Aspects herein describe increasing density of reference signal transmissions in wireless communications. A plurality of reference signal configurations, each indicating resource elements for one or more antenna ports over which reference signals for the one or more antenna ports are scheduled for transmission, can be received. An association configuration indicating an association between at least two antenna ports as having similar channel characteristics can also be received. A plurality of reference signals can be received in the resource elements corresponding to the at least two antenna ports as indicated in the at least two of the plurality of reference signal configurations, which can be used to perform a channel measurement of the similar channel characteristics of channels of the at least two antenna ports over at least a portion of the plurality of reference signals.