St. Joseph County
By the numbers: about 272,848 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate) · 511 licensed amateur radio operators — 260 Technician, 126 General, 15 Advanced, 107 Extra, 3 Novice · 5 licensed club stations · 61 more licenses in the FCC's two-year renewal grace period (FCC licenses, by ZIP).
Since 2000: 556 licensed operators at the end of 2000, 511 today (high of 599 in 2012). Rebuilt from FCC license records, counting each licensee at their current address, so earlier years are approximate. Indiana licensing trends
Ham Radio Clubs
- St. Joseph County RACES (WB9AGX)
Meetings: Monthly at 6:30 PM — River Park Library, 2022 E Mishawaka Ave, South Bend, IN
Repeater(s): 147.390 MHz (+0.6, PL 131.8) FM, South Bend
- Michiana Amateur Radio Club (W9AB): w9ab.org | w9ab@w9ab.org | Facebook Group | Instagram | YouTube | QRZ
Meetings: Last Thursday monthly at 7:00 PM — Grace Brethren Church, 1715 E Day Rd, Mishawaka, IN
Net: Michiana Amateur Radio Club Net (Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET, 147.330 MHz (+, PL 131.8), FM). All nets
Repeaters
14 amateur radio repeaters are located in St. Joseph County on the 6m and 2m and 1.25m 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.62 | -1.0 | — | FM | South Bend | N9OCB |
| 147.09 | +0.6 | 131.8 | FM | Mishawaka | N9GVU |
| 147.225 | +0.6 | 131.8 | FM | South Bend | MARC |
| 147.33 | +0.6 | 131.8 | FM | Mishawaka | K9DEW |
| 147.390 | +0.6 | 131.8 | FM | South Bend | St. Joseph County RACES (WB9AGX) |
| 223.98 | -1.6 | 131.8 | FM | South Bend | WB9YPA |
| 442.05 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM | Mishawaka | K9DEW |
| 442.1 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM | South Bend | ST JOE EMA |
| 442.65 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM | South Bend | KC9MEC |
| 443.35 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM | Notre Dame | ND ARC |
| 443.425 | +5.0 | — | DMR | South Bend | N9IAA |
| 443.775 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM/Fusion | South Bend | K9KD |
| 444.1 | +5.0 | 131.8 | FM | Mishawaka | N9GVU |
| 444.975 | +5.0 | 107.2 | FM | South Bend | K9SIQ |
View St. Joseph County on RepeaterBookBrowse all Indiana repeaters
Emergency Communications
St. Joseph 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
St. Joseph County's emergency management agency plans for disasters and coordinates the local response. For current contact information, visit the St. Joseph 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
St. Joseph 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: vacant, according to the October 2025 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 St. Joseph 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
St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph County come from National Weather Service Northern Indiana. Local radar: station KIWX.
Nets
2 nets meet in St. Joseph County, and more are within range from the counties around it — a repeater does not stop at the county line. See the nets near St. Joseph County, searchable by ZIP code and distance, along with the statewide HF nets.
📅 Put this county in your calendar.indianahamradio.com/calendars/stjoseph.ics is a subscribable calendar of St. Joseph 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
St. Joseph County borders 4 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/stjoseph.json · about the data