Topband: Diversity receiving

[Jim Brown]

On 9/28/2025 9:20 AM, VE6WZ_Steve wrote:
> Diversity RX on the Flex (or any other radio) is really “stereo diversity”, meaning one RX channel in each ear, using a different antenna on each. Your brain does the "diversity work” filling in the signal from each ear as required. It really can be magical and very effective.

Exactly right. Diversity is Antenna A to reciever A to left ear and 
antenna B to receiver B to right ear, and ideally with the receivers 
frequency-locked.
  > > “Phasing from 2 antennas” with the NNC-1 boxes is a very different 
thing, and mostly related to “beam forming” or pattern development and 
null steering. (which I have also done).

Yes. I've done that, and it's quite useful. This applications note 
describes a pair of VE3DO loops phased with an NCC-1. The installation 
is optimized for 160M, with the two loops spaced 5/8 wavelength and 
phasing can shift the beam to cover all of EU. It's also effective on 80M.

http://k9yc.com/VE3DO.pdf

The phased loops supplement two two full wave 160M reversible Beverages, 
one centered on EU and VK, the other to South America and central Asia. 
I built them the first year I moved here from Chicago, in late 2006. I 
built the VE3DO loops in 2017. I'm also remotely reversing their 
direction with DC switched relays at their feedpoint.

The primary use of diversity here in NorCal is dealing with selective 
fading, which is really phase cancellation between signals from the 
receive station having traveled more than one path to my station. But I 
also find it useful when the band is open to weak signals from opposing 
directions, a common example of which is when the band is open to the 
Pacific and I still have callers from the east coast.

73, Jim K9YC