Franklin County
By the numbers: about 23,096 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate) · 25 licensed amateur radio operators — 8 Technician, 7 General, 1 Advanced, 8 Extra, 1 Novice · 1 licensed club station (FCC licenses, by ZIP).
Since 2000: 41 licensed operators at the end of 2000, 25 today (high of 42 in 2001). Rebuilt from FCC license records, counting each licensee at their current address, so earlier years are approximate. Indiana licensing trends
Ham Radio Clubs
One club station is registered in Franklin County:
- Tri County HF Society (KK9TC) — Metamora: kk9tc@hotmail.com
Meetings: No fixed schedule — times and locations vary; the club asks that you contact its president, James Vohland (N9VO), by email.
ARRL-affiliated since 2008; interests are digital modes, DX and general topics, and the club lists license classes, VE test sessions and mentoring among its activities.
The nearest club with a regular meeting and net schedule is:
- Whitewater Valley Amateur Radio Club (N9JM) — Richmond: wvarc.org | Facebook
Meetings: 2nd Saturday monthly at 12:00 noon (a Zoom link is posted on the club's Facebook page before each meeting) — Wayne County EMA, 401 E Main St, Richmond, IN
Repeater(s): 147.180 MHz (+0.6, PL 82.5) FM, Richmond (KB9SJZ); 444.550 MHz (+5.0, PL 110.9) FM, Richmond (N9CZV) — the club reports this one off the air since July 2025; 145.470 MHz (−0.6, PL 100.0) FM, Preble (K8YR); 442.900 MHz (+5.0, PL 100.0) FM, Preble (K8YR); 444.025 MHz (+5.0, PL 74.4) FM, Preble (W8VFR, IRLP node 4106)
License exams: Quarterly, on a Saturday, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Wayne County EMA EOC, 401 E Main St, Richmond, IN (see the club's Facebook group for current session dates and details).
Walk-in (just show up).
As the club publishes it on wvarc.org — exams — checked September 21, 2026.
Also check neighboring county pages: Dearborn County, Ripley County, Decatur County.
Repeaters
1 amateur radio repeater is located in Franklin County on the 70cm band. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 441.931 | +5.0 | — | DMR | Brookville | LVARC |
Unconfirmed listings
This machine is listed on ARTSCIPUB, a user-submitted directory, and nowhere else we can find — not in the Indiana Repeater Council’s records and not on a club’s own page. A listing may be years out of date, so treat each one as unconfirmed. Know one is on the air, gone, or different? Let us know, or have the sponsoring club say so on its website.
| Frequency | Offset | Tone | Location | Call | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 224.28 | — | — | Brookville | N9HHM | Unconfirmed — listed on ARTSCIPUB only |
View Franklin County on RepeaterBookBrowse all Indiana repeaters
Emergency Communications
Franklin County is part of Indiana ARES District 9 (which mirrors IDHS District 9). Learn how amateur radio supports emergencies in Indiana — ARES, RACES, and Skywarn — on our EmComm page.
County emergency management
Franklin County's emergency management agency plans for disasters and coordinates the local response. For current contact information, visit the Franklin 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
Franklin County is in Indiana ARES District 9. The ARRL Indiana Section's monthly report notes whether each ARES leadership position is filled or vacant.
- County Emergency Coordinator: vacant, according to the September 2025 report.
- District 9 Emergency Coordinator: vacant, according to the October 2025 report.
To join ARES in Franklin County or ask about volunteering as its Emergency Coordinator, 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
Franklin County's spotter training comes from the NWS Wilmington, OH office. Classes are usually held from late winter into spring and are set up together with the county emergency management agency. NWS Wilmington, OH 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 Franklin County come from National Weather Service Wilmington, OH. Local radar: station KILN.
Nets
No net is listed as meeting in Franklin County, but nets in the surrounding counties are very likely in range — a repeater does not stop at the county line. See the nets near Franklin County, searchable by ZIP code and distance, along with the statewide HF nets.
📅 Put this county in your calendar.indianahamradio.com/calendars/franklin.ics is a subscribable calendar of Franklin 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
Franklin 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/franklin.json · about the data