With decent volumes of the same design, the manufacture of Japanese designed radios in China makes some sense. Just wait until we see a quality amateur radio product both designed and made in China. It will happen. Then Kenwood, ICOM and Yaesu will be seriously undercut and worried. Why do so many products say "Made in China"? Manufacturing costs are much lower than Japan.
See www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-icom-base-station-radio/icom/icom-ic-7300-hf-50-70mhz-transceiver-deposit-pd-6016.php
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I think we both recall a time when "made in Japan" meant exactly the same as we now associate with "made in China".
ReplyDeleteI am sure you are right that the Chinese will learn the same lesson as the Japanese did. Over time the Chinese products may be low for a while, then rise, maybe not quite to the current Japanese level, but approaching.
Vy 73 de OZ9QV, Jan
I think the made in china label refers specifically to the case fan only.
ReplyDeleteNot sure you are right. Most of that radio is made with fully automated production equipment. Only a small part, the final assembly, is labour intensive. My guess is they will keep making them in Japan also due to the rising cost of labour in China.
ReplyDeleteThe label has been left on, so that users experiencing premature failure cannot blame
ReplyDeletea Japanese company.
Crafty these Japs ;-)
From experience, I know that ALL labour costs in China are lower than Japan currently. Even if machines are used for SMA placement it is still lower cost to assemble in a lower cost area than Japan. Ask yourselves why most consumer products including those by Apple are assembled in China. Eventually, China will become too expensive and people will look for lower labour costs elsewhere. I am not in favour of China making everything, but fear the "big three" amateur companies in Japan will not be able to compete if the Chinese wake up seriously to amateur radio.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazes me is how long it is taking china to come up with some of its own good designs. All we have seen so far are rather poorly executed copies of old designs. Surely in China there are engineers who can design radios? never mind other (perhaps more lucrative) items like cars! What was it that happened in Japan for it to dominate the radio/car/ etc industries from a similar starting point... confidence? R&D? Good company management? G6AIG
ReplyDeleteHugh, I agree. It seems odd that they haven't taken the amateur radio market by storm already. When the Chinese do wake up I think ICOM, Yaesu and Kenwood will struggle. It would not surprise me if at least one goes bankrupt. They are "swimming against the tide".
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