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:

Yaesu FT-710 Deluxe Transceiver RFI Kit - 6 RFI/Noise Reduction Filters + Coax Noise Filter

SKU RFI-YAESU-710DLX
$99.95
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Yaesu FT-710 Deluxe Transceiver RFI Kit - 6 RFI/Noise Reduction Filters + Coax Noise Filter
Product Details
MPN: RFI-YAESU-991DELUXE
Type: NEW
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Filter Power Rating (PEP watts): 1500
RFI Suppression Range (MHz): 1-300 MHz
# Ferrite Filters: 6 (1 ring, 5 snap-on), CMNF-500-50 Coax Noise Filter
Enclosure Size (inches): n/a
Typical Use:: DC power, RF, 5 additional I/O lines

BUY THIS KIT NOW TO SOLVE YOUR RFI PROBLEMS! WORKS WITH MANY BRANDS OF HAM/COMMERCIAL HF RADIOS INCLUDING THE YAESU FT-710. This kit is an improvement over our standard Yaesu FT-710 RFI Kit and now includes our very effective Coax Noise Filter, (CMNF-500-50) to reduce common mode noise picked up by the antenna feed line coax as well as individual filters for the DC power line, and other cables including DIN Plug, Remote/CIV, AMP Send/ALC, and USB.

Kit Includes one noise reduction ring filter for AC/DC power, a CMNF-500-50 coax noise filter for the RF coax and 5 snap on filters (1/2") for I/O cables covering RFI range of 1-300 MHz. Quick installation - immediate RFI/noise reduction. No radio mods required.


This kit will help reduce or eliminate:

1. “Hot mic” RFI caused by poor grounding of antennas or common mode currents from linear amps feeding unbalanced (coax fed) antennas without baluns/line isolators.

2. RFI to neighbor’s electronic devices including audio/video systems, computers, telephones, garage door openers, etc.

3. RFI to your other radios, audio/video systems, computers, telephones, etc.

A side benefit is a reduction in noise floor in your receiver depending on the amount of noise being introduced by common mode currents (which are blocked/reduced by the chokes in this kit).

These chokes use a special mix of ferrite core material that is effective in suppressing radio frequency interference from transmitters and high noise floor on receivers.

The split beads beads are easy to use, don’t require modification of the protected equipment and work in almost all cases, even when plug-in filters fail.

Use of the chokes often helps cure SWR problems between transceiver and a linear amp and between transceiver and antenna tuner or direct to antenna. The DC power line choke helps keep common mode current out of the power line which could cause interference to other devices connected to the same power line if not suppressed.

For additional RFI suppression, use a feed line choke at the antenna feed point to suppress common current on the coax feed line during TRANSMIT.


If you use a linear amplifier use a Palomar Engineers amplifier RFI kit for additional RFI interference suppression.


 

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