The MOTOTRBO radios are lower cost than an HT or CDM. They are not higher. If you price out an HT with a 3 year warranty and an IMPRES Lithium Ion battery and charger, it will be higher than a MOTOTRBO portable. A CDM1550 was also higher than a MOTOTRBO mobile.
Some of the HT and CDM models have been discontinued. For example, the CDM1550 is only available now in Low Band. VHF Hi and UHF are gone.
The MOTOTRBO radios, even when used just for analog, are a much better radio than the HT and CDM series, in my opinion (from a technical perspective). The MOTOTRBO have much higher channel capacity, excellent audio quality, excellent battery life (portables), MUCH easier-to-use menus, and have functionality that the HT and CDM series doesn't/didn't/won't offer. And the MOTOTRBO portables are waterproof/submersible. End-user satisfaction has been extremely high for the MOTOTRBO radios.
From a 'business' perspective, the HT and CDM models have been around for over 10 years. Some models have already been discontinued. That model line is getting near end-of-life, there's no doubt about that. To me, it wouldn't make any sense to spend my money on an 'old model' radio, that will be discontinued in not-too-many months or years, when I can purchase a newer model, that offers more, for less money.
Your statement that "It is always promoting something they have over something someone else doesn't." is interesting, to say the least. Isn't that what all businesses try to do? They all try to set themselves apart from their competitors, in one way or another. Some offer lower prices than anyone else. Others offer products or services that no one else can offer. That's how business works. If a business didn't do exactly what you stated, they wouldn't be in business for very long at all. I own my own business and have done so for almost 33 years, so I know what I'm talking about.
You obviously have quite an 'axe to grind' with Motorola. With that said, that doesn't mean that I think everthing that Motorola corporate does is 'right'. I don't necessarily agree with how some of the direct-side
sales are handled. And I've seen salespeople from some Motorola dealerships that were/are quite 'unethical' in their business dealings. But that doesn't mean that every Motorola dealer out there is like that. There are good dealers that tell the truth and honestly try to guide the end-user towards the best options for their communications needs.
John Rayfield, Jr. CETma
It has been stated correctly here that this is market driven, meaning the manufacturers and dealers are driving this whole narrow band mess. The dealers in my area are stating that the CDM and HT lines are discontinued when they are not. I even provided my department with the cancellation notices, and pointed out that the radios we have are still available.Still they are buying MOTOTRBO. The dealers want to sell MOTOTRBO, to make sure that whoever you sell to has to come back to you for more, and when an agency sees that the MOTOTRBO radio will fulfill the current narrow banding rules and the future ultra narrow, for the same price or lower as the CDM or HT line why wouldn't an agency go to it. Motorola has a hand in it also, I have seen this before, when Motorola didn't make an economical low band radio they told my local school board that low band was being discontinued. Discontinued? Motorola knows it has competition in the digital market, and wants to flood the market with MOTOTRBO so as to capture it, and hold it, like they did with DPL in the 70's, and 800 trunking type I and II in the 80's. It is always promoting something they have over something someone else doesn't. The purchasing agency doesn't look past the initial purchase as to the future costs involved.
BTW inter-agency comms should be in analog anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem.
