Patent ID: 8041313

Claim:
A communications system comprising: a high-power signal cable coupled to a signal amplifier, the high-power signal cable to convey a transmission signal produced by the signal amplifier; a radio frequency circuit coupled to the high-power signal cable, the radio frequency circuit configured to transmit and receive signals, the radio frequency circuit comprising: a plurality of antennas, a passive network having a plurality of output ports and a plurality of input ports, each output port coupled to an antenna of the plurality of antennas, the passive network configured to provide a signal at an input port to an output port, and a plurality of switches coupled to the high-power signal cable, each switch coupled to an input port in the plurality of input ports, the plurality of switches to selectively couple the transmission signal conveyed by the high-power signal cable to the plurality of input ports based on a control signal; and a control unit coupled to the plurality of switches, the control unit configured to produce the control signal based on a specified coupling of the high-power signal cable to the plurality of antennas; wherein the communications system is installed at least in part on a communications tower, wherein the radio frequency circuit is installed at or near the top of the communications tower, and wherein the signal amplifier is installed at or near the bottom of the communications tower.