Switching antennas in a diversity receiver

A receiver for receiving digitally-encoded data has a plurality of diversity antennas 32,34, respectively coupled to inputs of a selector 36. A received signal selected by the selector is equalised by an adaptive equalizer 44 and then demodulated to recover data, when possible. A quality metric dependent on the quality of the recovered data is generated. A switch controller 56 responsive to the quality metric controls the selector 36. After the controller controls the selector to select a new antenna, it monitors the quality metric as the adaptive equaliser retrains and, if the quality metric does not exceed a predetermined threshold before a predetermined forward guard time expires, the controller causes the selector to select another antenna. The switch controller may also receive a signal level 421 dependent on the level of the received signal. After the controller controls the selector to select a new antenna, if the level of the received signal is less than a predetermined threshold the demodulator recovers data, if possible, for a short, predetermined time and, if the quality metric derived therefrom does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the controller controls the selector to select another antenna after the short, predetermined time.