Batboard

I recently acquired a 900 MHz MTX9250 - its in mint condition with correct tags and original US distributor tag.

It looks and feels 100% genuine...and I've held fake Motorola's. The radio is basically new old stock with knobs with "white dust" (easy to clean up) and a new old stock battery with correct dates etc. I'm very pleased with the radio but I was surprised to see "Made in China" on the bottom tag on the radio chassis.

I'm aware of Malaysian made "top end" Motorola's but I did not expect to see a US sold MTX9250 being made in China? Anybody else got an MTX9250 or similar which is made in China? Does Motorola have a Chinese factory?

Every Motorola accessory these days seems to have a big, bold "MADE IN CHINA" label on it.

I'm used to seeing "Made in China" on the batteries and other accessories - I was just surprised to see "Made in China" (rather than Malaysia etc etc) on the chassis of an actual "high/medium" tier MTX9250 radio which was made around 10 years ago and sold in the US market from a well established reseller. An MTX9250 is basically a HT1250 for 900MHz so why "Made in China"??

With automated production techniques, you wonder why its not just as cheap to manufacture the actual radios in the US...I presume most of the PCB's are made by "robots"!!

With automated production techniques, you wonder why its not just as cheap to manufacture the actual radios in the US...I presume most of the PCB's are made by "robots"!!

We tend to respect workers' rights and the environment in the USA. China not so much

I agree with escomm here. Not sure about the USA but the smog/pollution laws here in Australia would hamper the cost they could produce the boards for. If the components are still placed by a drugged out drone worker then that would be a major issue here. The electricity cost as well would be an issue here to run the plant. Obviously our workers rights would be a major issue for any actual workers.

Whilst it is bad to see workers crapped on by their company (Motorola would probably be outsourcing the construction of the boards?? alike Apple and Samsung to Fox??) the financial boost that comes from this process being done in third world helps them financially at least. The people just need their government to stand up for them at least on pollution enforcement IMO though unfortunately business would be likely to move on to the next 3rd world bigger then for a few dollars.

I've seen plenty of Waris radios come across my bench made in China.
Just about every OEM Motorola battery is made in China.

Don't expect this to to become a thing of the past anytime soon. Cheap slave labor is as addictive as crack to some companies.