Installing a ZS6BKW Multi-band Dipole Antenna
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- Опубліковано 4 кві 2024
- #hamradio #zs6bkw #hf #antenna
In this video I show the process of installing a ZS6BKW multi-band antenna, using a tree to support the feed-point. The tree is large and expansive so I had to use my slingshot to thread the wire through the tree limbs. I was assisted by W4KWM and K5WAN. The antenna installation was for K5WAN, Wendell Neal. Wendell is one of the principal Net Control Operators for the Hurricane Watch Net, on 14.325MHz and 7.268MHz. K5WAN helped too, from his wheelchair. He installed the lightning arrestor and he used a masonry bit to drill through the brick exterior of the house, so we could get the coax through and into the shack. All connections were sealed with Coax Seal.
The video also shows the performance difference between the ZS6BKW and a ground-mounted Hustler 6BTV vertical with a yard full of buried radials.
The antenna was donated by NI4L.com. Chris Fox makes the best version of the ZS6BKW that there is. I’m sure you know by now that not all antennas are created equal. That is definitely the case with the famed G5RV. A G5RV can be an effective antenna, but it depends upon how it is made. There are so many variations and I haven’t seen any that are designed per the original specifications. In fact, British designer Louis Varney, callsign G5RV, only intended to create an antenna that would fit in his garden (backyard) and yield a 2:1 SWR on the 20-meter band.
The same variations happen with the ZS6BKW. Brian Austin, formerly ZS6BKW, took the original design specifications of the G5RV antenna and entered them into antenna modeling software. He tweaked the wire lengths and the length/type of balanced feeder until he found a solution that yielded a less than 2:1 SWR across the 12, 17, 20, and 40 meter bands. It also happens to cover the FM portion of the 10-meter band (29.6 to 29.7 MHz) with less than a 2:1 SWR. NI4L tweaked even more and his version of the ZS6BKW is the most well-constructed version, providing broad coverage across each of the covered bands. With a wide-range antenna matching unit (aka “antenna tuner”) other bands come into play, including the 15, 30, 60, and 80 meter bands. I want to thank Chris Fox for his generous gift toward this project.
We needed 100 feet of coaxial cable that was rated for direct burial. My favorite coax is LMR-400. DX Engineering was kind enough to donate 100 feet of their DXE-400MAX coax, with a PL-259 connector installed on each end. This coax is resistant to damage caused by Ultraviolet radiation. It is doubled-shielded, with a velocity factor of 84 and only 0.8dB of loss per 100 feet at 30Mhz - even less as you go lower in frequency. I want to thank Tim Duffy and Teri Grizer for their generosity.
At the end of this video, you will be able to see a listing of some of the supporters of this channel who made this video possible. These are people who have supported the channel via Patreon membership, as what I call long-haulers. Long-haulers have supported the channel on a long-term basis. There are 4 levels of Patreon membership, including S5 (Associate), S7 (Executive), S9 (VIP), and S9+ (VIP+). S9+ (VIP+) denotes an S9 (VIP) member who voluntarily chooses to give over and above the amount for S9 (VIP) membership. They help me continue to produce videos even though most people do not contribute toward the cost of my mission. Without their support, I cannot bring my viewers uncensored content.
I hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful. If you find my channel informative and entertaining, I hope you will consider joining my support group by clicking on: www.patreon.com/N4HNH There are 3 levels of support, including exclusive content. Visibility of premium content is determined by the level of membership you choose. The higher the membership level, the more content you have access to. VIP members are invited to participate in periodic Zoom meetings.
Most videos are visible to the Patreon team members long before they are released for public viewing. Some videos are never released for public viewing. Annual S7 (Executive) and S9 (VIP) members have access to the menu optimizations PDFs I’ve written for the FT-891, FT-991A, FTdx5000MP, FTdx101D/MP, FTdx10, and FT-710 AESS. Annual S7 (Executive) members can receive one menu optimizations PDF while abbual S9 (VIP) members can receive multiple menu optimizations documents, plus my FT8 configuration guide for either the FTdx10 or the FT-710 AESS. Future radios might be added. The documents are copyrighted. They shall not be divulged to anyone else without written permission from Doug McAlexander, callsign N4HNH.
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73, de N4HNH - Наука та технологія
Thanks so much to you and Wayne for making this project possible. Y'all are the greatest!!!
It was an honor, Wendell. Thank you for your commitment to our safety by providing real-time information to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Great video and thanks to the donators and you guys for representing What ham radio is truly about. Enjoy Wendell 73
I really appreciate DX Engineering and NI4L.com for their contribution to the project.
Nice tall tree! As hams say.. Height is Might! Or as you said "Wire in the Air" Enjoy the contacts! EDIT - You nailed it on the attenuation verticals can get when blocked by buildings.. Vertical current is near the ground and voltage increases as you get closer to the end, and if you have buildings in the way, that can certainly affect the signal trying to get out OR signal coming in.
The antenna isn’t 1/2 wavelength above ground for 40, 60, and 80 meters, but my experience has been that antennas are more forgiving than we give them credit for. 40, 60, and 80 meters are regional bands anyway. I don’t mind the higher takeoff angle on those bands. My ZS6BKW started at 32 feet above ground. I still worked DX with it at night, even on the low bands. It is at 45 feet now. Just get some wire in the air, however you have to do it.
Very cool video Doug. Thanks for posting. Enjoy that new antenna Wendell.
It was an honor to be a part of this project.
Great donations
Yes indeed. Others turned me down.
Qudos to the pair of you for taking the time and effort to help out another ham, my first antenna was a G5RV given to me by G5RV himself when he visited the UK back in the early 80's, i was 16 at the time and all the other members of the radio club had paid for the antenna presented to me by Louis Varney.
Love your channel.....and respect to NI4L and Dx-Engineering for being so generous 👋👋👋
That is such a great story. G5RV himself gave you an antenna. That’s awesome!
Thanks for this video. Have a great day~
Thank you! You too!
Nice video. I used a slingshot in the past as well as pneumatic gun to get my support lines in place. Most recently I have had great success with my DJI Mini 2 drone to take the fishing line up and over the top of a tree and drop it in the clear on the other side. The drone carries a remotely controlled solenoid from Amazon that can be actuated to release the line which is weighted with a 3 oz lead fishing sinker. I’ve had a lot of fun with this method. No frustrations with bad shots. 😊
That’s a worthy use of a drone. I’ve gotten pretty good with the slingshot and throw-bag methods over the years. I didn’t have the fancy EZ-Hang slingshot during most of those years. I used a homebrew version.
Just get some wire in the air! That is so true!!! Doug I think it is great to show a video like this on the process of installing a wire antenna in some trees. I think a lot of HAMs get intimidated by the task at hand and honestly all you need is some way to get a throw line in a tree and a couple of ropes and some skills with knot tying. All this can be learned on UA-cam or with an Elmer. I've helped a few hams get some wire in the air myself and it becomes fun. I could tell Wayne has done quite a bit with his branch threading skills. And I learned something in this video too I'll take to my next project. That trencher Wayne had is perfect! I need to get a 75 foot run of DXE 400-MAX in the ground after all this rain and I'm going to go get one of those! Get some wire in the air! 73!
Hi Curt! I’m glad you like this video. Wendell is good people and he deserves even more than I can deliver. Our next project is to put up a better VHF/UHF antenna for him. He can’t hit the Skywarn repeaters. MFJ has donated a 33 foot fiberglass mast. Now we need 50 feet of DXE-400 Max. Wendell said he will save up for it and buy it since DX Engineering was so kind to donate the coax for this HF project. BTW: When you order from DX Engineering, would you let them know that you saw this video?
@@n4hnhradio I have heard Wendell on the air during the net's and I've seen him on your VIP S9+ video chats. I just ordered from DXE yesterday before watching the video. I'm sure I'll order again soon. There is always something I need from them.
@kb9jqu Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Curt!
Nice install presentation, simple for the beginners. Always educational.
Glad you liked it, Ron!
You know what poison ivy looks like, right? 😉 I was looking when you were close in.
I’ve been infected with both poison ivy and poison oak, during SOTA outings. No infection this time. Just lots of cuts from briars.
It appears to be a variant on the design by G5RV, which uses a length of coax as an impedance matching device. Basically, any dipole can be used on different bands, the problem is in impedance matching and keeping feedline losses as low as possible. A quarter wave length of feedline (any type) will transform the impedance at the other end. A half wave length feedline will reproduce whatever impedance is at the other end. The G5RV was essentially an antenna designed for 20 meters, so used on that frequency would give a good match down at the radio. The simplest approach to a multi-band dipole is to make the flat top as long as possible, and use balanced feeders down to a tuner on the radio. It addresses the main two issues of impedance matching and feedline losses rather nicely. It would be interesting to put an analyzer on the end of that and determine R + X and radiation resistance at different frequencies.
It is a variation of the G5RV. Brian Austin, ZS6BKW, took the Louis Varney G5RV “garden antenna” and reimagined it using EZNEC software. Louis Varney was looking for a 2:1 on 20m from an antenna that would fit in his small backyard. His design baked for open wire feeder coupled to 72-Ohm coax. It was never intended for any band other than 20m. Louis was happy with a 2:1 SWR because for a tube type transmitter, a 2:1 is acceptable.
NI4L reimagined Brian Austin’s reimagining. He found that 420-Ohm window line from the Wireman achieves a very acceptable SWR for 40m, 20m, 17m, 12m, and the upper, FM, portion of 10m. The rest of 10m, plus 15m, 30m, 60m, and 80m can be used effectively with a wide-range antenna matching unit. I do it myself. The ZS6BKW is in the Doublet family. I have a 160m Doublet Antenna System. It rivals a Yagi but I cannot rotate it. The NI4L version of the ZS6BKW rivals my 160m Doublet Antenna System.
The 70 feet of coax for the NI4L ZS6BKW is non-negotiable. He warns about it on his website.
Most excellent!
Thank you! Wendell told me that he is working stations he can’t even hear with the vertical.
Great video! I have a G5RV Junior here in south Florida that I've found very satisfactory (smaller due to lot size) and was fascinated by the ZS6BKW. I am also very interested in the type of Lightning Arrestors you used for this project. If you wouldn't mind, could you provide some information about those? BTW - You are the recommended guru for anyone who asks me about my Yaesu FT-891 and how it functions. Those are some sterling instructional videos!
I’m glad you liked the video. The ZS6BKW has definitely proven to be a next level variant of the G5RV. Here is a link to the lightning arrestor Wendell uses: www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-005102
My 2 QTH HF antennas are the same Hustler 6BTV and ZS6BKW... both mine need some work though... maybe when I fix them we can make a contact on the air!
Wendell is enjoying his ZS6BKW. He has only had one contact this far that was stronger with the 6BTV. The ZS6BKW usually wins overwhelmingly.
Excellent video showcasing an excellent antenna. I’ve been using one exclusively for my HF needs and very happy with its performance. I’m lucky that it just fits in my urban neighborhood house. I like your 3D printed Call Sign - where did you get it? I assume that you made it? Thanks & ‘73
That’s not my callsign. It’s Wendell’s.
Question for you, I have a G5RV and I’m curious if this antenna would be a good addition. Maybe in a different orientation. Or are they too similar and not enough gain over the G5. Thanks!
Great video! Thank you!
I had a G5RV before switching to ZS6BKW. But not all G5RV antennas are created equal. My G5RV was a good performer. It started as a Van Gordon version, but I later rebuilt it using better materials and window line, instead of TV twin lead. Mine performed well.
The ZS6BKW seems to have a slight edge over my G5RV performance wise, but the biggest advantage is that no antenna tuner is required for 40, 20, 17, and 12m, and the upper portion of 10m. And the lower portion of 10m can be matched with the internal “touch-up” tuner in the modern radios.
Both antennas are in the doublet family. They will exhibit some gain on the upper frequencies, from 14MHz to 29.7 MHz.
Beginner Question: I like those antennas and want one, but I heard that you are supposed to have a very short coax cable, one guy on you tube said 5' to 10'feet maximum. Is this true? If it is that may be a deal breaker for me because I need around 50' to go from yard to home office through the attic. Is it really absolutely necessary to go only several feet to the tuner? Also, I thought these antennas could go all the way to 80M? Is yours a shortened version? I know I have a G5RV JR which also only goes down to 40 meters. Really nice video!
You should watch the videos in my ZS6BKW playlist. You have been severely misled. For one thing, you need a minimum of 70 feet of coax to complete the match. You don’t have to take my word for it. Read the “Important Note” at NI4L.com. Here is a link: www.ni4l.com/zs6bkw-g5rv-optimized-multi-band-hf-dipole-antenna-poly-stealth/
The antenna covers 4 bands (and part of another) without needing an antenna matching unit. It covers most bands with only an internal “touchup tuner”. It covers other bands, including 15, 30, 60, and 80m, with a wide-range antenna matching unit. The ZS6BKW is a computer-optimized relative of the G5RV. But it outperforms the G5RV.
@@n4hnhradio Yeah I rewatched your video and noticed I missed the part where you clearly said you can get 80M WITH a tuner, I do have a built-in antenna in my Icom 7300, but I also have an LDG ATU too. You know, I was wondering how that antenna could be so darn popular worldwide with a major limitation of having to use a really short coax, so your convincing me, also I know as a beginner that when I bought my first antenna (a simple Diamond vertical) they said the coax is actually acting as your counterpoise. Amazing how much more a feedline like ladder line and coax can do! Almost like they are part of the antenna elements huh? NI4L just got a customer thanks to you. 73
Chris has been struggling to keep up with orders but it is worth the wait.
@@n4hnhradio OK, I just now bought 75' of DX Engineering's RG 213, (Wendell was very lucky they gave it to you guys for free!) Not cheap coax, sure wish they gave it to me as a donation ;) but hey, everyone says don't get the cheap Chinese coax you see on Amazon. Thanks again for the information and excellent video. Aloha !
@alflores4220 we used LMR-400 for Wendell. DXE-400 Max is the part number. But RG-213 is second best. The better coax gets more power to the antenna. That power would normally be lost in the coax as heat. Plus better coax helps on receive too. The double shield of the DXE-400 Max also helps minimize noise. But RG-213 is a great second choice.
DX Engineering helped because of Wendell volunteering for the National Hurricane Center.
I've read some descriptions of the ZS6BKW that state that you will need at least 70 ft of coax to support this antenna. What have you found? AC1NY
The 70 feet minimum is not to support the antenna but to complete the match. The antenna works off of mathematical principles. Precision is necessary. But it allows the antenna to be used on 4.5 bands with less than a 2:1 SWR. 10 through 80 meters is possible with a wide-range antenna matching unit. I use mine on those bands with great success.
@@n4hnhradio So the guys saying keep that coax really short are wrong? I wish I could get that coax length question straight I hope I can use a long coax.
@@alflores4220 Generally coax length is not important. In this type of antenna, the coax is used as an impedance transformer so it must be the correct length to work properly.
@alflores4220 Yes, the guys saying to keep the coax short for a ZS6BKW are incorrect. The excerpt below is from the NI4L.com web page: Important Note:
As with all models of the G5RV antenna, the Optimized version also requires a minimum of 70 feet of 50-52 ohm coax to complete the matching network. Without this 70 foot of coax, the antenna will NOT function correctly.
Here is a link to that page: www.ni4l.com/zs6bkw-g5rv-optimized-multi-band-hf-dipole-antenna-poly-stealth/
@@n4hnhradio That's exactly right. There is so much confusion and misinformation about antennas and feedlines out there. Generally when we are interested in keeping losses to a minimum, feedlines should be as short and direct as possible. However, in an antenna design where the feedline has a critical function for the system, that rule gets second place. The 70 foot length of coax at HF frequencies will have negligible loss if it is high quality. The characteristic impedance of the coax is not most important. You could use 75 ohm coax (as in the G5RV original version) because the quarter wave point will transform the impedance at the antenna feedpoint, and will give more or less the same impedance as 50 ohm coax.
No matching transformer between the window line and coax?
No 1:1 choke Balun. I’ve tried it with and without. The SWR curve was adversely affected by the choke Balun. Not terrible but enough. The coax is acting as a matching section. That’s why there is a requirement for a minimum of 70 feet of coax.
I snapped 3 Mix-31 chokes onto the coax of mine, just to make me feel better, but I haven’t had any issues with common-mode current even before I snapped those 3 on. It just made me feel better. Ironically, it’s my 160m Doublet, which terminates to a 4:1 choke Balun, that has common-mode current. You probably saw the video from 2022, when I solved the RF in the shack that was caused by the common-mode current.
Yup. Good instructional video on putting up wire antennas in trees.