Chapter 20
Diversity Reception Techniques
Ionospheric fading affects shortwave propa-
gation more than the other bands. Because
of the vagaries of ionospheric propagation,
high-frequency shortwave signals cannot be
depended on for highly critical applications.
But, in amateur radio, international broad-
casting, and a host of other services, the
high-frequency shortwave bands are as still
popular as ever.
Perhaps the main mechanism for
ionospheric distortion of the signal on
shortwave radio is fading. Unfortunately, on
amplitude modulation (AM) stations, the
two sidebands fade out of phase with each
other and also with the RF carrier, produc-
ing a hollow, rolling fade. Added to ordi-
nary amplitude fading, this makes desired
signals difficult to receive.
How do the big international broadcast-
ers and other users of spectrum space deal
with fading? Well, truthfully, most of them to-
day use satellite reception. It is much more
reliable. But in their heyday, shortwave
broadcasters and local relaying signals from a
shortwave source used diversity reception
techniques. Even today, commercial users of
the shortwave spectrum use diversity recep-
tion as a matter of course.
295
DIVERSITY RECEPTION
The best method for ridding ourselves of fad-
ing in the shortwave is diversity reception.
There are three versions of diversity recep-
tion: frequency diversity reception, spatial di-
versity reception, and polarization diversity
reception. We look at all three methods in
this chapter.
FREQUENCY DIVERSITY
Frequency diversity reception is based on
the differential fading of different shortwave
frequencies. This is seen when the side-
bands and carrier fade out of phase with
each other. By its nature, AM separates the
lower sideband, carrier, and upper sideband
in frequency equal to the audio spread of
the input signal to the transmitter’s modula-
tor. The signals do not fade the same
amount and at the same time. By using dif-
ferent frequencies, and then voting on the
output received, the desired reception can
often be obtained.
Figure 20.1 shows a frequency diversity
scheme. Three receivers are used in this
296 THE TECHNICIAN’S RADIO RECEIVER HANDBOOK
MULTI-FREQUENCY ANTENNA
Fig. 20.1 Frequency diversity system.
scheme, although two, four, or five may be
used in actual practice. Each receiver is
tuned to a different frequency or, perhaps, a
different band. The antenna inputs of the re-
ceivers are tied together in a single multifre-
quency antenna that covers all the bands.
Note the outputs of the receivers. They
go to some sort of combiner that votes on
which has the best signal. This circuit may be
at the IF or audio. In IF-based systems, the
combiner also includes the demodulator cir-
cuitry, so that audio signals come out of the
combiner.
SPATIAL DIVERSITY
Spatial diversity reception depends on the
movement of the wave from place to place as
it fades. This is due largely to the ionosphere
being unstable heightwise, and therefore, the
signal walks about a bit. The spatial diversity
reception system is shown in Figure 20.2.
The key to spatial diversity reception is
the antenna field. Although three antennas
RECEIVER NO. 1
RECEIVER NO. 2
AUDIO
COMBINER
OUTPUT
RECEIVER NO. 3
and receivers are shown here, real systems
may have two to five antenna/receiver com-
binations. The key to the antenna field’s per-
formance is that they are spaced nλ/2 apart,
where n is an integer (including 1). This
spacing is dictated by the physics of the situ-
ation. Any closer spacing would nullify the
operation considerably.
Three receivers are shown in the spatial
diversity reception scheme of Figure 20.2.
Note that the same audio or IF combiner cir-
cuitry is used as in the frequency diversity
reception method (why mess up a good
thing?). The IF/audio combiner outputs the
highest signal automatically.
Note that the variable frequency oscil-
lators of the three receivers are linked to-
gether. More correctly, a designated “master”
receiver drives a VFO input on the other
two receivers. This configuration permits
the user to adjust just one receiver, while
controlling all three. One sure sign that a re-
ceiver is designed for the diversity reception
is the existence of VFO in/out connectors
on the rear panel.

ANTENNA NO. 1
nl / 2
ANTENNA NO. 2
nl / 2
ANTENNA NO. 3
SLAVE RECEIVER NO. 1
SLAVE RECEIVER NO. 2
Fig. 20.2 Spatial diversity system.
POLARIZATION DIVERSITY
RECEPTION
The polarity of the transcendental electromag-
netic wave that forms the shortwave signal is
messed up, to say the least. Despite as much
as 30 dB difference between the vertical and
horizontal polarization (i.e., if you cross-polar-
ize your receiver antenna you will suffer up to
a 30 dB loss), it rarely matters on shortwave
whether or not the polarity of the receiver an-
tenna matches that of the transmitter antenna
(normally good engineering practice). The
reason is that the polarity of the incoming sig-
nal keeps shifting and rotating.
The solution to the problem is shown at
Figure 20.3. Polarization diversity reception
uses two or more receivers tuned to the same
frequency, but fed with colocated vertically
and horizontally polarized antennas. The an-
tennas are located at the same site but are of
Diversity Reception Techniques 297
MASTER RECEIVER
VFO
AUDIO
COMBINER
OUTPUT
opposite polarization. That way, when the
polarity shifts from more vertical to more
horizontal, the proper receiver takes over.
The same IF/audio combiner present in
the previous two methods is used again in
polarization diversity reception. As in Figure
20.2, the VFO of the master receiver is driving
the VFO in terminal on the slave receiver.
Again, this allows a cochannel receiver to be
operated by the master receiver.
IF/AUDIO COMBINER
The IF/audio combiner might be a simple
voting logic signal selector on the audio sig-
nal. It will select whichever of the two to
five receivers is putting out the strongest
signal, or if two or more are putting out
equally strong signals, it will select accord-
ing to a protocol.
298 THE TECHNICIAN’S RADIO RECEIVER HANDBOOK
ANTENNA NO. 2
(HORIZONTAL)
ANTENNA NO. 1
(VERTICAL)
MASTER RECEIVER
SLAVE RECEIVER NO. 1
Fig. 20.3 Polarity diversity system.
Another type of combiner operates at
the IF frequency of the receivers. This com-
biner takes the signal and suppresses the car-
rier and one sideband, then reinserts a strong
local carrier from an oscillator circuit. The re-
created single-sideband signal is more free of
fading than any of the input signals, so it is
used to create the audio output on top of the
advantages provided by diversity reception.
This, at least, eliminates the problem of
the sidebands fading out of phase with each
VFO
AUDIO
COMBINER
OUTPUT
other and the carrier. The method is called
the Farnsworth method by some authorities
and the Crosley method by others.
Still another method for the combiner
is synchronous AM reception. This is an up-
dated version of the Farnsworth or Crosley
method as nearly as I can tell, because it re-
quires the carrier to be nulled out through
phasing, then uses an oscillator to reconsti-
tute the carrier.