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:

sleeve balun   45 degrees gif - G5RV/ZS6BKW Antennas

Palomar 1:1 feed line choke kits are current baluns (split output) or ununs (coax output). They consist of several models with 5-15 large ferrite beads that slip over the coax (but will not slip over a connector). Also included are three lengths of shrink tubing to enclose the balun and hold the beads in place on the cable. They work from 1.8-300 MHz (see impedance table for each product for measured choking impedance levels for 5-15 beads) and allow use of full power rating of the coaxial cable at an SWR of 1:1. No tools are required for installation, just a source of heat to shrink the tubing using a heat gun, lighter, matches.

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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