Through Hole vs. Surface Mount
in [Design]
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From: Joerg on 29 Mar 2010 20:37 Tim Williams wrote: > "mpm" <mpmillard(a)aol.com> wrote in message > news:3c2cb2d5-5c26-496d-8de8-abc5392f8269(a)z4g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... >> One mis-step, and you've potentially ruined hours worth of work, only >> to start all over again. >> Plus, after you're purchased the bare copper boards, the checmials, >> the drills, and include your time -- it costs way more than the cheap >> PCB houses. >> With the latter giving you near perfect boards most of the time, on 2 >> or 3 day turns, for $50 or so, and some even include the >> silkscreening. > > The chemicals are practically free. Muriatic acid $5 at the hardware store. > Acetone $5. You could get about a hundred boards from each, the cost per > board doesn't even count. You'll spend more on the transfer paper. > > As a student, I don't have $50 to spare, nor is my time worth more than $50 > for the same. It makes sense to make my own boards. > > There is one more advantage you missed. I also get them same day, a service > you'd be charged many times the list price from a commercial supplier. > But you don't get a bag of trail mix with the shipment like I got last time :-)) I still have two gallons of muriatic acid sitting in the garage. Our pool used to need that on a regular basis. Right after I bought a new carton it stopped needing it. Beats me why. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Robert Baer on 30 Mar 2010 10:50 Joerg wrote: > Robert Baer wrote: >> Joerg wrote: >>> Martin Riddle wrote: >>>> "Chris" <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote in message >>>> news:fbd910e4-f10e-42d8-a193-bb9c7a1cd19f(a)c2g2000pre.googlegroups.com... >>>> >>>>> I have just completed a designing a board that has 5 16 pin ICs. I >>>>> was planing on etching and drilling myself, but after my last project >>>>> took for ever to drill far fewer holes, I was considering going >>>>> surface mount. I am only planing to make three at first. Should I >>>>> stick to through hole for the ease of hand soldering, or should I >>>>> switch to decaf and wait a month and try my hand at surface mount. >>>>> >>> >>> A glass of Guinness works much better :-) >>> >>> >>>>> Comments Welcome, >>>>> Chris Maness >>>> >>>> I second the SMT try. It's not as difficult as it seems. Get a >>>> good magnifier , headband type. >>>> A good pair of tweezers, fine tips for your iron, and fine 0.015" >>>> solder helps too. >>>> >>> >>> I like 0.015" Kester No-Clean best. No mess. >>> >>> >>>> There are some good parts out there that only come in SMT. >>>> >>> >>> Yep, like tons of great RF transistors or fast opamps. >>> >> "No-Clean"? GACK! avoid that junk like the plague it is... > > > I've had no issues at all with it. Very clean solder joints, and they > stay clean. > 1) What do you use to clean the glop off? 2) What about leakage current issues? 3) What about high voltage issues? 4) What about reliability issues if glop is left alone?
From: Fred Bartoli on 30 Mar 2010 05:14 Joerg a �crit : > Tim Williams wrote: >> "mpm" <mpmillard(a)aol.com> wrote in message >> news:3c2cb2d5-5c26-496d-8de8-abc5392f8269(a)z4g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... >>> One mis-step, and you've potentially ruined hours worth of work, only >>> to start all over again. >>> Plus, after you're purchased the bare copper boards, the checmials, >>> the drills, and include your time -- it costs way more than the cheap >>> PCB houses. >>> With the latter giving you near perfect boards most of the time, on 2 >>> or 3 day turns, for $50 or so, and some even include the >>> silkscreening. >> >> The chemicals are practically free. Muriatic acid $5 at the hardware >> store. Acetone $5. You could get about a hundred boards from each, >> the cost per board doesn't even count. You'll spend more on the >> transfer paper. >> >> As a student, I don't have $50 to spare, nor is my time worth more >> than $50 for the same. It makes sense to make my own boards. >> >> There is one more advantage you missed. I also get them same day, a >> service you'd be charged many times the list price from a commercial >> supplier. >> > > But you don't get a bag of trail mix with the shipment like I got last > time :-)) > > I still have two gallons of muriatic acid sitting in the garage. Our > pool used to need that on a regular basis. Right after I bought a new > carton it stopped needing it. Beats me why. > Because it realized how cheap you are and refused to be used as your etchant bath? -- Thanks, Fred.
From: Joerg on 30 Mar 2010 11:06 Robert Baer wrote: > Joerg wrote: >> Robert Baer wrote: >>> Joerg wrote: >>>> Martin Riddle wrote: >>>>> "Chris" <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote in message >>>>> news:fbd910e4-f10e-42d8-a193-bb9c7a1cd19f(a)c2g2000pre.googlegroups.com... >>>>> >>>>>> I have just completed a designing a board that has 5 16 pin ICs. I >>>>>> was planing on etching and drilling myself, but after my last project >>>>>> took for ever to drill far fewer holes, I was considering going >>>>>> surface mount. I am only planing to make three at first. Should I >>>>>> stick to through hole for the ease of hand soldering, or should I >>>>>> switch to decaf and wait a month and try my hand at surface mount. >>>>>> >>>> >>>> A glass of Guinness works much better :-) >>>> >>>> >>>>>> Comments Welcome, >>>>>> Chris Maness >>>>> >>>>> I second the SMT try. It's not as difficult as it seems. Get a >>>>> good magnifier , headband type. >>>>> A good pair of tweezers, fine tips for your iron, and fine 0.015" >>>>> solder helps too. >>>>> >>>> >>>> I like 0.015" Kester No-Clean best. No mess. >>>> >>>> >>>>> There are some good parts out there that only come in SMT. >>>>> >>>> >>>> Yep, like tons of great RF transistors or fast opamps. >>>> >>> "No-Clean"? GACK! avoid that junk like the plague it is... >> >> >> I've had no issues at all with it. Very clean solder joints, and they >> stay clean. >> > 1) What do you use to clean the glop off? There is no glop. > 2) What about leakage current issues? > 3) What about high voltage issues? Never had any. > 4) What about reliability issues if glop is left alone? I have test gear here that I built years ago. Totally reliable. In fact I have to build some more today, need a variable frequency mains supply to test for international voltages and also 400Hz aircraft stuff. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 30 Mar 2010 11:07
Fred Bartoli wrote: > Joerg a �crit : >> Tim Williams wrote: >>> "mpm" <mpmillard(a)aol.com> wrote in message >>> news:3c2cb2d5-5c26-496d-8de8-abc5392f8269(a)z4g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... >>>> One mis-step, and you've potentially ruined hours worth of work, only >>>> to start all over again. >>>> Plus, after you're purchased the bare copper boards, the checmials, >>>> the drills, and include your time -- it costs way more than the cheap >>>> PCB houses. >>>> With the latter giving you near perfect boards most of the time, on 2 >>>> or 3 day turns, for $50 or so, and some even include the >>>> silkscreening. >>> >>> The chemicals are practically free. Muriatic acid $5 at the hardware >>> store. Acetone $5. You could get about a hundred boards from each, >>> the cost per board doesn't even count. You'll spend more on the >>> transfer paper. >>> >>> As a student, I don't have $50 to spare, nor is my time worth more >>> than $50 for the same. It makes sense to make my own boards. >>> >>> There is one more advantage you missed. I also get them same day, a >>> service you'd be charged many times the list price from a commercial >>> supplier. >>> >> >> But you don't get a bag of trail mix with the shipment like I got last >> time :-)) >> >> I still have two gallons of muriatic acid sitting in the garage. Our >> pool used to need that on a regular basis. Right after I bought a new >> carton it stopped needing it. Beats me why. >> > > Because it realized how cheap you are and refused to be used as your > etchant bath? > Oh yeay, maybe the two bottles secretly joined a union :-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM. |