Uniden unveils new digital scanner radio, the Uniden SDS150

Uniden has unveiled the SDS150, a next-generation digital scanner that represents more than just a hardware refresh. Developed with input from longtime users and tested in real-world conditions, the SDS150 offers professionals and enthusiasts an upgraded experience built on reliability, flexibility, and cutting-edge technology.


“The SDS150 isn’t just a hardware upgrade. It’s a field-tested evolution,” said Kamie Eckert, Uniden America Corp.’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “It keeps users informed when reliability matters most—whether that’s monitoring emergency frequencies, tracking severe weather, or staying connected at the track.”
Key Enhancements

Features include, enhanced sensitivity: improved signal reception and filtering minimize interference and boost clarity.

*Simplified Interface: A redesigned control layout and bright digital display make operation more intuitive.

*Extended Battery Life: Optimized power management supports long-term field use.

Lightweight Durability: Compact and rugged for daily professional reliability.
New and Exclusive Features

*Built-in GPS Receiver: Automatically updates and reprograms public safety frequencies as you travel from one city or county to another—no external GPS kit required.

*Bluetooth Connectivity with Uniden U/AWARE App: Unlock advanced app-driven capabilities and real-time data when paired with compatible mobile devices.

*Charging Cradle with Backup Battery Slot: Includes a docking port for convenient charging, plus a slot to charge a spare battery (sold separately).

*Integrated Waterfall Display: Visualize signal activity across a frequency spectrum at a glance—a premium feature now standard on the SDS150 at no additional cost.

What we don't know:

Does the SDS150’s enhanced sensitivity compare to that of the SDS100 or SDS200 in challenging urban RF environments and have improvements have been made to reduce front-end overload or intermodulation when scanning in areas with strong nearby transmitters? Are there filtering parameters for specific bands for unique service types as (for example) the 225 to 280 MHz MILAIR/SATCOM bands? Are there preloaded service searches or scanning profiles specifically for aviation and military monitoring? How quickly can the SDS150 lock onto active frequencies during airshow or training range activity? Does the waterfall display help identify active air or military channels visually in real time?

From my experience the SDS 100 was a little deaf on VHF and UHF aviation bands. Hopefully the new SDS 150 will correct these issues. In my opinion the best Uniden scanner for MILAIR/MILCOM is the tried and true Uniden BC15X which will be hard to beat. If (and when)I get our hands on the UNIDEN 150 - expect a full review.

-Steve Douglass 

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: MILCOM

Aurora Existed with Nick Cook

 

What crashed near Area 51?

Did something crash just out of Area 51 early Tuesday morning? Eye witness reports, flight tracking, witness and radio reports indicate something "black" may have crashed just east of Area 51. 

The events unfolded like this. Just before 10 PM on Monday several Tankers launched from Beal Air Force base in California. Callsigns were TAHOE 90 and TAHOE 91. It's not that all usual for tankers to fly out of Beal but it was notable that they quickly climbed to 37K, Most air-to-air refueling aircraft usually tank just above 25,000 feet. The flight tracks took them very close to Area 51 and then continued southeast across Nevada, southern Utah, Colorado/New Mexico, over the Oklahoma Panhandle and then down south through Texas. 

It's thought the tankers were flying in support of a large test/exercise involving several B-2s, F-18s and other aircraft  including drones (launched out of Creech Air Force) and possibly some black (un- acknowledged) aircraft flying out of Area 51.

At my listening post in Texas I monitored TAHOE 91 refueling with unknown aircraft callsign "SHIVA FLIGHT." Some say SHIVA is a C-130 callsign but I doubt a C-130 was refueling above 35,000 feet.

The aircraft sounded like part of a tanker drag with both TAHOE aircraft flying down over Louisiana, Arkansas, and Southern Missouri.

Meanwhile another aircraft COBRA 47 launched out of Offutt AFB and flew in a route that took it near the Tahoe Flights. 

After 2:00 AM (Texas time) I again monitored TAHOE 90 dragging SHIVA flight. They broke off refueling over southern Kansas. One aircraft (unknown type) asked for flight following to Nellis AFB and for current Nellis weather.

Now, unbeknownst to me, reports started appearing in military monitoring chatrooms about sightings of what looked like dozens of drone operating over southern Nevada.  

Then Joerg (the webmaster at Dreamland Resort) was monitoring on his scanners  what sounded like  the proverbial shit hitting the fan. Joerg is basically the scanner master of Area 51. 

I'll let Joerg tell you the rest of the story via his amazing YouTube channel: 

Soon after a TFR was posted in the Tickaboo Valley area indicating something sensitive had indeed crashed,

So far official inquiries to the Air Force (including Creech and Nellis) have gone unanswered. 

Could it be a SIT (Systems Integration Test) and exercise was underway between various manned and unmanned platforms including some of the intelligent collaborative combat aircraft in the pipeline? Was the RC-135 acting as an airborne data node? 

Hopefully soon we will have more on this developing story. 

Special thanks to DREAMLAND RESORT and webmaster Joerg for his excellent reporting! 

New York Times reveals failed 2019 SEAL TEAM 6 mission into North Korea, fishermen killed

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 5th (local time) that a U.S. Navy special forces unit took charge of the so-called "Kim Jong-un eavesdropping" top-secret operation in 2019 and penetrated into North Korean waters, but failed because a ship carrying civilians appeared.

The New York Times quoted dozens of current and former U.S. officials as saying the same day. The New York Times also reported that the situation at the time of Donald Trump's first term in office has been kept confidential until now.

According to reports, SEAL Team 6, the best of the U.S. Navy's special forces, was put into operation at the time.

SEAL Team 6 is a commando unit that was deployed in the operation to remove Osama bin Laden, which masterminded the September 11 attacks. In early 2019, they infiltrated into the mid-night winter sea by submarine to install electronic devices on the North Korean coast that could eavesdrop on Kim Jong-un's communications.

In this regard, the NYT explained that it was an attempt to secure a strategic advantage for the U.S. at the U.S.-North Korea summit, which began in 2018. At that time, President Trump was continuing his 2018 Singapore summit with Kim and 2019 Hanoi summit in Vietnam, and the U.S. tried to eavesdrop on Kim in preparation for denuclearization negotiations with North Korea, the New York Times reported.

However, as soon as some of them arrived at the coast, a ship carrying several North Korean civilians appeared on the dark sea, and the special forces exterminated them for fear of detection and returned to the submarine, leaving the operation a failure. The dead are believed to be unarmed shellfish fishermen.

With President Trump recently expressing interest in resuming summit diplomacy with Chairman Kim, attention is being paid to the impact of the report on diplomacy between the two countries.

If Chairman of the states Affairs Commission Kim identified the issue through this NYT report, the possibility of a more passive attitude toward U.S.-North Korea dialogue cannot be ruled out amid distrust of President Trump.

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/us/navy-seal-north-korea-trump-2019.html

ISIS members and chief (Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf) captured in Somalia by U.S. Special Forces.

 

photo (C) Steve Douglass

American military forces successfully captured multiple members of ISIS-Somalia on Friday in a ground raid in Somalia’s Puntland state.

U.S. Africa Command announced on Saturday that it carried out an operation against ISIS-Somalia on July 25. The release did not include details on the nature of the operation or if any ISIS members were killed or captured; saying that “[s]pecific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.”

“AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad,” AFRICOM’s release said.

However, the Puntland Defense Force, the main counter-terrorism body for the state, posted on X that their U.S. partners successfully captured ISIS-Somalia’s finance chief Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, along with two others. Additionally an AFRICOM spokesperson said in a statement to Task & Purpose that AFRICOM is “currently assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information on ISIS-Somalia individuals captured as appropriate.”

Yusuf, also known as Abdiweli Walalac, has served as the chief financial leader for the terrorist group in Somalia since at least 2019. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury listed him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and imposed sanctions on him. In that same announcement naming Yusuf as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the Treasury Department noted that ISIS-Somalia generated millions in funds, mainly through extortion of local businesses, which it then used to finance its operations. Yusuf, as the chief money man for the group, answered directly to the leaders of ISIS-Somalia and ISIS al-Karrar, a subgroup that oversees several ISIS cells throughout the African continent.