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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Finished boards

From: Bill Verstelle <verstelle@...>
Date: 2016-02-28

This is OK but what if you don't want to wait, or you want to proof your design before you make a production run. Or you are only going to make one board for a project and that's all. Really for me it is easier to design my art work, print it, run artwork and pcb through a laminator a few times, peel off the paper and etch it. In an hour or less I have a board I can use right now. Granted it's not as nice looking, no through hole via's but for but who cares it will be in a box and won't be seen.

Now if I ever designed a board that others would want or I planed to make several then this would be a good option. Plus after 3 weeks I would be on to something else's day would have forgotten about the boards. 

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 28, 2016, at 5:57 AM, richard@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

I'm really not wanting to start a war, or drag up discussions that have already been fully discussed, so please ignore or delete if this if it's contentious.

I've spent 40+ years in the electronics industry, and made my own home boards through a lot of that, but have you seen the price you can buy finished boards for now?. It really questions whether if it is financially worth making your own. As an example, Pcbway will make 10off through hole plated boards, up to 100mm x 100mm (4" sq), solder resist both sides, legend both sides, routed how you want, for 13 US dollars and quality is excellent. Bigger boards are more expensive, but still rediculously cheap compared to domestic boards. ITead are even cheaper and there are many more Chinese companies making cheap boards of good quality. Only downer is delivery - you've got to wait ~3 weeks or pay 25 dollars for a courier.