Cable reduction

A system comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a circuit network interconnecting the first, second, third, and fourth ports, and adapted to:

• a) provide bidirectional passage of signals within a first frequency band between the first and fourth ports;
• b) provide bidirectional passage of signals within a second frequency band between the second and fourth ports;
• and
• c) provide bidirectional passage of an additional signal between the third and fourth ports,
• wherein the circuit network comprises first and second filter networks, which provide a first impedance between the first and fourth ports, a second impedance between the second and fourth ports, and a third impedance between the third and fourth ports;
• and
• wherein the first filter network comprises a first bias tee network and the second filter network comprises a second bias tee network, the first bias tee network comprising the first and fourth ports and a first node, and the second bias tee network comprising the second and third ports and a second node, which is coupled to the first node.

A system comprising a cable, a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, a fifth port, a sixth port, a seventh port, and a eighth port, wherein the first port, second port, third port, and fourth port form a portion of a first apparatus located in a base housing, and the fifth port, sixth port, seventh port, and the eighth port form a portion of a second apparatus located in a masthead in a base station environment, and further comprising a first circuit network interconnecting the first, second, third, and fourth ports, and a second circuit network interconnecting the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth ports, wherein the first circuit network is adapted to:

• a) provide bidirectional passage of signals within a first frequency band between the first and fourth ports;
• b) provide bidirectional passage of signals within a second frequency band between the second and fourth ports;
• and
• c) provide bidirectional passage of an additional signal between the third and fourth ports,
• wherein the second circuit network is adapted to:
• d) provide bidirectional passage of signals within a first frequency band between the fifth and eighth ports;
• e) provide bidirectional passage of signals with a second frequency band between the sixth and eighth ports;
• and
• f) provide bidirectional passage of DC or baseband signals between the seventh and eighth ports.
• wherein the cable is coupled between the fourth and eighth ports, and
• wherein masthead electronics in the masthead comprise:
• g) a first input adapted to receive a first receive signal centered about a first center frequency from a first antenna;
• h) a second input adapted to receive a second receive signal centered about the first center frequency from a second antenna;
• i) first translation circuitry adapted to translate the first receive signal from the first antenna to being centered about a second center frequency;
• and
• j) combining circuitry adapted to combine the first receive signal centered about the second center frequency and the second receive signal to form a composite signal, which is sent to base housing electronics over the cable via the second apparatus in the first frequency band.