), dsl/cable routers, ethernet hubs and many more devices.Remember there is always a “transmitter” and a “receiver” of RFI and the quest is to find and choke the “path” the RFI has selected – you need to add ferrites to both the transmitting side and the receiving side to eliminate RFI problems. The RFI-HTS kit only helps suppress RFI on the receiving side.
Typical RFI Problem/Solution:
Hello, I am Larry, a ham operator and I am having interference issues with my Direct TV system. My station is a FT450D through an Ameritron ALS-600. From the amp through a coax switch to choose between an OCF dipole or an Hustler 5BTV vertical. Any power over 100 watts and my DTV goes off the air and must completely reboot/format. Coax is RG-8. The DTV dish is pointed away from the dipole and separated by about 25'. DTV was totally useless! They suggested I not talk on the radio while she is watching TV! Please help me with a reasonable, cost effective soultion. (The wife gets really pissed when I shutdown the tv!) Thank you, Larry
Hi Larry,
Your RFI problem is quite common and is usually a sign of either a radiating coax feed line or reception of your radiated signal (source) by the Direct TV (the victim) through either the AC power lines acting as “antennas” for your ham signal or the coax braid of the satellite antenna acting as an antenna for your signal.
The solutions are straight forward using our home theater system RFI kit.
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