Motorola CCSi Relocating...

[greenthumb]

For those of you familiar with Motorola's CCSi staging facility - that HUGE, impressive room at the Schaumburg campus where all Motorola LMR systems are staged (assembled, programmed and tested with the customer on site) - my understanding is that the room right now is completely empty (if you can imagine that!) and staging will be relocated to Elgin. Word is that the building will be demolished. So many systems have been through that room over the years and it's certainly a sad end of an era.

The Motorola story in Schumburg is depressing. And I'm certainly not a Motorola hater - they have the best radio gear out there, in my opinion.

End of era: Motorola Solutions HQ leaving Schaumburg after 50 years

Motorola Solutions laying off 200 employees in Chicago area - Chicago Tribune

 

[902]

As a former Motorolan, I am saddened by that. At the level I was, I made several trips to the NSTC/WWTE facility and spent most of my downtime pacing the Woodfield Mall and traversing the two-lane road that cut through the corn field on the way from the LaQuinta over to Plum Grove Rd. You just triggered a few synapses and sent me down a very nostalgic path. I haven't been out there in about 25 years. I see there is no more corn field, and the search engine page says that hotel is permanently closed. Everything changes. Our industry is changing, too.

 

[SCPD]

I once went to the Motorola Museum many moons ago when it was open on that campus. It sucked when they closed it, a real treat to see all the old radios they had on display. I was the only one in the room at the time, so I was able to take my time and look at everything on display. I think it was around 1993 or 1994 when I went and wanted to go back a few years later but Motorola closed it to the public.

 

[greenthumb]

Yeah, the museum was great - I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit it back in the early 2000s. My experience was the same - pretty much had the whole place to myself to wander through!

I just remember seeing the parking lots full at the main campus and the place just buzzing back then with everything that was going on (cell phones, two-way, etc.) and to see it all just folding up and either going away after being sold off or moving elsewhere in Chicago is almost mind-boggling. So much history there that will just be...gone.

 

[rfradioconsult]

Back in the early 80's I had a large international project in Africa consisting of VHF and HF radios, supporting an off-shore drilling exploration program, in the contract I specified a compliance check at the factory. Because the base stations VHF & HF would be operated from 240V 50 Hz they chose to do the checks in the basement of the Motorola "Whitehouse" where they had suitable electrical power available. Very enjoyable week, complete with my own guide, lunched in the Headquarters dining room. Interesting project involving several trips to SW Africa, just one of my adventures in my interesting radio career.