Starke County
By the numbers: about 23,206 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate) · 70 licensed amateur radio operators — 27 Technician, 21 General, 3 Advanced, 18 Extra, 1 Novice · 3 licensed club stations · 13 more licenses in the FCC's two-year renewal grace period (FCC licenses, by ZIP).
Since 2000: 62 licensed operators at the end of 2000, 70 today (high of 93 in 2013). Rebuilt from FCC license records, counting each licensee at their current address, so earlier years are approximate. Indiana licensing trends
Ham Radio Clubs
- Starke County Amateur Radio Club (W9JOZ): www.w9joz.org | starkecountyamateurradioclub@gmail.com
Meetings: 3rd Thursday monthly at 7:00 PM Central — Knox Community Center, Lake & Pearl Streets, Knox, IN
Net: Starke County Amateur Radio Club Net (Saturday, 8:00 PM, 145.410 MHz (PL 131.8), FM). All nets
Repeater(s): 145.410 MHz (−, PL 131.8) Yaesu Fusion/Analog (KN9OX)
- Northwest Indiana DX Club (W9NWI): nwidxclub.weebly.com
Meetings: At the Sugar Bowl in Michigan City, IN. The club's meetings page gives the place and announces the day and time of each meeting separately.
As the club publishes it at nwidxclub.weebly.com, checked September 27, 2026.
A DX club seated in Knox. Its site carries newsletters, meeting notes and announcements.
Repeaters
3 amateur radio repeaters are located in Starke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 145.410 | -0.6 | 131.8 | FM/Fusion | Knox KN9OX | Starke County Amateur Radio Club (W9JOZ) |
| 442 | +5.0 | — | DMR | Knox | N9IAA |
| 442.95 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM/Fusion | North Judson | W9QN |
View Starke County on RepeaterBookBrowse all Indiana repeaters
Emergency Communications
Starke County is part of Indiana ARES District 2 (which mirrors IDHS District 2). Learn how amateur radio supports emergencies in Indiana — ARES, RACES, and Skywarn — on our EmComm page.
County emergency management
Starke County's emergency management agency plans for disasters and coordinates the local response. For current contact information, visit the Starke 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
Starke County is in Indiana ARES District 2. 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; Starke County ARES sent in its own update for the June 2026 report.
- District 2 Emergency Coordinator: not listed as filled or vacant; District 2 sent in its own update for the June 2026 report.
To join ARES in Starke 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
Starke County's spotter training comes from the NWS Northern Indiana office. The page lists the season's classes, and the office can send a training certificate after you attend. NWS Northern Indiana 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 Starke County come from National Weather Service Northern Indiana. Local radar: station KIWX.
Nets
One net meets in Starke County, and more are within range from the counties around it — a repeater does not stop at the county line. See the nets near Starke County, searchable by ZIP code and distance, along with the statewide HF nets.
📅 Put this county in your calendar.indianahamradio.com/calendars/starke.ics is a subscribable calendar of Starke 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
Starke County borders 5 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/starke.json · about the data