A "optimum" installation would employ multiple antennae, with a separate antenna for transmit and the two receiver inputs.

Antenna placement and type is critical. The optimum configuration would be to mount the receive antennae at the top of a tower with ten wavelengths horizontal antenna to antenna separation, with the transmit antenna mounted lower as in the previous page.

Realistically, it is generally difficult to obtain ten wavelength horizontal separation, so the system designer should be flexible. Ten wavelength vertical separation is also acceptable. Care should be taken to isolate the receive antennas from the transmit antenna in order to secure an optimum receive antenna to receive antenna separation. Proper separation between the two receive antennae is critical to diversity reception. Note that more than ten wavelengths separation is not a disadvantage.

If a tower-top receive preamplifier is utilitzed, experience has shown it is only required on one of the two receive antenna systems, generally the highest antenna on the tower.

The goal of a diversity receive system is to provide radically different signal paths to a distant mobile transmitter to improve the chances than a good path is always available as the remote unit moves.