Tri-State Amateur Radio Society (TARS) – About Us
The Tri-State Amateur Radio Society (TARS) was founded on February 6, 1947 to support and promote the Amateur Radio hobby throughout the Tri-State area. The club has a membership of approximately 80 licensed Amateur Radio operators and is affiliated with the ARRL, recognized as an ARRL Special Service Club, and designated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Want to keep up with all the latest TARS news? Our newsletter, “Sparks", has you covered. Check out both current and archived issues by clicking the “Sparks Newsletter” link in the menu.
TARS exists to serve the community and advance all aspects of Amateur Radio. Over the years, the club has provided communication support for a wide range of community events, including:
- Southern Indiana Classic Marathon
- Hoosier 200 Relay
- Red Cross Soccer Tournament
- Welborn Soccer Tournament
- Freedom Festival Parade
- Thunder on the Ohio
- Freedom Festival Balloon Event
- Lighted Boat Parade & July 4th Fireworks
- Drums on the Ohio
- Fall Festival Parade
- Diabetes Association Walk
- Evansville Bike Club’s Great Pumpkin Metric Ride
- Support for the Henderson Amateur Radio Club during the Shrine Club Christmas Parade
- Habitat for Humanity “Blitz Build” projects
Meetings & Activities
TARS holds monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month, offering members the chance to share experiences, learn something new, and enjoy fellowship. Past programs have included:
- Used equipment auction
- Bingo night
- EME (Earth–Moon–Earth) communications
- Tour of a local cable TV facility
- Presentation by the ARRL President
- ATV demonstrations
- Contesting
- Skywarn
- Tour of central dispatch
- New ham equipment showcase by The Ham Station
- DX activity presentations
The club also hosts an annual hamfest called HamtoberFest in October and a Banquet in February.
A monthly newsletter, “Sparks,” is mailed to all members.
Emergency & Public Service Support
TARS maintains strong working relationships with local emergency organizations, including:
- Evansville–Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency – participation in disaster drills and exercises
- American Red Cross – providing emergency and event communications; TARS maintains a fully equipped amateur station at the Red Cross office
- National Weather Service – supporting the Skywarn program by relaying and collecting severe weather data
Repeaters & Technical Resources
TARS operates a wide-area repeater on 146.79 MHz (PL 88.5), offering excellent coverage across the Tri-State region.
In addition, the club maintains four Yaesu C4FM digital repeaters:
- Three in the Evansville, IN area
- One in Burnt Prairie, IL
More details are available on the Repeaters page.
Nets, Licensing, and Operating Events
- TARS sponsors the Tri-State Emergency Net every Wednesday at 8:00 PM on the 146.79 repeater.
- The club offers licensing classes for new hams and upgrade candidates, with VE testing sessions coordinated with classes and available by request.
- TARS operates an active Field Day station, placing fourth nationally in the 3A Battery category and earning strong rankings in multiple years.
- Members also participate in Winter Field Day, the Indiana QSO Party, and Indiana Parks on the Air.
- TARS supports youth outreach through events such as the Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air.