Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This is ZS6BKW antenna. Ham Radio antennas for HF portable use need to be unique , in a way: easy deployment, high efficiency, simple construction, less various baluns and transformers and coax cables as possible. There is not so many such antennas. ZS6BKW is one of those. It’s a cousin of well known G5RV antenna but with much better specs, as it’s design based on computer-modeled best lengths of 450 Ohm windows-line feeder and the dipole arms. The idea of using transmission line as an impedance transformer was anticipated by Louis Varney, G5RV back in 1950’s, and then developed with much more precise computer calculations by Brian Austin , G0GSF, in some 1980’s and was named ZS6BKW Antenna, as such was a callsign of B. Austin at that time. The ZS6BKW project is kept on developing constantly by other hams. My version is based on an article in the dl9nbj.de blog and is adopted for the 450 Ohm window-line use.
My field test shows that this antenna can (in my particular location and configuration!) work good or satisfactory without the tuner on 40,20,17 and 12m bands, and with the ATU it can tune all the bands from 80-10m with no problems. The best results were achieved when used together with the 1:1 Balun. The tuner used was an in-built Elecraft KX-2 ATU. Some further experiments will be conducted to test the manual Z-match or similar , balance-line-ready tuner. Stay tuned!
I designed my own 3D-printed Dipole Centre for this antenna. STL file is available on my printables.com account:
printables.com/model/621336-universal-doublet-dipole-centre
Here are some links to my other videos, explaining some aspects of this video:
Spiderbeam 10m mast
youtu.be/_-j_kbx0G10?si=fqBo9u8J9f4Ll4lV
My favorite knots in ham radio
youtu.be/emp4OsPKyFI?si=WFQWmtJDmTf091Lk
Please consider subscribing if you like my videos.
Please hit the Thanks button under the video, or Buy me a coffee if you want to support this channel:
buymeacoffee.com/ly2h
73! @Linas_LY2H
This is ZS6BKW antenna. Ham Radio antennas for HF portable use need to be unique , in a way: easy deployment, high efficiency, simple construction, less various baluns and transformers and coax cables as possible. There is not so many such antennas. ZS6BKW is one of those. It’s a cousin of well known G5RV antenna but with much better specs, as it’s design based on computer-modeled best lengths of 450 Ohm windows-line feeder and the dipole arms. The idea of using transmission line as an impedance transformer was anticipated by Louis Varney, G5RV back in 1950’s, and then developed with much more precise computer calculations by Brian Austin , G0GSF, in some 1980’s and was named ZS6BKW Antenna, as such was a callsign of B. Austin at that time. The ZS6BKW project is kept on developing constantly by other hams. My version is based on an article in the dl9nbj.de blog and is adopted for the 450 Ohm window-line use.
My field test shows that this antenna can (in my particular location and configuration!) work good or satisfactory without the tuner on 40,20,17 and 12m bands, and with the ATU it can tune all the bands from 80-10m with no problems. The best results were achieved when used together with the 1:1 Balun. The tuner used was an in-built Elecraft KX-2 ATU. Some further experiments will be conducted to test the manual Z-match or similar , balance-line-ready tuner. Stay tuned!
I designed my own 3D-printed Dipole Centre for this antenna. STL file is available on my printables.com account:
printables.com/model/621336-universal-doublet-dipole-centre
Here are some links to my other videos, explaining some aspects of this video:
Spiderbeam 10m mast
youtu.be/_-j_kbx0G10?si=fqBo9u8J9f4Ll4lV
My favorite knots in ham radio
youtu.be/emp4OsPKyFI?si=WFQWmtJDmTf091Lk
Please consider subscribing if you like my videos.
Please hit the Thanks button under the video, or Buy me a coffee if you want to support this channel:
buymeacoffee.com/ly2h
73! @Linas_LY2H
