| has gloss | eng: In electronics, Lecher lines or Lecher wires are a pair of parallel wires or rods that were used to measure the wavelength of radio waves, mainly at microwave frequencies. They form a short length of balanced transmission line, with the radio waves forming standing waves along their length. By sliding a conductive bar that bridges the two wires along their length, the length of the waves can be physically measured. Austrian physicist Ernst Lecher, improving on techniques used by Oliver Lodge and Heinrich Hertz, developed this method of measuring wavelength around 1888. However, better methods of frequency measurement are available today, and Lecher lines are now more often used as components in radio frequency equipment such as television sets, serving as resonant circuits, narrow band filters, and impedance matching devices. They are used at frequencies between HF/VHF where lumped components are used, and UHF/SHF where resonant cavities are more practical. |
