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:

RFI Common Mode Noise Filter Kits for Generic Antenna Switches - Isolate Non-Selected Coax Braid Noise!

RFI-AS-GEN-2
$129.95
Suppress Unwanted Noise & RFI
In stock
1
Product Details

Coax antenna switches generally only switch the center conductor of the coax and all the coax braids remain connected in parallel summing the common mode noise off ALL coax lines onto the coax selected - this means you may be picking up common mode noise from coax lines that are not even connected to the coax antenna selected. The only practical solution is to isolate the coax braids from each other BEFORE they connect to the antenna switch as shown in the picture for a simple 2 position antenna switch.

This product listing is for antenna switches from 2 - 8 antennas. Each switched line needs a common mode noise filter prior to being connected to the switch. In some cases you can use a double male barrel connector to attach the filter to the switch or you may need a short jumper cable.

We offer a low power filter (CMNF-500-50 up to 500 watts PEP and up to 46 dB of common mode noise suppression per line) or a high power (Maxi-Choker, MC-1-3000 up to 3KW PEP and up to 60 dB of common mode noise suppression per line) and 2-8 ports of antenna switch. If you use a dummy load for one of the switched ports you do not need a filter for that port. Each filter has a range of 1.8 to 61 MHz (see individual listing on this website for specifics).


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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