[time-nuts] PCB design questions thread II

[John Miles]

For one-off PCBs, I've had good luck with www.batchpcb.com .  They work by
panelizing different orders together, so it can sometimes take a month or
more to get your board back.  That's especially true of 4-layer boards,
since it takes longer for them to accumulate enough 4-layer orders to make a
panel.

SMD is not hard to work with by hand, down to 0603 or thereabouts depending
on eyesight and/or equipment.  I find it easier to deal with than
through-hole, frankly.  There are plenty of different ways to solder SMD
ICs, ranging from toaster ovens and heat guns to creating deliberate bridges
which you clean up with solder wick.

-- john, KE5FX


> -----Original Message-----
> From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com]On
> Behalf Of Patrick
> Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 11:31 AM
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] PCB design questions thread II
>
>
> Hi David and list
>
> I am quite interested in this post too.
>
> I have wanted to fabricate my own PCBs for several years now but I have
> never made an attempt. I am set up here to do silk screening and I have
> ovens and a hot-air soldering iron. Has anyone else tried to fabricate
> their own boards or is the price of farming the work out just so low now?
>
> If anyone has farmed out work, could you please feedback as to the entry
> level costs and if possible, some suggested companies?
>