At 01:17 PM 8/13/02 -0500, you wrote:
>URL is http://www.custompcb.com/. Anyone dealt with them for prototypes
>and/or production boards?
No, but $100 US adder for silk screen markings is more than a bit steep, and
their largest standard drill size is only 0.128".
Fedex shipping at $8 for USA/Canada/Western Europe looks good, OTOH, as
is their willingness to work with supplied special materials at no premium.
Too bad no multilayer.
At 02:05 PM 8/13/02 -0500, you wrote:
>On Tue, 13 Aug 2002, Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>
> > No, but $100 US adder for silk screen markings is more than a bit
> steep, and
> > their largest standard drill size is only 0.128".
>
>Where'd you see that? I see drill sizes listed from .0225"/.57mm to
>.228"/5.7mm.
I've mostly used PCB Express because their quality is good, prices better
than anyone else I've found for real boards (boards with at least two copper
layers, solder mask, and silk screen), and they can do multi layer.
This is the first I have heard of these Custom PCB folks. Like a lot of
these kind of el-cheapo places, they don't seem to have any 4 layer service.
The fixed size of 4 x 5.5 inches also seems a bit strange.
As a comparison, I just ordered 4 boards from PCB Express. These are 4.5 x
4.25 inches, 2 layer, solder mask on both sides, and silk screen on top. My
total cost delivered to me is $243. If I understand the Custom PCB web page
correctly, that would have cost me $196 from them if I were to change the
dimensions to 4 x 5.5 inches.
If you can live with their rigid dimension rules, then they may be worth a
try, but not overwhelmingly cheaper. Personally I think I'll stick with PCB
Express until these guys figure out how to deal with arbitrarily sized
boards and get more than 2 layer capability. I don't really want to use one
PCB house for this kind of board, another for that, and a third for delivery
during a full moon - at least not for prototyping.
*****************************************************************
Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
and/or production boards?
>
> I've mostly used PCB Express because their quality is good, prices better
> than anyone else I've found for real boards (boards with at least
> two copper
> layers, solder mask, and silk screen), and they can do multi layer.
>
> This is the first I have heard of these Custom PCB folks. Like a lot of
> these kind of el-cheapo places, they don't seem to have any 4
> layer service.
> The fixed size of 4 x 5.5 inches also seems a bit strange.
>
> As a comparison, I just ordered 4 boards from PCB Express. These
> are 4.5 x
> 4.25 inches, 2 layer, solder mask on both sides, and silk screen
> on top. My
> total cost delivered to me is $243. If I understand the Custom
> PCB web page
> correctly, that would have cost me $196 from them if I were to change the
> dimensions to 4 x 5.5 inches.
<snip>
Advanced Circuits (http://www.4pcb.com) still has their "$33 each" offer in
effect. So your cost from them would have been $132 + UPS. I've
used them numerous times and always received excellent, professional-
quality boards with all the features you describe. Size can be anything
up to 10" x 15", though no gold fingers or slots.
> > I just (today) had some boards delivered from them, and I'm curious to
> > know whether others have had the same results as mine...
>
> That would be hard to say since you didn't mention what your results were.
And I won't until they've had a chance to respond to my email. If that
gives you any hint. I was just looking for "they rock, we use them all
the time" or "they suck, the boards were 85% defective and looked like
crap" responses in general.
They do, by the way, deal with boards up to 12" x 8" according to their
web site. Mine were 2x3 and 3x4. Anyway, full details to follow in a day
or so.
> > As a comparison, I just ordered 4 boards from PCB Express. These
> > are 4.5 x
> > 4.25 inches, 2 layer, solder mask on both sides, and silk screen
> > on top. My
> > total cost delivered to me is $243. If I understand the Custom
> > PCB web page
> > correctly, that would have cost me $196 from them if I were to change the
> > dimensions to 4 x 5.5 inches.
> <snip>
>
> Advanced Circuits (http://www.4pcb.com) still has their "$33 each" offer in
> effect. So your cost from them would have been $132 + UPS.
The reason I ordered from Custom was I got three 2x3" boards and two 3x4",
total 48 sq in., for $64.00 delivered. That's two 4x6" boards at $28
each, plus $8 shipping, and they did the panelizing and cutting for me. I
didn't see anything anywhere else that approached that price. I notice
they've raised the price since I ordered, it would now cost $84 total.
I agree, I've been extremely happy with their price and service. My only
complaint is that they just raised their minimum $33 prototype service from
2 to 3 boards. One of my boards is 8"X8" and everyone else wants to jack
the price up significantly for that. I bought 2 for $66+$10 charge plus
shipping. They have always beat their estimated ship date and you can track
the progress online. I've used them many times for this service and have
had no problems with their boards, only my drawings :)
Good luck,
Fred
>From: Brian Aase <RemoveMEres0qrqrTakeThisOuTVERIZON.NET>
>Reply-To: pic microcontroller discussion list <PICLISTEraseME.....MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>To: EraseMEPICLISTMITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [EE]: Anyone dealt with Custom PCB?
>Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 13:19:13 -0700
>
>and/or production boards?
> >
> > I've mostly used PCB Express because their quality is good, prices
>better
> > than anyone else I've found for real boards (boards with at least
> > two copper
> > layers, solder mask, and silk screen), and they can do multi layer.
> >
> > This is the first I have heard of these Custom PCB folks. Like a lot of
> > these kind of el-cheapo places, they don't seem to have any 4
> > layer service.
> > The fixed size of 4 x 5.5 inches also seems a bit strange.
> >
> > As a comparison, I just ordered 4 boards from PCB Express. These
> > are 4.5 x
> > 4.25 inches, 2 layer, solder mask on both sides, and silk screen
> > on top. My
> > total cost delivered to me is $243. If I understand the Custom
> > PCB web page
> > correctly, that would have cost me $196 from them if I were to change
>the
> > dimensions to 4 x 5.5 inches.
><snip>
>
>Advanced Circuits (http://www.4pcb.com) still has their "$33 each" offer in
>effect. So your cost from them would have been $132 + UPS. I've
>used them numerous times and always received excellent, professional-
>quality boards with all the features you describe. Size can be anything
>up to 10" x 15", though no gold fingers or slots.
>
>Brian Aase
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
>email RemoveMElistservEraseMEEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body
_________________________________________________________________
Join the world s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
Register on http://www.4pcb.com and try $33 special.
What you will be paying for 4 boards is:
$33*4 + $10 + actual shipping cost (FedEx/UPS) which is less than $243
and quality is really good. You'll have those boards in 5 days + shipping.
Right now they have increased minimal order quantity to three boards.
(BTW they do multilayers also)
There are others as well but for prototypes I prefer 4pcb.com service.
>
> > URL is http://www.custompcb.com/. Anyone dealt with them for prototypes
> > and/or production boards?
>
> I've mostly used PCB Express because their quality is good, prices better
> than anyone else I've found for real boards (boards with at least two copper
> layers, solder mask, and silk screen), and they can do multi layer.
>
> This is the first I have heard of these Custom PCB folks. Like a lot of
> these kind of el-cheapo places, they don't seem to have any 4 layer service.
> The fixed size of 4 x 5.5 inches also seems a bit strange.
>
> As a comparison, I just ordered 4 boards from PCB Express. These are 4.5 x
> 4.25 inches, 2 layer, solder mask on both sides, and silk screen on top. My
> total cost delivered to me is $243. If I understand the Custom PCB web page
> correctly, that would have cost me $196 from them if I were to change the
> dimensions to 4 x 5.5 inches.
>
> If you can live with their rigid dimension rules, then they may be worth a
> try, but not overwhelmingly cheaper. Personally I think I'll stick with PCB
> Express until these guys figure out how to deal with arbitrarily sized
> boards and get more than 2 layer capability. I don't really want to use one
> PCB house for this kind of board, another for that, and a third for delivery
> during a full moon - at least not for prototyping.
>
> *****************************************************************
> Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
> (978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
> email RemoveMElistservTakeThisOuTspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body
> Register on http://www.4pcb.com and try $33 special.
> What you will be paying for 4 boards is:
>
> $33*4 + $10 + actual shipping cost (FedEx/UPS) which is less than $243
> and quality is really good. You'll have those boards in 5 days + shipping.
> Right now they have increased minimal order quantity to three boards.
> (BTW they do multilayers also)
>
> There are others as well but for prototypes I prefer 4pcb.com service.
I just checked their web site, and this $33 thing seems to be a good deal,
but also seems to be just a temporary offer. I might be willing to change
my process to use these guys if this were the regular price. I wanted to
check out their prices in general, but the web site required me to "sign up
as a member" first, probably so that they can regularly bombard me with
spam. No thanks. There is no need for prices to be secret. If they were
proud of them, they'd be featuring them.
A year or two ago I did search around for the best prototyping PCB house. I
remember that 4pdb in Colorado and the place in Alberta were near the top of
the list, but PCB Express beat their prices in every catagory. I've been
using them ever since and haven't found any other place yet that is suitable
for switching all my business to.
*****************************************************************
Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
> I wanted to check out their prices in general, but the web site
> required me to "sign up as a member" first, probably so that they can
> regularly bombard me with spam. No thanks.
I did sign up -- no SPAM yet, though they did send me a voucher for $100
off my first order, and the coolest coaster I have ever seen.
> There is no need for prices to be secret. If they were proud of
> them, they'd be featuring them.
I have to agree, I don't get the whole sign-up-to-get-pricing thing. I
may try them though, their $33 deal is pretty tempting.
> From: Olin Lathrop
> I wanted to
> check out their prices in general, but the web site required
> me to "sign up
> as a member" first, probably so that they can regularly
> bombard me with
> spam.
I signed up several years ago, and i never get spam from them. I got one
email from them, telling me about their $33 special. I get the occasional
postcard, no more than half a dozen over the course of two or three years.
You can continue to pay too much if want...thats your choice. Sometimes
people are just resistant to change, comfort isn't a bad thing. However, I
have been using this temporary offer for 2 years now and the only change was
that they raised the minimum from 2 to 3 last month. I then searched the
web looking for a better deal and couldn't, mostly because they honor that
$33 price on larger boards where other companies jack the price up
considerably for that. This was about the time the spreadsheet was floating
around with the different companies being compared and for the larger size
boards, nothing came even close. The only reason I can figure for signing
up with them is because you have to log in to view the progress of your
order. I have never recieved spam from them except for the one when they
were raising the minimum as an informational email. I also received a phone
call from them asking if I was satisfied with their boards, I don't mind a
phone call like that.
Good luck,
Fred
>From: Olin Lathrop <KILLspamolin_piclistspamBeGoneEMBEDINC.COM>
>Reply-To: pic microcontroller discussion list <EraseMEPICLISTEraseMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>To: @spam@PICLIST@spam@spam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [EE]: Anyone dealt with Custom PCB?
>Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 08:11:49 -0400
>
> > Register on http://www.4pcb.com and try $33 special.
> > What you will be paying for 4 boards is:
> >
> > $33*4 + $10 + actual shipping cost (FedEx/UPS) which is less than $243
> > and quality is really good. You'll have those boards in 5 days +
>shipping.
> > Right now they have increased minimal order quantity to three boards.
> > (BTW they do multilayers also)
> >
> > There are others as well but for prototypes I prefer 4pcb.com service.
>
>I just checked their web site, and this $33 thing seems to be a good deal,
>but also seems to be just a temporary offer. I might be willing to change
>my process to use these guys if this were the regular price. I wanted to
>check out their prices in general, but the web site required me to "sign up
>as a member" first, probably so that they can regularly bombard me with
>spam. No thanks. There is no need for prices to be secret. If they were
>proud of them, they'd be featuring them.
>
>A year or two ago I did search around for the best prototyping PCB house.
>I
>remember that 4pdb in Colorado and the place in Alberta were near the top
>of
>the list, but PCB Express beat their prices in every catagory. I've been
>using them ever since and haven't found any other place yet that is
>suitable
>for switching all my business to.
>
>
>*****************************************************************
>Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
>(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
>spamBeGonepiclist-unsubscribe-requestKILLspammitvma.mit.edu
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
The coaster is cool, I also got a CD with a video of their operation. It
can also be viewed on their website. It looks like a good operation. The
second order I placed with them, I violated the minimum space between tracks
rule. I had sent my file to them at 5pm central. At 7pm they sent me an
email putting me in a hold status with a scan and a circle showing my
problem. I corrected it and resent my file. I received an email at 9pm
stating my order was off hold status. I think they must either work late or
maybe a 24hr shop. No, I don't work for them, just happy with their price
and service.
Fred
>From: Dale Botkin <TakeThisOuTdale.....TakeThisOuTBOTKIN.ORG>
>Reply-To: pic microcontroller discussion list <TakeThisOuTPICLISTKILLspamspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>To: .....PICLISTRemoveMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [EE]: Anyone dealt with Custom PCB?
>Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 07:15:48 -0500
>
>On Wed, 14 Aug 2002, Olin Lathrop wrote:
>
> > I wanted to check out their prices in general, but the web site
> > required me to "sign up as a member" first, probably so that they can
> > regularly bombard me with spam. No thanks.
>
>I did sign up -- no SPAM yet, though they did send me a voucher for $100
>off my first order, and the coolest coaster I have ever seen.
>
> > There is no need for prices to be secret. If they were proud of
> > them, they'd be featuring them.
>
>I have to agree, I don't get the whole sign-up-to-get-pricing thing. I
>may try them though, their $33 deal is pretty tempting.
>
>Dale
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
>RemoveMEpiclist-unsubscribe-requestspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu
>
>
[referring to 4pcb.com]
> I did sign up -- no SPAM yet,
Just wait. I knew I did look at their prices some time back, so I checked
my records. I don't know when I signed up as a "member", but fortunately I
did this using an email alias I made up just for them. (I do this a lot for
various on line merchants. One of the benefits of running your own email
server). That email address is now disabled, with a comment that it was
spammed on 13 July 2001.
*****************************************************************
Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
> The coaster is cool, I also got a CD with a video of their operation. It
> can also be viewed on their website. It looks like a good operation. The
> second order I placed with them, I violated the minimum space between
tracks
> rule. I had sent my file to them at 5pm central. At 7pm they sent me an
> email putting me in a hold status with a scan and a circle showing my
> problem. I corrected it and resent my file. I received an email at 9pm
> stating my order was off hold status. I think they must either work late
or
> maybe a 24hr shop. No, I don't work for them, just happy with their price
> and service.
Hmm. Well maybe I'll sign up again. I'll make up a new special email
address for them and keep track of what they send. Maybe they have cleaned
up their act from a year ago. I'll let you know if I get spammed again.
*****************************************************************
Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
>
> [referring to 4pcb.com]
> > I did sign up -- no SPAM yet,
>
> Just wait. I knew I did look at their prices some time back,
> so I checked
> my records. I don't know when I signed up as a "member", but
> fortunately I
> did this using an email alias I made up just for them. (I do
> this a lot for
> various on line merchants. One of the benefits of running
> your own email
> server). That email address is now disabled, with a comment
> that it was
> spammed on 13 July 2001.
And, of course, this may well have just been a message saying "You have an inactive account - we will be deleting it soon unless you contact us"
Innocent until proven guilty, IMHO.
Chris.
The Information contained in this E-Mail and any subsequent correspondence
is private and is intended solely for the intended recipient(s).
For those other than the recipient any disclosure, copying, distribution,
or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on such information
is prohibited and may be unlawful.
I signed up some time ago, and got a "welcome package" in the mail. One
useful thing was a $100 coupon off my first order. Awesome, cause in my
PCB comparison sheet, they work out to have the best prices with the $100
coupon applied (especially for production service, since it effectively
drops
the tooling charge to $50). No other spam .... yet.
> And, of course, this may well have just been a message saying "You have an
inactive account - we will be deleting it soon unless you contact us"
>
> Innocent until proven guilty, IMHO.
No, it was something I looked at and considered spam. I then manually
disabled that email address.
*****************************************************************
Embed Inc, embedded system specialists in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, http://www.embedinc.com
For once (or perhaps the second time) I agree with Olin. These people are
professionals that offer
great service in an affordable and timely manner. I have been using them for
several years now.
Since I switched to Eagle and it's standard "project" file set, I haven't
had any glitches such as holds.
I continue to shop for a better deal, and the only one I have come up with
would require considerable investment in my own fab equipment- which means
that I'll be using them for a while longer....
The only email messages I have received from them are special offers for
things like no charge tooling on production orders, etc.
And, yes, the $33 special has been in effect for at least two years now.
Since business is slow at the moment, they are regularly shipping ahead of
schedule also.
Folks on another mail list did a comparison of all the known short-turn PCB
fab houses ayear or so back, and Advanced Circuits (4pcb.com) came out on
top, almost unanimously.
If you don't know these folks, you might want to get to know them.
>> And, of course, this may well have just been a message saying "You have
>>an inactive account - we will be deleting it soon unless you contact us"
The risk is not that they will send too many emails for their business; the
risk is that they sell your email address to spammers. Then you get a lot
of email from unrecognized sources.
mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body
