Founded 1996 - Proudly Serving the SoCal Scanner Community for 30 Years
Southern California Monitoring Association
A late-December copper wire theft at a major City of Los Angeles communications site exposed a vulnerability in municipal infrastructure, temporarily knocking a citywide radio system offline and forcing officials to curtail parking and traffic enforcement operations for safety reasons. The incident occurred at a prominent radio communications tower located in Elysian Park, just north…
One year has passed since the catastrophic Southern California wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena, forever changing neighborhoods and leaving a lasting mark on Los Angeles County. While headlines have faded, recovery continues—and for the radio monitoring community, the fires remain a textbook example of how communications, interoperability, and monitoring play a critical role…
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) brings in a fresh chapter with the appointment of Chief Jaime E. Moore, a move that signals both continuity and change for the department as Southern California faces evolving wildfire and urban-emergency threats. Inside the Appointment Chief Moore was formally nominated by Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles, on October…
Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) at Point Mugu will launch its annual Large Force Test Event this Friday, bringing a noticeable uptick in military aircraft over the South Coast and Channel Islands for roughly two weeks. Officials say flights typically run from about 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with some events extending later, though usually…
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is moving forward with plans to encrypt its radio communications, a decision that will block public and media access to live police scanner feeds. While this change doesn’t directly affect the SCMA Scanner Radio Club, it’s a significant development for scanner enthusiasts, journalists, and transparency advocates. Here’s a deep dive…
NASA is participating in a collaborative effort to use high-altitude balloons to improve real-time communications among firefighters battling wildland fires. The rugged and often remote locations where wildland fires burn mean cell phone service is often limited, making communication between firefighters and command posts difficult. The flight testing of the Strategic Tactical Radio and…
Great news for our radio scanning community! Uniden has rolled out fresh firmware updates in 2025 for some of their most popular scanner models, including the SDS100, SDS200, BCD325P2, and BCD996P2. These updates bring improved performance, new features, and bug fixes that’ll keep your scanners in top shape for monitoring police, fire, and other radio…
Radio Silence Shuts Out Scanner Listeners: Visalia Police Encrypt All Channels For scanner radio enthusiasts in Visalia, California, the days of tuning into the pulse of local law enforcement are over. As of March 20, 2025, the Visalia Police Department (VPD) has fully encrypted its radio transmissions, effectively silencing the real-time chatter that hobbyists, watchdog…
Here is a list of air shows scheduled in Southern California for 2025: 1. Southern California Air Show 2025 2. Wings Over Camarillo Air Show 2025 3. America’s Air Show MCAS Miramar Air Show 2025 4. Pacific Airshow 2025 5. Central Coast Airfest 2025 6. Apple Valley Air Show 2025 Please note that event details,…
