The Lab display case holds examples of ARRL-designed projects ranging from simple to complex.

This time we'll learn about ARRL's Technical Information Service and take a peek inside the screen room where a transceiver is being tested. We'll also learn about a Headquarters Amateur Radio station that is not W1AW.

Technical Information Service

One of the benefits of membership is access to expert advice from ARRL Lab engineers. Questions come from members all over the world and range from a simple request for help with tuning a rig to a complex problem that may require Lab staff to consult with volunteer Technical Advisors who are specialists in their respective fields.

If a member submits a question the Lab believes may be of interest to a large number of hams, ARRL may print the question--and its answer--in the QST column called The Doctor Is IN. There you can read contributions from other readers and--should it be necessary--read a correction or additional information relating to the original question.

TIS recommends that you use the ARRL Field Organization as your first resource for technical assistance. Each League Section has a Technical Coordinator and/or one or more Technical Specialists. These volunteers can offer hands-on help with local technical problems (such as RFI), and can provide personal advice about antennas, station grounding or other questions that are best answered in person. Your ARRL Section Manager can refer you to your local TC or TS.

Before you call HQ with a question about a magazine article, keep in mind that the author is usually the best person to contact, especially for construction projects. QST and ARRLWeb articles give an e-mail or other address where the author can be reached.

The ARRL Technical Information Service is available to all ARRL members. It's a valuable source of information and research for questions that cannot be answered by the Technical Coordinator or an article author. Members should contact tis@arrl.org. TIS is pleased to help a new ham get started or help an old timer get back into ham radio but non-members will be asked to join the ARRL so we can continue to provide this valuable membership service.

If you want to know whether ARRL has published something on a particular subject, TIS staff can help you research this information or personally explain a technical point to you via e-mail, letter or telephone. E-mail is usually the best method of contact since it provides time for the TIS staff to research your inquiry completely and it eliminates expensive phone charges. Bear in mind that Technical Information Service staff answers questions on Amateur Radio, not CB, computers or other hobbies. TIS can also supply photocopies of out-of-print QST or QEX articles or article construction templates--as mentioned in the text of an article. Reprints are available from the Technical Department Secretary. If you would rather have a complete issue of QST, contact our Circulation Department. ARRL members can contact the ARRL TIS Coordinator directly or by phone 860-594-0214.

Do It Yourself

TIS maintains a tremendous amount of data on ARRLWeb. Members who have Internet access and who enjoy the challenge of poking around can find answers to many questions for themselves. Here are some examples:

TIS Pages consists of QST, QEX, Handbook, and original articles on a variety of subjects including theory, tutorials, and projects. Many pages also contain links to other information.

TIS Find allows you to search the TIS database of more than 2000 suppliers who can provide goods and services of interest to radio amateurs. These include manufacturers, dealers, publications, clubs and museums. Or you can browse a list of categories of products and services. You may also download this database for use off-line.

Do you know that you can even download source code and programs that have been featured in QST articles? Another page lists all the products that have been reviewed in QST since 1970. Click here for the entire list of TIS Web offerings.

Product Testing

Mike Tracy, KC1SX, compares the performance of a pair of transceivers.

You may be lucky enough to arrive on a day when ARRL Lab Test Engineer Mike Tracy, KC1SX, is testing a new transceiver in the Lab's screen room. If the rig is to be featured in a QST Product Review, ARRL will anonymously purchase a production model from an Amateur Radio retailer for the test. The radio will then be listed for sale by bid in a subsequent issue of QST. Mike might instead be testing a product that a company wishes to feature in a QST ad. If the product or the company is new to ARRL, the Lab will ask the company to submit a sample product for testing. Ads for antennas will not include gain figures unless they conform to an exacting test procedure outlined in Antenna Ads in ARRL Publications.