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.
Oct 2026
Amateur radio returns to Purdue Fort Wayne with a rooftop Hustler 5BTV
The Fort Wayne Radio Club's October newsletter reported that a donated Hustler 5BTV vertical was installed on the roof of the Engineering Technology and Computer Science building at Purdue Fort Wayne, the first working amateur station with an external antenna on campus in more than 10 years. The campus club was licensed this summer as KE9GDN, and the first contact on the new antenna was to New Mexico.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Sep 26, 2026
Allen County ARES supports the Fort 4 Fitness Fall Festival Half Marathon
Allen County ARES provided communications for the Fort 4 Fitness Fall Festival Half Marathon on September 26, 2026, reporting first-place runner locations to event coordinators on the half marathon, 10K and 4-mile routes. It placed 17 operators along each course, including at each of the 7 water and aid stops, and did not receive any request for runner assistance.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Sep 15, 2026
Allen County Skywarn activates for a September 15 thunderstorm
Allen County Skywarn was activated at 8:30 p.m. on September 15, 2026 as a moderate to severe thunderstorm passed through the area. Winds of 60 to 70 mph were reported across the northern tier of Allen County, southwest DeKalb County and southeast Noble County, and the warnings were canceled at 8:55 p.m.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Sep 2, 2026
Fort Wayne club will foot the antenna bill in the Robison Park tower swap
Fort Wayne Radio Club president Steve Nardin, W9SAN, told members that how the club's 146.76 and 444.875 MHz antennas get handled during Indiana Michigan Electric's tower replacement at the Robison Park substation is still unsettled, and that the club is certain to owe a sizable — as yet unknown — sum for new antennas, feedline, mounting hardware and climber labor. With the existing hardware roughly 60 years old, the club is aiming for two VHF folded dipole arrays plus one for UHF.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Sep 2026
Jay County Amateur Radio Club resolves repeater license lapse
The club said an administrative lapse in its repeater license, which lapsed in April 2026, was fully resolved by September 2026, restoring the Pennville 145.210 and 443.475 MHz repeaters to regulatory compliance under trustees Gil Davis (KE9F) and Jeff Landers (W9JKL).
Aug 22, 2026
Brent Walls (N9BA) named Indiana Affiliated Club Coordinator
The ARRL Indiana Section introduced Brent Walls, N9BA — who stepped down as Central Division Director in April — as its new Affiliated Club Coordinator. In his opening message he said he intends to be a resource on membership, programming, leadership development and cooperation between clubs, and that he plans to work with Indiana clubs generally rather than only ARRL-affiliated ones.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section
Aug 19, 2026
Ham rain report lands in the NWS review of the Muncie tornado storms
Thunderstorms on August 19 put down a brief tornado near Muncie, dropped hail as large as an inch and a half near Yorktown, and flash flooded parts of Delaware, Madison, Clinton, Putnam and Tippecanoe counties on already-saturated ground. Amateur radio is the listed source for one of the rainfall observations in the National Weather Service's write-up — 4.50 inches measured west-southwest of Shadeland in Tippecanoe County over a three-hour stretch that evening.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Aug 11-17, 2026
Yorktown ham reports appear in the NWS record-flood review
Repeated rounds of heavy storms over the same ground pushed the White River past marks that had stood since 1913, setting record crests at Anderson and Noblesville and driving water rescues, road washouts and one death, with more than a foot of rain measured east of Indianapolis. Two of the ground-truth observations in the National Weather Service's write-up came in by amateur radio from Yorktown in Delaware County on August 13 — a stalled car in street flooding with water halfway up its tires, and at least two homes taking on water near where Buck Creek meets the White River.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Aug 11-13, 2026
Ham reports feed the NWS review of the Aug. 11-13 flooding storms
A three-day round of storms dropped more than 11 inches of rain around New Castle in Henry County, spun up a brief EF-1 tornado near Bruceville in Knox County and closed roads across central Indiana. Amateur radio is listed among the sources in the National Weather Service's preliminary review, including an estimated 60-plus mph gust near West Terre Haute and hail measured on both the north and south sides of Terre Haute.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Aug 11, 2026
Hams relay damage as a derecho crosses northern Indiana
The Storm Prediction Center confirmed the storm complex that raked northern Indiana on August 11 as a derecho, with a 99 mph gust measured at Gary and the worst tree and power-line damage in La Porte, Starke, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. Amateur radio operators appear among the sources in the National Weather Service's storm reports for the stretch, relaying one-inch hail at Toto in Starke County, a tree blocking State Road 13 near Big Barbee Lake and a tree down into power lines at Yoder in Allen County.
Source: NWS Northern Indiana
Aug 10-11, 2026
Allen County Skywarn net activates two nights running
The August Skywarn wrap-up in the Fort Wayne clubs' joint newsletter recorded activations on both August 10 and August 11 as thunderstorms crossed the area, leaving power outages, downed trees and scattered structural damage. Winds measured locally on the second night ran 41 to 54 mph, just under severe criteria, and better than a dozen spotters checked into the two nets between them.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Aug 1, 2026
Ham report lands in NWS review of the Aug. 1 flooding storms
A slow-moving low soaked central Indiana on August 1, dropping more than five inches of rain in spots — Indianapolis International Airport took in more that day than in all of July — and closing flooded stretches of interstate. Among the ground-truth reports in the National Weather Service's review is one relayed by amateur radio from Nashville in Brown County, where an operator estimated wind gusts above 40 mph and limbs down.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jul 21, 2026
Fort Wayne club locked out of its WANE-TV repeater site until 2027
ACARTS reported that the station hosting its tower will not schedule a climb or a tower inspection before 2027, leaving the club unable to swap out an antenna it believes is degrading. Because the antenna cannot carry both the amateur and GMRS repeaters at full power simultaneously, the club installed an interlock and offset the GMRS controller's identification timing as a stopgap.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Jul 10, 2026
Utility funds a new Robison Park tower for two Fort Wayne repeaters
Indiana & Michigan Electric has committed funding to replace the tower at its Robison Park substation — the site of the Fort Wayne Radio Club's 146.76 and 444.875 MHz machines — with a taller structure, and the club has been told the changeover should keep the repeaters off the air for only about two days. Work is expected to begin late in 2026 or early in 2027, with club members helping plan the move.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Jun 27-28, 2026
Marion County hams provide sole comms for the Morgan-Monroe 100K
Amateurs from Marion County and Central Indiana ARES supported the third annual Morgan-Monroe Forest 100K Fun Run, spanning 21 hours of day and overnight operations and providing the only communications for the event in the forest.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Jun 22, 2026
ARRL completes Central Division leadership under Indiana's Josh Long
ARRL President Rick Roderick appointed Robert Ronk, W9AP, as Central Division Vice Director, filling the seat left open in April when Josh Long (W9HT) of New Haven, Indiana moved up to Director. The appointment rounds out the leadership of the division covering Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, with Ronk serving a term that runs through 2027.
Source: ARRL
Jun 21, 2026
Skywarn hams relay damage reports during June 21 tornado outbreak
The National Weather Service's review of the June 21 severe-weather outbreak — five confirmed tornadoes plus damaging winds and flash flooding across southwest and central Indiana — documents ground-truth reports relayed by amateur radio, including roughly 70 mph wind damage in Sullivan County and power-pole damage near Mitchell passed up through the Orange County Skywarn net.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jun 17-18, 2026
Amateur radio damage reports feature in NWS review of June 17-18 storms
The National Weather Service's summary of a severe-weather round on June 17-18 documents damage reports relayed by amateur radio operators, including a 60 mph wind gust logged at Terre Haute, a fallen tree and shingle damage in downtown Gosport, and tree damage plus an injury report from the Stinesville and Ellettsville area of Monroe County.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jun 16, 2026
Hams relay hail reports during June 16 central Indiana storms
The National Weather Service's review of the June 16 severe thunderstorms credits amateur radio operators with reporting hail up to half-dollar size across Tippecanoe, Hendricks, Marion and Hancock counties, helping document the storms' intensity in real time.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jun 13, 2026
Allen County ARES runs first Summer Challenge; WB9VUN named Ham of the Year
Allen County ARES held its inaugural Summer Challenge, a training exercise that sent members through GPS navigation and Winlink tasks before converging on Buckner Park in Fort Wayne for portable operating and public outreach, including a local TV news segment. At the event, Allen (WB9VUN) was presented the county's ARES Ham of the Year trophy.
Source: Allen County HamNews
Jun 11, 2026
Amateur radio reports feed NWS review of a top-ten Indiana tornado outbreak
The National Weather Service's assessment of the June 11 severe-weather event — a squall line that produced more than 20 tornadoes statewide and now ranks among Indiana's ten largest outbreaks on record — cites ground-truth reports passed along by amateur radio, including downed hardwoods near Kirklin in Clinton County and a large tree limb blocking a road in Johnson County.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jun 11, 2026
Linton's ITU Corporation adds Ameritron and Mirage amplifier brands
In a second purchase from MFJ Enterprises this year, ITU Corporation acquired the Ameritron and Mirage RF amplifier and antenna-tuner lines and is consolidating their manufacturing alongside its Cushcraft and Hy-gain operations at the Linton, Indiana facility, with full production targeted for late 2026.
Source: Linton Daily Citizen
Jun 2026
Indiana ARES counts 518 members and 42 Skywarn activations for June
The Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator's June report tallied 518 registered ARES members and 149 net sessions that drew 2,115 check-ins, with 42 Skywarn activations accounting for roughly 888 volunteer person-hours. Twenty-seven of the section's 45 appointed district and county emergency coordinators filed reports for the month.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Jun 2026
NWS confirms June 2026 as Indiana's record tornado month
Completed storm surveys put Indiana at 58 tornadoes for June 2026 — the most in any month on record, surpassing the 44 counted in June 1990 — and lifted the state's yearly total to a record 77, past the 72 set in 2011. The outbreaks behind the tally, led by 27 tornadoes on June 11 and 17 on June 21, are the same events whose NWS reviews credit Skywarn operators with relaying damage and hail reports by amateur radio.
Source: NWS Indianapolis
Jun 2026
Allen County Skywarn moves to two linked repeaters
ACARTS finished upgrades that put Fort Wayne-area Skywarn activations on two linked machines — 146.88 and 443.800 MHz — with both usable for severe-weather reports and on-air watch announcements during activations. Northeast Indiana also picked up two newly appointed emergency coordinators, Jim (KE9IWX) for DeKalb County and Jerry (KD9QHI) for Noble County.
Source: Allen County HamNews
May 30, 2026
Northeast Indiana's W9OU puts a new DMR repeater on the air
After the output amplifier in its DMR machine failed in mid-May, the Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association bought a BridgeCom replacement and installed it at the repeater site on May 30. The club spent much of the month on RF plumbing as well, swapping and retuning duplexers on its 147.015 W9OU system.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
May 30, 2026
Allen County ARES fields 20 operators for the Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle
The Allen County ARES team handled communications for the Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle on May 30, covering five routes that ran as long as a metric century and reached into three northeast Indiana counties. Twenty operators worked the ride from safety checkpoints and mobile SAG vehicles, with help from other county teams in ARES District 3.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
May 2026
ARDC grant funds a west-central Indiana repeater backbone upgrade
Amateur Radio Digital Communications listed a $5,825 award to West Central Indiana Amateur Radio, Inc. in its 2026 grants for what the foundation calls a system-wide digital backbone modernization. The nonprofit ties together nine linked machines on a single AllStar node, reaching from Tippecanoe and Benton counties east to Howard and Clinton and south to Greene County.
Source: ARDC
May 2026
2026 Indiana QSO Party results are out
The Indiana Section Manager announced that scores from this year's Indiana QSO Party have been tabulated and published, congratulating the winners and thanking everyone who submitted a log. Full results are posted on the Hoosier DX and Contest Club's INQP scores page.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
May 2026
Marion County ARES fields 51 operators for the 500 Festival
Marion County ARES reported supporting the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon with 51 amateurs and also providing communications for the 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, after running an on-air training net and a Winlink practice session to prepare.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
May 2026
Indiana ARES counts 503 members and 15 Skywarn activations for May
The Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator's May report tallied 503 registered ARES members and 127 net sessions that drew 1,865 check-ins, with 15 Skywarn activations accounting for roughly 208 volunteer person-hours. Twenty-seven of the section's 45 appointed district and county emergency coordinators filed reports for the month.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Apr 13, 2026
Cushcraft and Hy-gain antenna production moving to Linton, Indiana
ITU Corporation, a long-established Greene County engineering and manufacturing firm led by Dave and Kambi Carpenter, bought the Cushcraft and Hy-gain antenna and rotator brands from MFJ Enterprises and is relocating their manufacturing from Mississippi to the former National Guard armory in Linton. The operation is expected to start with about 20 workers and grow toward 50 at full production.
Source: Linton Daily Citizen
Apr 10, 2026
Josh Long (W9HT) takes office as ARRL Central Division Director
ARRL confirmed that Joshua Long, W9HT, of New Haven, Indiana has assumed the Central Division Director seat effective immediately, following Brent Walls' (N9BA) resignation for professional and personal reasons. An Indiana amateur now leads the division covering Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin; a successor Vice Director will be appointed for the term running through 2027.
Source: ARRL
Apr 2026
Indianapolis ham finishes first in Indiana in the 160-meter DX contest
The ARRL Indiana Section newsletter congratulated Indianapolis Radio Club member Mike Walker, KD9YOO — licensed only about three years — for taking first place in Indiana in the Single Operator, Low Power category of the 160 Meter DX Contest, where he also placed ninth in the United States and tenth in North America.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Apr 2026
Spring storms drive a heavy month for Indiana ARES
The Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator's April report logged 32 Skywarn activations and roughly 958 volunteer person-hours as repeated tornadoes and severe storms crossed the state, with the section's 393 registered ARES members holding 120 net sessions during the month.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
Apr 2026
Indiana's Josh Long (W9HT) in line to lead ARRL Central Division
ARRL Central Division Director Brent Walls (N9BA) submitted his resignation from the League's Board of Directors. Under the customary succession, sitting Vice Director Josh Long (W9HT) of New Haven, Indiana would step up to Director, putting a Hoosier at the head of the division.
Source: ARRL Indiana Section News
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 took 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 9, 2026
Indiana Repeater Council keeps its officers for another term
At its February meeting the Indiana Repeater Council re-elected its officers to another term beginning February 7, 2026: Bill Atkinson, NF9K, as chairman; Bob Burns, AK9R, as vice-chairman; and Mike Sercer, WA9FDO, as secretary-treasurer. Each was nominated from the floor and there were no other nominations.
Source: Indiana Repeater Council
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
Jan 30, 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
Summaries are original and may simplify details; dates reflect the source. Listings here are not endorsements. Indiana hams who have died are remembered on the Silent Keys page. For official news see the ARRL Indiana Section.