I want to make a minus 400vdc supply for my grounded screen QRO PA. I
have iron on resist for masking, for solder masking silk screening and
PCB etching I'd like to make it look professional. The Solder Masking
Iron on is blue and can be used to etch and silk screen I have 5
sheets of 8.5X11. I have PCB material and ferric chloride

I thought PCB123 had schematic layouts that went to PCB layouts so I
could just print that on clear mylar on my printer and expose it to
the iron on resist.

I could do every thing by hand then I need a drafting table.

Anybody have a link to a good tutorial?

I got laptop wit 32bit XP pro and an HP printer

On Sun, 20 Jan 2013 07:24:46 -0800, raypsi wrote:

I want to make a minus 400vdc supply for my grounded screen QRO PA. I
have iron on resist for masking, for solder masking silk screening and
PCB etching I'd like to make it look professional. The Solder Masking
Iron on is blue and can be used to etch and silk screen I have 5 sheets
of 8.5X11. I have PCB material and ferric chloride

I thought PCB123 had schematic layouts that went to PCB layouts so I
could just print that on clear mylar on my printer and expose it to the
iron on resist.

I could do every thing by hand then I need a drafting table.

Anybody have a link to a good tutorial?

I got laptop wit 32bit XP pro and an HP printer

I haven't used PCB123 but I have used ExpressPCB which is similar. The
purpose of these products is to sell PC boards made by the company that
provides the software. Since this is the case, there is no provision (at
least in ExpressPCB) to print a layout in a way that can be used to etch
a board. Also, at least for ExpressPCB, the NRE is way too expensive to
have one board made for home use. If you find these things to not be
true for PCB123, please let us know; it would be welcome news.

Another thing that I haven't done but have heard is that clear mylar
isn't a good medium for making masks; the ink/toner won't go on thickly
enough to be opaque. Vellum is a better choice.

Good luck,

--
Jim Mueller

To get my real email address, replace wrongname with dadoheadman.
Then replace nospam with fastmail. Lastly, replace com with us.

Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print screen and photoshop it?
A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD on a bunch of PCB's that don't come out right.
PCB123's minimum cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must be from a third world backwater country if you think that is a high price.

On 1/21/2013 3:58 AM, raypsi wrote:
Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print screen and photoshop it?
A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD on a bunch of PCB's that don't come out right.
PCB123's minimum cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must be from a third world backwater country if you think that is a high price.

You don't get the concept. They lock you into buying boards only from
them. Otherwise they would just let you produce Gerber files from the
tool.

Why not use a good, open source tool like FreePCB? That is what I
recommend.

Rick

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:58:22 -0800, raypsi wrote:

Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how
will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software shows
me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print screen and
photoshop it?

You're supposed to be good enough to look at the layout on the screen and
know. The whole point of the rapid-turn PCB houses is that they make you
a board so that you don't have to.

A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD
on a bunch of PCB's that don't come out right. PCB123's minimum cost is
$109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must be from a third world
backwater country if you think that is a high price.

That's a much higher price than BatchPCB, which charges $2.50/sqin + $10/
order.

$109/board is too much for my hobby budget, although I routinely pay that
much for professional stuff.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:15:54 -0500, rickman wrote:

On 1/21/2013 3:58 AM, raypsi wrote:
Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how
will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software
shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print screen
and photoshop it? A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds
of USD on a bunch of PCB's that don't come out right. PCB123's minimum
cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must be from a third
world backwater country if you think that is a high price.

You don't get the concept. They lock you into buying boards only from
them. Otherwise they would just let you produce Gerber files from the
tool.

Why not use a good, open source tool like FreePCB? That is what I
recommend.

Rick

I use Eagle, but I started before the open-source tools got good enough
to be real. They have a limited-size free (but not open source) version.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:15:54 -0500, rickman wrote:

On 1/21/2013 3:58 AM, raypsi wrote:
Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how
will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software
shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print screen
and photoshop it?
A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD on a bunch
of PCB's that don't come out right.
PCB123's minimum cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must
be from a third world backwater country if you think that is a high
price.

You don't get the concept. They lock you into buying boards only from
them. Otherwise they would just let you produce Gerber files from the
tool.

Why not use a good, open source tool like FreePCB? That is what I
recommend.

Rick

Actually ExpressPCB doesn't completely lock you in. They will make
Gerber files for you for $60 AFTER you have ordered some boards.

--
Jim Mueller

To get my real email address, replace wrongname with dadoheadman.
Then replace nospam with fastmail. Lastly, replace com with us.

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:11:19 +0000, Jim Mueller wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:15:54 -0500, rickman wrote:

On 1/21/2013 3:58 AM, raypsi wrote:
Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how
will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software
shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print
screen and photoshop it?
A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD on a bunch
of PCB's that don't come out right.
PCB123's minimum cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You
must be from a third world backwater country if you think that is a
high price.

You don't get the concept. They lock you into buying boards only from
them. Otherwise they would just let you produce Gerber files from the
tool.

Why not use a good, open source tool like FreePCB? That is what I
recommend.

Rick

Actually ExpressPCB doesn't completely lock you in. They will make
Gerber files for you for $60 AFTER you have ordered some boards.

So, a deal that's 99.44% sucky is better than a deal that's 100% sucky?

I dunno, I think I'd rather get some free layout tools and learn to use
them.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:52:51 -0600, Tim Wescott wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:11:19 +0000, Jim Mueller wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:15:54 -0500, rickman wrote:

On 1/21/2013 3:58 AM, raypsi wrote:
Well then, when I send in the files they need to produce the PCB how
will I know it's going to come out right, wait unless the software
shows me a layout of the PCB on my monitor and I just do a print
screen and photoshop it?
A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD on a bunch
of PCB's that don't come out right.
PCB123's minimum cost is $109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You
must be from a third world backwater country if you think that is a
high price.

You don't get the concept. They lock you into buying boards only from
them. Otherwise they would just let you produce Gerber files from the
tool.

Why not use a good, open source tool like FreePCB? That is what I
recommend.

Rick

Actually ExpressPCB doesn't completely lock you in. They will make
Gerber files for you for $60 AFTER you have ordered some boards.

So, a deal that's 99.44% sucky is better than a deal that's 100% sucky?

I dunno, I think I'd rather get some free layout tools and learn to use
them.

Depends on how you are using it. ExpressPCB is great if you need a quick
prototype, and, if it works out, you can get Gerbers to go into
production. The software is very easy to use; hardly any learning curve
at all. It's just not appropriate for hobby projects. I used it when
laying out the board myself was quicker than writing instructions for our
regular layout person.

They also include a schematic capture program which is equally easy to
use and, if all you need is a schematic, is fine. It's made for Windows
but I'm using it under Linux with the aid of Wine (a popular Windows
emulator).

--
Jim Mueller

To get my real email address, replace wrongname with dadoheadman.
Then replace nospam with fastmail. Lastly, replace com with us.

In article ,
Tim Wescott wrote:
On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:58:22 -0800, raypsi wrote:

A costumer would be not so bright to spend hundreds of USD
on a bunch of PCB's that don't come out right. PCB123's minimum cost is
$109 for 2pcs of 9 square inch board. You must be from a third world
backwater country if you think that is a high price.

That's a much higher price than BatchPCB, which charges $2.50/sqin + $10/
order.

$109/board is too much for my hobby budget, although I routinely pay that
much for professional stuff.


Yep.. $109 seems a bit steep, unless you need them really fast.


Oshpark charges $5/sqin for 3pcs, for sharp looking boards.
FR4 .063" 2-layers 1oz copper. purple boards, gold flashed.
About a 12-14 day turnaround. I think they are made in the US.
They also do 4 layer boards for $10/sqin.

Thre are several Chinese shops that will do 10pcs of 5x5cm boards
for ~$10, larger sizes for a bit more. About a month turnaround.
Seeed Studio, and a couple of others.


Lets see.. for a 9sqin board..

PCB123
$109/2 = $54.50 per board

BatchPCB
9sqin x $2.50 = $22.50 per board
+$10 order = $32.50 for first board
$55 for 2 boards.

Oshpark
9sqin x $5 = $45.
$45/3 = $15 per board

So PCB123 is ~2x the price of BatchPCB, and 3x the price of Oshpark.


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