Indiana Ham Radio News
A hand-picked roundup of amateur radio happenings around Indiana. Each item is a short summary in our own words with a link to the original, legitimate source — go there for the full story. Spotted something we should add? Email campbell@indianahamradio.com.
Jul 20-26, 2026
W9IMS returns for the NASCAR Brickyard 400
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club fires up special-event station W9IMS from July 20-26, 2026, for the NASCAR Brickyard 400 — the third and final of the club's three race-weekend activations and the last contact operators need to complete the 2026 Checkered Flag Award.
Source: The SWLing Post
Oct 10, 2026
Hoosier Hills Hamfest returns to Mitchell
The Hoosier Hills Ham Club's annual hamfest — billed as Indiana's oldest amateur radio gathering — is set for October 10, 2026, in Mitchell, Indiana (Lawrence County), running the morning along US Highway 50.
Source: Hoosier Hills Hamfest
Jul 25, 2026
East Central Indiana Hamfest set for Portland
The East Central Indiana Hamfest is scheduled for July 25, 2026, at the Jay County Fairgrounds in Portland, running from morning into early afternoon with support from several area radio clubs.
Source: East Central Indiana Hamfest
Jun 26-28, 2026
Bloomington club runs ARRL Field Day at Flatwoods Park
The Bloomington Amateur Radio Club is hosting ARRL Field Day over the weekend of June 26-28, 2026, at Flatwoods Park near Bloomington, building and operating stations for the 24-hour-plus emergency-readiness exercise.
Source: Bloomington Amateur Radio Club
Jun 13, 2026
Bloomington club hosts the Monroe County Hamfest
The Bloomington Amateur Radio Club holds its BARC/Monroe County Hamfest on June 13, 2026, at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, with a morning of buying, selling and swapping gear.
Source: Bloomington Amateur Radio Club
May 24-25, 2026
W9IMS celebrates the 110th Indy 500 on the air
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club ran special-event station W9IMS through May 25 to mark the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, working operators on 20 and 40 meters plus simplex FM on race-day morning. It counted as the second of three contacts toward the club's 2026 Checkered Flag Award.
Source: The SWLing Post
Mar 13, 2026
Bob Burns (AK9R) re-elected Indiana Section Manager
ARRL announced that incumbent Bob Burns, AK9R, was declared elected without opposition to another term as Indiana Section Manager, beginning July 1, 2026.
Source: ARRL
Mar 13, 2026
Indiana hams under HOAs gain antenna protections
Indiana House Bill 1152, signed by Gov. Mike Braun, extends reasonable-accommodation protections to amateurs living in homeowners-association neighborhoods; it takes effect July 1, 2026. ARRL credited the Muncie-area amateur community and operators Hunter Reed (KD9YLQ) and Campbell Reed (KD9GEK) for helping move it forward.
Source: ARRL
Mar 2026
Indiana's statewide DMR / digital network stays active
Indiana Digital Ham Radio (IDHR) continues to maintain the state's all-networks DMR and digital-voice repeater system, with current status for nodes in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and other cities tied to the Crossroads DMR c-Bridge.
Source: Indiana Digital Ham Radio (IDHR)
Feb 12, 2026
Indiana BMV launches an amateur radio license plate
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles introduced a specialty plate that prints a licensed operator's FCC call sign. Orders opened in February 2026 for eligible Indiana residents, who verify their license at a BMV branch.
Source: WBIW
Feb 7, 2026
Hendricks County Hamfest hosts the Indiana Section Convention
The Hendricks County Amateur Radio Society's hamfest — designated the ARRL Indiana State Convention — was held at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds in Danville, Indiana.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
2026
W1AW/9 to put Indiana on the air for ARRL's America250
As part of ARRL's year-long America250 Worked All States celebration, the W1AW portable station is scheduled to operate from Indiana during week-long windows in 2026, and the Section Manager has sought volunteer operators.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Dec 2025
Indianapolis operator recognized by the Hurricane Watch Net
Jeanmarie Kane (KD9UGB) of Indianapolis was recognized by the Hurricane Watch Net for her support of net operations during Hurricane Melissa, working the net from a modest 100-watt station and vertical antenna.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Dec 2025
Active severe-weather month for Indiana ARES
The Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator's December report logged 19 Skywarn events and roughly 291 volunteer person-hours, reflecting a busy stretch of winter storms for the state's 660-plus ARES members.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Dec 2025
A winter POTA rover run across Indiana parks
Operator KD9YEY described plans for a cold-weather Parks on the Air rover outing aiming to activate several Indiana parks in one day, including the cluster of POTA entities at McCormick's Creek State Park.
Source: QRPer.com
Nov 15, 2025
Volunteer examiners license 17 at the Fort Wayne Hamfest
At the Allen County club's Fort Wayne Hamfest, the morning VE session produced nine new Technicians, six Generals and two Extras.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Nov 6, 2025
Delaware County joins a state comms-failure tabletop
Delaware County amateurs took part in an Indiana Department of Homeland Security tabletop exercise built around a loss of cell and internet service, working alongside police, fire, EMS and hospital partners.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Oct 11, 2025
Indiana runs its statewide Simulated Emergency Test
Indiana ARES held its annual Simulated Emergency Test, with county teams across the state practicing damage reporting and emergency communications under a severe-storm scenario.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Sep 27, 2025
Multi-county ARES teams support the White River cleanup
Seventeen amateurs from Blackford, Delaware and Randolph counties provided communications for the annual White River cleanup — one of several public-service events Indiana ARES reported that month.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Sep 6, 2025
New 4-County Hamfest debuts in Kosciusko County
Indiana's event calendar gained the inaugural 4-County Hamfest in Kosciusko County, drawing attendees and volunteer examiners from the region.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
May 19, 2025
Central Indiana Skywarn volunteers feed live storm reports to the NWS
A feature on the Central Indiana Skywarn network profiled the licensed operators — including Marion County ARES coordinator Matthew Bechdol — who relay ground-truth severe-weather observations to NWS Indianapolis across dozens of counties.
Source: Current Publishing
May 2025
W9IMS marks the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race season
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club ran special-event station W9IMS for the race season, with separate activations for the Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 plus commemorative QSL cards and a season certificate.
Source: Ham Weekly
Annual (first Saturday in May)
Indiana QSO Party
The Hoosier DX and Contest Club's Indiana QSO Party runs the first Saturday in May each year (May 2 in 2026), with operators inside and outside the state working as many Indiana stations and counties as they can during the 12-hour event.
Source: Wabash Valley ARA
Ongoing
Purdue's W9YB — a century-old campus club
Purdue University's Amateur Radio Club (W9YB), founded in 1925, still meets weekly from its Purdue Memorial Union shack and ranks among the oldest continuously active university radio clubs in the country.
Source: W9YB
Summaries are original and may simplify details; dates reflect the source. Listings here are not endorsements. For official news see the ARRL Indiana Section.