> Thanks for the post Steve,
>
> Where is Circuit Xpress located? Can you give me some contact info?
[Steve Katz] Of course. I thought everybody knew these guys, they
are very popular for short runs of high quality boards:
http://www.circuitexpress.com
229 S. Clark Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 966-5894
Been using them for years. When I go into "production" quantities
(in the thousands), I usually go offshore to Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, etc.
where prices are lower but deliveries are longer. Circuit Express turns
boards in 5 days, standard lead time.
For layout, I use ORCAD.
73 de Steve, WB2WIK/6
> Can you recommend an inexpensive layout program suitable for both
> analog and digital layouts?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
> --- Steve Katz <stevek@jmr.com> wrote:
> > Jim, I have some comments and questions contained below. If you'd
> > answer
> > them, perhaps I and other readers might have a better understanding
> > of what
> > you're trying to say.
> >
> > 73 de Steve, WB2WIK/6
> >
> >
> > > Do you know what fabricated PCBs cost, even in short runs?
> > [Steve Katz] I think I do. I use Circuit XPress for short runs,
> > and after paying the $500 setup charge per layout for Gerber file
> > transfer,
> > a PCB the size and quality of the AR347 amp board is about $50/each
> > for the
> > first 10 or so, diminishing to about $25/each in 100+ lot runs,
> > assuming
> > high grade FR4 and 2 oz copper, tinned, plus silk screening.
> > > With the art work in hand, I could go to a custom board house and
> > have
> > > one-off boards custom-made for less than what CCI is asking. In a
> > > quantity
> > > run, the price would fall well below two dollars a board very
> > quickly.
> > [Steve Katz] If you can get me these boards for $2/each, seriously,
> > I'd like to place an order with you today for 1000 pcs.
> >
> > > And -- did you happen to check the price of the active devices for
> > that
> > > 1000-watt CCI amp? You probably will not believe me when I tell
> > you that
> > > it's over $900.
> > [Steve Katz] If you buy all the parts one-off, I'm sure you're
> > right. But CCI didn't design the amp, Motorola did, and I think they
> > sell
> > the BOM pretty reasonably.
> >
> > > On the other hand -- most of the RFE amps use the 2SC2879 device,
> > which
> > > sells in small-handful quantities at about $15. each. Properly
> > biased and
> > > heatsinked, these are good for 100 watts each all day long.
> > >
> > > So on the one hand you've got CCI selling amps made from expensive,
> > > hard-to-power, hard-to-cool Motorola devices, and on the other hand
> > you've
> > > got RFE selling amps made from cheap, easy-to-power, easy-to-cool
> > Japanese
> > > devices.*
> > [Steve Katz] I don't understand the "hard to cool" comment. Is the
> > device Rthj-c higher? What's the Rthj-c of the 2SC2879?
> >
> > > The RFE amp goes straight out the door and under the dash of a semi
> > for
> > > about 20% of the cost of the CCI amp -- which requires some
> > relatively
> > > sophisticated work to power up.
> > [Steve Katz] All I can say is the obvious, which is: "If it's so
> > great, why don't they just apply for certification?" It's not
> > expensive to
> > do so. They'd have to lock out 22+ MHz per CFR47 requirements, but
> > could
> > include a retrofit kit to put 12/10m back in for licensed amateurs,
> > same way
> > everybody else does. I don't get their gripe.
> >
> > > Are you starting to get a clue about the political and societal
> > > ramifications of the RFE decision?**
> > [Steve Katz] Not really.
> >
> >
> > > Jim N6OTQ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Amps mailing list
> > > Amps@contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
> > _______________________________________________
> > Amps mailing list
> > Amps@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
>
>
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