Bartholomew County
By the numbers: about 84,003 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate) · 238 licensed amateur radio operators — 110 Technician, 58 General, 4 Advanced, 66 Extra · 7 licensed club stations · 19 more licenses in the FCC's two-year renewal grace period (FCC licenses, by ZIP).
Since 2000: 175 licensed operators at the end of 2000, 238 today (high of 240 in 2025). Rebuilt from FCC license records, counting each licensee at their current address, so earlier years are approximate. Indiana licensing trends
Ham Radio Clubs
- Columbus Amateur Radio Club (W9ALQ): carcnet.net | info@carcnet.net | Facebook Group
Meetings: 2nd Thursday monthly at 7:30 PM — East Columbus United Methodist Church Youth Center, 2439 Indiana Ave, Columbus, IN
As the club publishes it at carcnet.net, checked September 27, 2026.
Repeater(s): 146.790 MHz (−0.6, PL 103.5) FM, Columbus; 443.075 MHz (+, PL 103.5) FM, Columbus
License exams: At the Columbus, IN Hamfest at 9:00 AM — Columbus North HS Cafeteria, 1400 25th St, Columbus.
As the club publishes it on carcnet.net — exams — checked September 21, 2026.
Repeaters
5 amateur radio repeaters are located in Bartholomew County on the 2m and 70cm bands. Machines in bordering counties are often reachable too — see the full directory. A dash means we don’t have that detail on file; check with the sponsoring club before you rely on it.
| Frequency | Offset | Tone | Mode | Location | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 146.790 | -0.6 | 103.5 | FM | Columbus | Columbus Amateur Radio Club (W9ALQ) |
| 441.6 | +5.0 | 103.5 | FM | Ogilville | CARC |
| 442.075 | +5.0 | 146.2 | FM/DMR | Columbus | Michael L. Lykins |
| 443.025 | +5 | 103.5 | FM | Edinburgh N9JWR | Jennings County Amateur Radio Association (JCARA) |
| 443.075 | +5.0 | 103.5 | FM | Columbus | Columbus Amateur Radio Club (W9ALQ) |
View Bartholomew County on RepeaterBookBrowse all Indiana repeaters
Emergency Communications
Bartholomew County is part of Indiana ARES District 8 (which mirrors IDHS District 8). Learn how amateur radio supports emergencies in Indiana — ARES, RACES, and Skywarn — on our EmComm page.
County emergency management
Bartholomew County's emergency management agency plans for disasters and coordinates the local response. For current contact information, visit the Bartholomew County emergency management website.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security keeps a directory of every county's agency: IDHS county EMA directory (website link as listed there on October 26, 2026).
ARES
Bartholomew County is in Indiana ARES District 8. The ARRL Indiana Section's monthly report notes whether each ARES leadership position is filled or vacant.
- County Emergency Coordinator: not listed as filled or vacant; Bartholomew County ARES sent in its own update for the June 2026 report.
- District 8 Emergency Coordinator: vacant, according to the September 2025 report.
To join ARES in Bartholomew County, find current Section leadership contacts on the ARRL Indiana Section page and the Section's emergency communications page. The ARRL also explains how ARES works.
Role status from Indiana Section News (latest issue June 2026), checked October 27, 2026. Each line uses the most recent report that mentions the position.
RACES and AUXCOMM
- Licensed amateurs anywhere in Indiana can volunteer with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's auxiliary communications team: about IDHS AUXCOMM · volunteer interest form
Skywarn spotter training
Bartholomew County's spotter training comes from the NWS Indianapolis office. Spotter classes are usually held from late winter into early spring, and each county's emergency management agency arranges its local class. NWS Indianapolis spotter training
The information on this page may not be fully up to date. If you notice anything incorrect or missing, please email campbell@indianahamradio.com with the correction. Club officers: email the same address with your club's meeting, net, event or website changes, and we will update this page.
National Weather Service office
Severe-weather watches and warnings for Bartholomew County come from National Weather Service Indianapolis, IN. Local radar: station KIND.
Nets
4 nets meet in Bartholomew County, and more are within range from the counties around it — a repeater does not stop at the county line. See the nets near Bartholomew County, searchable by ZIP code and distance, along with the statewide HF nets.
📅 Put this county in your calendar.indianahamradio.com/calendars/bartholomew.ics is a subscribable calendar of Bartholomew County’s nets, hamfests and exam sessions — subscribe once in Google, Apple or Outlook and it stays current on its own. Clubs without a calendar are welcome to hand it to their members as theirs.
Nearby counties
Bartholomew County borders 6 other counties. Repeaters and clubs just across the line are usually well within range, so it is worth checking them too:
Everything on this page as JSON: /data/counties/bartholomew.json · about the data