Recommend a Chinese PCB Source

[...]

Some threads in s.e.d last spring mentioned

and and positively, and negatively because of its spam to s.e.d

You need to register to order from pcbcart but can get quotes without registering, by clicking through "2. how to order" at the right of first page, then at the bottom of that page, "I would like to check your prices at first". For example, 1400 25mm x 38mm

2-sided boards (not panels), Soldermask Both Sides, Silkscreen White, Lead Time 15 days is $281.06 ($30.95 tooling plus 0.18/board). With 8-day lead time, it would be $0.20/board. Quote matrix shows per-board prices dropping off roughly 1 cent per 1000, down to about a dime each.

-jiw

Most US PCB houses I've dealt with are more than willing to price match similar service/lead times. PCBPro.com and Advanced Circuits (4PCB.com) are my two primary sources, and both will match pricing. Lately I've been getting a lot of offers to upgrade lead times for free, an indication that they are starving for work and willing to deal.

Personally, I've never found the hassle and generally crappy quality to be worth the savings of going to China for boards, and certainly not for the small quantity you're looking for.

You can sometimes save money by designing the whole panel yourself vs. requesting a step and repeat. This also assures that you get the exact configuration you're looking for. If you're willing/able to cut the panels yourself instead of v-scoring or tab routing, you can save much more.

Also, add in your FedEx costs, time lost and frustration...

Chris

As a former customer of CustomPCB, I would definitely NOT recommend them. Over-etched boards, silver plating that wants to resist "conventional" (aka non-ROHS) solders, and *very* argumentative sales contact.

Look into Futurlec (AU firm, fronting a shop in Thailand) and PCBex (Texas firm, fronting a Chinese operation).

Both do step & repeat and will v-score, which gets much better yield than tab routing for very small boards. I prefer to panelize the array myself; de-panelizing is tough without a rig. You have to ask Futurlec via e-mail for v-scoring, and there's a moderate surcharge.

For smallish quantities (roughly

*-*-badly+zz-zz+start-a-thread-with-title+Bad-vendor-Pasternaknews:E6jkg.44848$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net

yep, custompcb sucks...I had a board that the soldermask started peeling off! I now use Advance Circuits with no problems so far...(fingers crossed.)

...snip....

yes njpcb spammed s.e.d. quite extensively for a time and all spammers should have their spam removed via their most rearward orrifice in the most painful manner.

**However** when one of our board manfs when legs up we required some prototypes urgently and I turned to njpcb (and 2 others) in a state of panic. Their quality was, in fact, very good and delivery exactly as they had said.

We have now repeated at least 6 different orders from them.

I still do not like spammers and molify my concience by not dealing with them myself (I would leave that to others anyway - just shows what a pathetic creature I am).

Advanced Circuits is good... they build more complex boards than almost all of the non-US "cheap" sources every day, and their "cheap board" flow is the same as the "regular board" flow.

If you start wanting a solder mask & silkscreen, Advanced Circuits has their "3 for $99" special (really $33/each, but minimum qty. 3). Two side, 60 sq. in. or less, 6mil trace/space, 15mil drill holes. I think that's pretty much impossible to beat unless you go off-shore.

Unless you just don't have the money, for prototyping I think it's best to stay in the U.S. (or whatever your home country is)... production runs is where thinking about overseas manufacturing starts to make more sense, IMO.

---Joel