Rush County
By the numbers: about 16,847 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate) · 41 licensed amateur radio operators — 21 Technician, 14 General, 1 Advanced, 5 Extra · 1 licensed club station · 4 more licenses in the FCC's two-year renewal grace period (FCC licenses, by ZIP).
Since 2000: 49 licensed operators at the end of 2000, 41 today (high of 55 in 2005). Rebuilt from FCC license records, counting each licensee at their current address, so earlier years are approximate. Indiana licensing trends
Ham Radio Clubs
- Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society (W9NTP): brvars.com | K9SVL@arrl.net | QRZ
Meetings: 7:00 PM at Hopes Point Baptist Church, 1703 S Miller Ave, Shelbyville, IN 46176. The club announces the date of each regular members' meeting one at a time rather than publishing a recurrence.
Also: A public breakfast, "Breakfast with the Hams", on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at 8:30 AM at the Denny's on the east side of Shelbyville, at the I-74 and SR 44 interchange.
As the club publishes it at brvars.com, checked September 27, 2026.
ARRL-affiliated club (based in Shelbyville) that serves as repeater trustee for the Rush County EMA.
Repeater(s): 147.000 MHz (+, PL 127.3) FM, Rush County (WIFE Tower); 442.600 MHz (+, PL 127.3) FM, Rush County (WIFE Tower); 441.325 MHz (+) DMR (Brandmeister), Rushville
- Rushville Indiana Repeater Association: rushvillerepeater.weebly.com | Facebook | wj9e1977@yahoo.com | QRZ
- Ridge Runners ARC: KD9LTE@gmail.com
ARRL-affiliated club based in Carthage. The club's ARRL directory listing gives only its next meeting date rather than a standing schedule.
Repeaters
3 amateur radio repeaters are located in Rush 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147.000 | + | 127.3 | FM | Rush County WIFE Tower | Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society (W9NTP) |
| 441.325 | +5.0 | 127.3 | DMR | Rushville DMR color code 1 on BrandMeister DMR Network, last on the network 2026-10-31 | Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society (W9NTP) |
| 442.600 | +5.0 | 127.3 | FM | Rush County WIFE Tower | Blue River Valley Amateur Radio Society (W9NTP) |
View Rush County on RepeaterBookBrowse all Indiana repeaters
Emergency Communications
Rush County is part of Indiana ARES District 6 (which mirrors IDHS District 6). Learn how amateur radio supports emergencies in Indiana — ARES, RACES, and Skywarn — on our EmComm page.
County emergency management
Rush County's emergency management agency plans for disasters and coordinates the local response. For current contact information, visit the Rush 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
Rush County is in Indiana ARES District 6. The ARRL Indiana Section's monthly report notes whether each ARES leadership position is filled or vacant.
- County Emergency Coordinator: vacant, according to the January 2026 report.
- District 6 Emergency Coordinator: filled, according to the July 2025 report.
To join ARES in Rush 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
Rush 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 Rush County come from National Weather Service Indianapolis, IN. Local radar: station KIND.
Nets
4 nets meet in Rush County, and more are within range from the counties around it — a repeater does not stop at the county line. See the nets near Rush County, searchable by ZIP code and distance, along with the statewide HF nets.
📅 Put this county in your calendar.indianahamradio.com/calendars/rush.ics is a subscribable calendar of Rush 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
Rush 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/rush.json · about the data