American Radio Relay League President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, has announced the appointment of a number of leading amateurs to two panels seeking to identify and promote promising new technology for the future of Amateur Radio. The two groups -- the Technology Task Force (TTF) and the Technology Working Group (TWG) were created by the ARRL Board of Directors at its January, 1999 meeting.

Technology Task Force Mission Statement

The Technology Task Force is an ad-hoc committee, appointed by the President of the League, reporting to the ARRL Board of Directors. The Committee shall:

1. Examine newer communication technologies for the purpose of assessing their applicability and adaptability to the Amateur Radio Service.
2. Make appropriate recommendations to the ARRL Board of Directors and/or Staff regarding the promotion and use of such technology by amateur radio operators.
3. Coordinate the activities of the Technology Working Group.
4. Assign to the Technology Working Group such work or tasks as appropriate.
5. Meet with other amateur radio organizations involved in experimental work or developing new technologies for the purpose of exploring joint sponsorship of research and/or development.

Technology Working Group Mission Statement

The Technology Working Group is a committee, appointed by the President of ARRL, reporting to the Technology Task Force. The Working Group shall:

1. Act as an adjunct to and a resource for the Technology Task Force.
2. Act as the principal investigatory arm of the Technology Task Force.
3. Conduct such experiments, research and development regarding newer technologies as may be requested by the Technology Task Force.
4. The Chairman of the Working Group shall be selected by the Working Group members from within their membership.

Committee Membership Rosters

Technology Task Force

The Technology Task Force is made up of members of the ARRL Board family and ARRL Headquarters staff. The committee chairman is Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, ARRL First Vice President. Other TTF members are Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Roanoke Division Vice Director; Frank Fallon, N2FF, Hudson Division Director; Tom Frenaye, K1KI, New England Division Director; Art Goddard, W6XD, Southwestern Division Vice Director; Jim Maxwell, W6CF, Pacific Division Vice Director; Larry Price, W4RA, International Affairs Vice President and Walt Stinson, W0CP, Rocky Mountain Division Director. Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL Laboratory Supervisor, is the ARRL HQ staff liaison to the TTF and the TWG.

The Technology Working Group consists of amateurs selected from the membership at large who represent a broad spectrum of Amateur Radio interests and activities. This panel of experts will evaluate technical proposals and make recommendations to the TTF, which will in turn recommend to the ARRL board of Directors the most promising 21^st-century technologies for Amateur Radio. The working group is chaired by Rich Moseson, W2VU, Editor of CQ VHF magazine. Other members are Keith Baker, KB1SF, President, AMSAT-North America; Peter Coffee, AC6EN, Computer Industry Analyst; Mike Cook, AF9Y, Engineering Director of Communications Systems Engineering, ITT Aerospace/Communications Division; Gene McGahey, NR0NR, Deputy Manager of Communications Technology, NLECTC (NIJ/DOJ); Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, ARRL Technical Relations Manager; Dennis Silage, K3DS, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Temple University, DSP and Digital Communications; and Doug Smith, KF6DX, Editor, QEX magazine.

How You Can Offer Your Input to the Committee

The American Radio Relay League's Technology Task Force (TTF) wants to hear from hams with ideas and proposals for new technology to carry Amateur Radio into the next century. The TTF was created in January, 1999 by the ARRL Board of Directors. It was given a broad mandate to evaluate technologies applicable to the future of Amateur Radio, the help guide the Amateur Radio Service and the ARRL into the 21^st century.

You Can Help! Your ideas and work could be the key that opens new doors for ham radio! The TTF invites the submission of ideas and proposals from all parts of the amateur community, so that it may draw from the best of the best ideas in Amateur Radio.

What are the burning technical issues facing Amateur Radio today? What technologies exist that can be utilized to improve Amateur Radio and address these issues? What should the League do to encourage the development and growth of these technologies? What obstacles need to be overcome? Do you know of someone working on a technical project that needs support, developing something new or bringing technology used in other fields into Amateur Radio? Do you know someone who is improving on an established technology or who has found a new use for something that is "old hat?"

The TTF is asking you to tell us about all of this, and more. Completed projects, work in progress or simply a good idea can all be helpful. The TTF invites the submission of information and concepts on a wide range of technologies with the potential to improve Amateur Radio and to promote what the FCC calls "continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art."

The TTF is formulating ARRL policy recommendations on a wide range of technical issues. This is your opportunity to directly influence what the ARRL will do to promote the technology important to the future of Amateur Radio. The TTF has made it easy for you to share your ideas. You can fill in a form on the ARRL Web page ; you can send email to the TTF at ttfinput@arrl.org or you can contribute by mail to the ARRL Technology Task Force, c/o Ed Hare, W1RFI, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111.