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:

1112255371 - G5RV/ZS6BKW Antennas
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MINI-CHOKER Coax Line Isolator, 500 Watts PEP, up to -38Db Common Mode Rejection, 1-61 MHz, 1:1 Unun

MC-1-500-50
$69.95
In stock
1
Product Details
Brand: Palomar Engineers
MPN: MC-1-500-50
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Effective Frequency Range (MHz): 1-60
PEP Power Rating (watts): 500 SSB (25% duty cycle), 250 Watts CW/FT8 (50% duty cycle)
Choking Impedance Range (ohms): 500-5000 (1-60 Mhz)
Common Mode Attenuation (db): 20-35db
Estimated Insertion Loss (db): .25 db
Input Connector Type: SO-239 female
Output Connector Connector Type: SO-239 female
Enclosure Size (LxWxH inches): 3" long, 2 in wide, 1.25" high

MINI-CHOKER(TM) Features:

- Uses proprietary Multi-Turn ferrite technology for maximum choking (up to -38 dB common mode noise rejection) and maximum bandwidth

- 500 Watts PEP, 50 ohm SO-239 connectors In/Out, 1-61 MHz (usable to 100 MHz) - AKA 1:1 UNUN

- Works for all coax fed antennas from 1.8-61 MHz (160-6 meters) - excellent for multi-band beams, verticals, dipoles, magnetic loops and highly unbalanced off center fed antennas.

- 2-5 times more common mode noise rejection, wider bandwidth and higher power then competing isolators

MINI-CHOKER feed line chokes are used to suppress common mode current carried on the outside of the coax braid which is often responsible for receiver noise and RFI in the receiver/transmitter. These chokes are very useful for suppressing RFI common mode current at the antenna feed point, at 1/2 wavelength intervals along the coax feed line and also at the entrance to the radio station.

This choke is available with a SO-239 input/output and ground/static bleeder stud (optional) for attachment to a ground rod. Use an isolator every 1/2 wavelength for the antenna operating frequency (include velocity factor in calculation). Use the ground lug option for long coax antenna feed lines (over 1/2 wavelength at the operating frequency of any antenna system in the near field of the coax).

For Higher Power needs use our MAXI-CHOKER 3KW version part# MC-1-3000 or 5KW version MC-1-5000.






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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