Just out of curiousity, how come you don't make boards using surface mount technology? IT's easier to make larger quantities if you do, plus they can get smaller too.
I also think cost is lower too. o:
I don't know why Jerry hasn't moved onto SMD since these are not for DIY; is it loads cheaper and he can do it on a smaller PCB too which saves money, then he can pass the savings onto the customer or make more money for himself.
How much are you going to ask for this Jerry? :beer:
I doubt Jerry's company, or anyone for that matter, will be selling enough of these boards to justify having the boards pick-and-placed and reflowed by machines or fabricated through some professional service. Some of those parts, such as the screw terminals, must be soldered in by hand anyway; so you don't save much in labor either. Even if placed by hand, any savings in SMD parts would be quickly undermined by the overheads and losses associated such a small run of boards.
BB hit it right on the head...:beer:
The costs of having a professional PCB assemble company that
uses proper equipment to pick and place and properly reflow
solder any SMD parts will be much higher than the pennies we
would save buying SMD parts. I know because we have other
PCBs that have SMD parts that are done by outside assemblers.
The second part of this through hole reasoning is that we don't
want to reflow SMD parts using non properly controlled heating
and cooling curves that will stress the electronic parts as I've
seen used by some of the PCB project suppliers on the Forum.
A frying pan or Paint stripper hot air gun just doesn't seem to
be the best way to assure uniform assembly and unstressed
electronic components...
Even a Toaster Oven that does not have a PID controller in
conjunction with some type of Computer/MCU control over the
proper Heating/Cooling curve is not acceptable to me as a
means of producing high quality PCBs.
The through hole design also makes it much easier for a user
to replace any parts if it becomes necessary.
As to the price... that will be posted when they become available.
These specific PCBs will allow you to read up to 6Wattts with a
heatsinked OPHIR head and a Common Ground 4-1/2 digit DPM.
We will be sending some PCBs to a third party for in field testing.
I will report back with specs..prices and availability after the tests..
Jerry
