GMRS Radios Made In The USA!

[OffRoaderX]

I dont usually like to post videos here, but I have been so inspired by several of the "experts" in this forum complaining that we should not be using radios made in China that I put together a list of all the American Made radios AND I vow to purchase each one of these American made radios and do a full review of them in the next 30 days..  Thank you to "some people" that opened my eyes about not purchasing radios that are not made in America.

 

[jgillaspy]

I love it!!! Just what I expected.

[SteveShannon]

I’m guessing that is an empty set. 

[Gerald1971]

That was a great video. The ending was awesome.

[marcspaz]

This reminds me of when I was a kid and did sales and repairs of TV's.  I used to have so many people bitch about my Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Sony inventory levels and model options being so much more than "American" TV's like RCA, Phillips, Magnavox and Sharp.

 

One day, I setup a display with every 19" TV I sold, with the back's of every TV open so all could see.  I had post-it notes pointing out that every single TV, regardless of the brand, domestic or otherwise, all had the identical Mitsubishi or Toshiba main board.  People refused to believe that it was just packaging.  Even after seeing it with their own eyes.  I had some people accuse me of staging the boards to look like they were the same. 

 

I guess, what I am saying is, stupid should hurt.

[MozartMan]

6 hours ago, marcspaz said:

This reminds me of when I was a kid and did sales and repairs of TV's.  I used to have so many people bitch about my Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Sony inventory levels and model options being so much more than "American" TV's like RCA, Phillips, Magnavox and Sharp.

Isn't the Sharp company a Japanese company founded September 15, 1912; 109 years ago, in Tokyo, Japan? 

6 hours ago, marcspaz said:

I guess, what I am saying is, stupid should hurt.

 Ain't that the truth? 

[PACNWComms]

17 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I dont usually like to post videos here, but I have been so inspired by several of the "experts" in this forum complaining that we should not be using radios made in China that I put together a list of all the American Made radios AND I vow to purchase each one of these American made radios and do a full review of them in the next 30 days..  Thank you to "some people" that opened my eyes about not purchasing radios that are not made in America.

 

I have been out of the office for a few days and had my crew watch this. With some even stating that they had 'Merican made GMRS radios. Not having watched the video, I thought there may be one or two companies that might make a model here stateside, so it was no surprise to see a blank sheet of paper. Then I had to question the co-workers who said they had 'Merican made radios. No Ritron, Datron, Harris, nothing. Great video and point to those that think electronics are still made here.

The last domestic radios I have purchased for a government contract, where made in Chicago, and had to be pre-ordered months in advance, but were indeed made here (at about twice the price of their Malaysian made equivalent - P25 non-GMRS in this case). The individual chips in those radios, they were made in Texas by E-Systems. For a domestic company to make a GMRS radio, I would expect it to cost several hundred dollars, as even this order of P25 radios doubled in cost to be made here, and with only a few vendors making the components that met federal government specifications.

This entire thread reminds me of when I found out in 1992 that the federal government was going to use Cisco Systems hardware for data network hardware, everywhere. Then they dominated the business and commercial market. Now Cisco Systems continues to dominate the industry, while their hardware is made in China. Then people wonder why our intellectual property is being compromised. It would be nice to see a 'Merican made GMRS radio, I would buy a dozen just to prove a point, provided they were less than $500 each.

[marcspaz]

2 hours ago, MozartMan said:

Isn't the Sharp company a Japanese company founded September 15, 1912; 109 years ago, in Tokyo, Japan? 

 

Correct, Sharp Corp is a Japanese company.  However, starting in 1962, they had a division called Sharp Manufacturing Company of America in Tennessee. While Sharp Corp was located in Japan, they decided to leverage a Nationalism wave that was happening in the US at the time and founded their first overseas (for them) manufacturing and distribution subsidiary here in the US. 

 

Production and sales were 100% color TVs and microwave ovens.  They had Made in America stamped on every product.  For all intents and purposes, it was an American TV (with Mitsubishi guts, sense Sharp had a longstanding relationship with Mitsubishi Electric).

[WROZ250]

About the best anyone can hope for these days, and not just radios, is 'Assembled in America' which, sadly, has been extrapolated with a label that reads 'Made In America'.

Seems like nothing is actually made here anymore.


 

[MozartMan]

9 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

 

Correct, Sharp Corp is a Japanese company.  However, starting in 1962, they had a division called Sharp Manufacturing Company of America in Tennessee. While Sharp Corp was located in Japan, they decided to leverage a Nationalism wave that was happening in the US at the time and founded their first overseas (for them) manufacturing and distribution subsidiary here in the US. 

 

Production and sales were 100% color TVs and microwave ovens.  They had Made in America stamped on every product.  For all intents and purposes, it was an American TV (with Mitsubishi guts, sense Sharp had a longstanding relationship with Mitsubishi Electric).

I was not here, in 'Merica, until I came here (legally) in 1991. Learn something new every day. Thank you for education and history lesson.

And speaking about cars (somebody in some thread/post mentioned Japanese cars) Toyota Camry is the most 'Merican made car. 

[Blaise]

I just have to make one correction here:  You are *all* spelling "'Murca" wrong!

[SteveShannon]

3 hours ago, MozartMan said:

I was not here, in 'Merica, until I came here (legally) in 1991. Learn something new every day. Thank you for education and history lesson.

And speaking about cars (somebody in some thread/post mentioned Japanese cars) Toyota Camry is the most 'Merican made car. 

Tesla is. If my short term memory serves me, the ten most American made cars are Teslas, one Lincoln, one Jeep, and Hondas. There are no Toyotas or GM cars in the top ten. 

[back4more70]

The ad before the video was longer than the video! 

[Drumbic]

But, was there something on the other side of the paper!?    LOL 

[fe2o3]

On 6/22/2022 at 12:27 AM, marcspaz said:

I guess, what I am saying is, stupid should hurt.

It should leave deep scars!!

[WRTI377]

On 6/22/2022 at 10:44 AM, WROZ250 said:

About the best anyone can hope for these days, and not just radios, is 'Assembled in America' which, sadly, has been extrapolated with a label that reads 'Made In America'.

Seems like nothing is actually made here anymore.


 

Well, plenty of stuff is still made here. The problem tends to be some of the components may not be. This was even the case in military stuff recently. I have quite a history at this, including Customs labelling rules (a whole other department) and total lack of enforcement. FTC has some companies just flagrantly ignore the rule (NuBalance Shoes for one). Nothing happens. Much is misunderstood about "Made in USA" and what it actually means. If you're curious   Made in USA | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)

[wilbilt62]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:43 AM, WRTI377 said:

Well, plenty of stuff is still made here. The problem tends to be some of the components may not be. This was even the case in military stuff recently. I have quite a history at this, including Customs labelling rules (a whole other department) and total lack of enforcement. FTC has some companies just flagrantly ignore the rule (NuBalance Shoes for one). Nothing happens. Much is misunderstood about "Made in USA" and what it actually means. If you're curious   Made in USA | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)

I worked as a mechanic for many years and went round and round with Customs and the FTC regarding country of origin labeling on hand tools. Many manufacturers were offshoring production and doing their best to hide this fact from their customers. In most cases, the product of origin label can be on a tag or on the packaging containing the item, but it must be easy to find and clearly legible (not in microscopic print hidden on the back of the packaging). Certain items must be permanently marked on the item itself, by stamping, etching, engraving, etc. These include pliers, nippers, wire cutters and others. Many manufacturers, including the biggest names in the tool business, blatantly ignored the requirements (and still do). People would buy tools based on the brand name believing they were only buying 'Made in USA'. I contacted Customs Enforcement and was directed to the FTC. During correspondence, I provided many examples of these products that were manufactured 'elsewhere' yet had no labeling whatsoever indicating that fact. FTC couldn't understand why I was concerned and said they would take my examples 'under advisement'. Title 19, Part 134 of the CFR details country of origin labeling requirements. Scroll down to 134.43 for a list of items that must be permanently so marked.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-134

[WROZ250]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:43 AM, WRTI377 said:

Well, plenty of stuff is still made here. The problem tends to be some of the components may not be. This was even the case in military stuff recently. I have quite a history at this, including Customs labelling rules (a whole other department) and total lack of enforcement. FTC has some companies just flagrantly ignore the rule (NuBalance Shoes for one). Nothing happens. Much is misunderstood about "Made in USA" and what it actually means. If you're curious   Made in USA | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)

See, that's the fundamental issue.  It doesn't matter what some POS government agency says "Made In America" means, it's the general perception and expectation of what that means, or rather what it once use to mean, which included ALL of the components, not just the completed unit. 

It was the slow migration of manufacturing leaving the country.  If you're old enough, there was a time when almost everything was made in America, and it had nothing to do with nationalism or patriotism.  It was about jobs and pride in the work, about making a quality product. 

Those days are, sadly, all but completely gone, no matter how much people wave their flags and scream for nationalism and patriotism.  Words won't fix the issue, bringing actual (competitive) manufacturing and innovation back to America will.

Until then, accept the reality that virtually all of your communications equipment (and their components) is made in a foreign country, no matter what 'American' company name is on it.  Yeah, you too Motorola.



(sorry for the rant)

[PRadio]

On 6/22/2022 at 4:45 PM, back4more70 said:

The ad before the video was longer than the video! 

Thankfully I missed the ad. No ad played for me before his video. When I do see an ad, I simply skip watching the video. 

[WRQC527]

It's like my favorite movie... The Blues Brothers... I know how it ends but it's still fun to watch.

[WRPQ991]

The "chip" shortage for new cars is a good example. There are no American made CBs either, I have an old Lafayette 23 channel that was made in  America...maybe. The crystals were probably not. Like it or not, its a global economy