Author Topic: Who made the high quality breadboard?  (Read 31393 times)

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Offline goethertTopic starter

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Who made the high quality breadboard?
« on: August 21, 2017, 04:16:41 am »
So many cheap and low quality breadboards there. I wonder who makes high quality breadboard? After searching at Tequipment.net, seems the brand "Global specialist" is a good one?
 

Offline bjcuizon

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2017, 04:40:18 am »
How about 3M. I noticed W2AEW, has some on his bench.



UPDATE: Image upload
« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 04:53:37 am by bjcuizon »
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Offline Ash

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2017, 04:45:21 am »
A few months ago, there was a discussion here where the source of the 3M boards was discovered.

http://www.assemblyspecialist.com/WebStore/TSandDS.html

They ship to the USA, but not over seas. so I guess you're lucky @goethert :)

Ash.

EDIT: When I said source, I meant manufacture. I talked to the owner there about overseas shipping and he confirmed they OEM to 3M.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 04:47:19 am by Ash »
 
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Offline goethertTopic starter

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2017, 04:55:26 am »
There are no "made in U.S.A."breadboard in these days?

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« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 05:03:36 am by goethert »
 

Offline Ash

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2017, 05:00:55 am »
They are no "made in U.S.A."breadboard in these days?

Did you check out their web site? They are in Ohio. They ship only within the US, which saddens the rest of the world :)

Ash.
 

Offline Gary350z

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2017, 08:37:12 am »
You can buy the 3M breadboards on Digikey. Digikey ships world wide.
The 3M breadboards seem to cost 3 to 4 times as much as other boards.
I don't know if they are good quality.

https://www.digikey.com/products/en/prototyping-products/solderless-breadboards/638?k=breadboard&k=&pkeyword=breadboard&pv183=6610&FV=ffe0027e%2Cfffc0013&mnonly=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&stock=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=500
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2017, 12:02:17 pm »
I use Wisher boards: http://www.wishmaker.com.tw/ - really nice quality and reliable.

3M ones are too expensive! Global Specialities used to sell decent ones but they have gone to shit these days and are just cheap Chinese rebrands from what I can tell.
 
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Offline tooki

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2017, 04:33:26 pm »
They are no "made in U.S.A."breadboard in these days?

Did you check out their web site? They are in Ohio. They ship only within the US, which saddens the rest of the world :)

Ash.

But do they say anywhere that the breadboards are Made in USA? I didn't find it. Wouldn't you think they'd say it?

Besides, what makes one breadboard better than another? I wouldn't have a clue, not really. If nothing else this thread makes me want to know.
Given that Assembly Specialists is a manufacturer, not a distributor, and that their website goes into their manufacturing capabilities and equipment, it's reasonable to deduce that they don't outsource; they're a company others outsource to. So yes, I expect that they're made in USA, and I think the product may say so, though I don't have it in front of me to check.

Cheap breadboards have contacts made of cheap metal that deforms easily, losing grip force over time. And that force isn't that great to begin with. This leads to poor holding of components, high contact resistance, and low long term durability. The 3M/Assembly Specialist boards have high quality contacts with higher force don't lose their springiness, and the grip is much firmer period. The result is a dramatically more reliable connection with much lower contact resistance. (My worst cheap breadboard has contact resistance over an ohm, while the 3M one is just a few mOhms - and that's not the gold-plated version, whose resistance is probably lower still.) I also suspect that contact oxidation is a problem on cheap ones.

Indeed, the higher grip force of the good breadboards can actually make it hard to insert cheap Chinese resistors with their hair-thin leads!!
« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 04:35:08 pm by tooki »
 

Offline Gregg

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2017, 07:04:48 pm »
I ordered two of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-Electronic-Project-Breadboard-Univ-Terminal-Strip-840-tie-points-NO-BOX-/191994779221 about 6 months ago and was pleasantly surprised that they had gold contacts.
 
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Offline floobydust

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2017, 07:55:05 pm »
Global Specialties has these premium breadboards EXP-300 which I have used for decades. They used to be made in USA, not sure lately.
I can't stand the cheap ones, poor connections and stiff to jam in the wire.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2017, 08:22:49 pm »
I wonder who makes high quality breadboard?

Nobody.

Because you make higher quality breadboards yourself.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Offline bd139

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2017, 08:31:07 pm »
You can but sometimes it's far easier dicking around on a solderless board for 2 minutes to see if something works than it is to actually find the calculator under the pile of crap on the bench and work it out ;)
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2017, 10:00:28 pm »
You can but sometimes it's far easier dicking around on a solderless board for 2 minutes to see if something works than it is to actually find the calculator under the pile of crap on the bench and work it out ;)

If it was only 2 minutes to get a definitively valid answer, I would agree. The problem with solderless breadboards is the capacitance (either too much or too little), inductance, and especially the highly variable contact resistance. The consequence is that you spend more time debugging the breadboard than the circuit - with the emphasis on "you", since I refuse to look at circuits on solderless breadboards :)

If inductance doesn't matter, it is much better and more certain to tack components together with solder. If inductance and capacitance matter then it it better to use one of the several manhattan or dead/live bug techniques that give reliable permanent results up to VHF/UHF.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
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Offline KL27x

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2017, 10:10:08 pm »
Quote
Because you make higher quality breadboards yourself.
For surely. Here are some basic guidelines.
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/how-to-make-a-rustic-bread-board
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2017, 10:46:13 pm »
Quote
Because you make higher quality breadboards yourself.
For surely. Here are some basic guidelines.
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/how-to-make-a-rustic-bread-board

I thought about that technique, but I'm uncertain that the soldered joints would be significantly better than connections on solderless breadboard.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2017, 11:42:13 pm »
A few months ago, there was a discussion here where the source of the 3M boards was discovered.

http://www.assemblyspecialist.com/WebStore/TSandDS.html

They ship to the USA, but not over seas. so I guess you're lucky @goethert :)

Ash.

EDIT: When I said source, I meant manufacture. I talked to the owner there about overseas shipping and he confirmed they OEM to 3M.
Good to know, particularly given the value prospect (i.e. the BB327 they sell for $40.00 is the same as the 3M 922327, which has an MSRP of $131.80).  :-+

For those outside of the US, checking into a reshipping service may be worth looking into. Otherwise, Wisher would likely be the best choice that won't cost you a first born child.
 

Offline goethertTopic starter

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2017, 01:57:43 am »
I wrote to Assembly Specialist and Mike Hale replied to my question "Are your breadboards made in USA?". He says "Yes they are.".

So there are indeed breadboards made in USA.
I just ordered every breadboard from their website, will see how they are. shipping fee is $30

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« Last Edit: August 24, 2017, 06:17:43 am by goethert »
 
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Offline Back2Volts

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #17 on: August 24, 2017, 02:12:47 am »
I wrote to Assembly Specialist and Mike Hale replied to my question "Are your breadboards made in USA?". He says "Yes they are.".

So there are indeed breadboards made in USA.
I just ordered every breadboard from there website, will see how they are. shipping fee is $30

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That pretty steep shipping fee ! :-\
 

Offline Back2Volts

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2017, 03:41:18 pm »
Global Specialties has these premium breadboards EXP-300 which I have used for decades. They used to be made in USA, not sure lately.
I can't stand the cheap ones, poor connections and stiff to jam in the wire.

I have been looking for one or two more breadboards and as part of the research I sent Global Specialties this question:

What is the difference between breadboards PB-104 and PB-104E ? I have looked at the datasheets hosted by DIGIKEY, but cannot see a difference

This is the answer from their tech support:


I am contacting you this morning in regards to your question about the PB-104 and the PB-104E. 

The main difference is that the 'E' stands for economy.  The PB-104 is a better quality with parts sourced only from the US, while the PB-104E has parts coming from Taiwan.  Though we still stand behind the PB-104E and it does come with a three year warranty.


FYI, these breadboards are 4x units over metal base, with 3060Tie Points, 9X8.25.   The E goes for  $50 and the better one for $70.
 
I thought this was worth posting here.   
 
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Offline goethertTopic starter

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2017, 01:55:37 am »
Global Specialties has these premium breadboards EXP-300 which I have used for decades. They used to be made in USA, not sure lately.
I can't stand the cheap ones, poor connections and stiff to jam in the wire.

I have been looking for one or two more breadboards and as part of the research I sent Global Specialties this question:

What is the difference between breadboards PB-104 and PB-104E ? I have looked at the datasheets hosted by DIGIKEY, but cannot see a difference

This is the answer from their tech support:


I am contacting you this morning in regards to your question about the PB-104 and the PB-104E. 

The main difference is that the 'E' stands for economy.  The PB-104 is a better quality with parts sourced only from the US, while the PB-104E has parts coming from Taiwan.  Though we still stand behind the PB-104E and it does come with a three year warranty.


FYI, these breadboards are 4x units over metal base, with 3060Tie Points, 9X8.25.   The E goes for  $50 and the better one for $70.
 
I thought this was worth posting here.   
update: I bought a bounch from asp, the quality is good. It's not stamped with made in usa though

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« Last Edit: November 10, 2017, 03:30:23 am by goethert »
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #20 on: November 10, 2017, 08:34:38 am »
They may not posses a Made In USA label, but they're confirmed to be US made.  :-+

Regardless, they're top quality IME (3M labeled in my case), and arguably the best available from any manufacturer. Even vs. US made Global Specialties (i.e. PB104) when pushing the frequency limits (otherwise I couldn't tell). For disclosure, mine where manufactured in the mid to late '80's.

But buying directly from ASP in the US at least is a no-brainer it seems IMHO (cheaper than an equivalent from Global Specialties non-Economy version, which are still purportedly US made). Suspect that this may also be the case in the UK/EU. Under the 3M label OTOH, ...  :palm: Cost wise, it's nasty with a 3M label slapped on it either way.  :--

Worst case, I wouldn't go less than Taiwanese made Wisher (also decent stuff; bought a year or so ago from a RadioShack that was closing). Not gold plated though, so I'm not sure on long-term reliability vs. the gold plated ASP/3M I'm familiar with (IIRC, Global Specialties is nickel plated).

-----------------------------

All this said, I actually prefer to use inexpensive protoboards (i.e. dual sided PTH pad-per-hole + SMD IC break-out boards) and solder everything. Even if it's truly not the case, I do this as it makes me more confident in the electrical connections vs. solderless breadboards, especially if you're working above ~10MHz. FWIW, I find testing a filter is usually fine within the previously mentioned ~10Hz max frequency (i.e. quick & dirty method).

Oh, and I can use this method using strictly SMD parts (i.e. 0805 works rather well on the dual sided PTH protoboards IME). Generally speaking, cheaper too.  >:D

YMMV of course.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #21 on: November 10, 2017, 08:36:16 am »
Anyone fancy reselling these to us poor people in Europe? :D
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #22 on: November 10, 2017, 09:01:47 am »
Anyone fancy reselling these to us poor people in Europe? :D
Can't recall.. I presume it's to do with customs & shipping*, but what's the issue for UK/EU members?

* My apologies as I didn't go back and read the entire thread.  :-[
 

Offline tooki

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #23 on: November 10, 2017, 11:22:03 am »
Anyone fancy reselling these to us poor people in Europe? :D
If you don't mind absorbing the cost of shipping to UK, I'd be happy to. I am going to USA on Tuesday for 2 weeks and was gonna place an order with Assembly Specialist this weekend.

(If what you want can go in a padded envelope, postage won't be too bad, but if it has to be a box, shipping is gonna be upwards of $30 whether mailed from USA or Switzerland.)

I wasn't planning an order for myself, but if you want me to get some ProbeMaster test leads for you, I could forward those to you at the same time.

Anyone fancy reselling these to us poor people in Europe? :D
Can't recall.. I presume it's to do with customs & shipping*, but what's the issue for UK/EU members?

* My apologies as I didn't go back and read the entire thread.  :-[
As far as I can tell, they just don't wanna deal with the formalities of sending abroad. Heck, I'm not sure that they really wanna deal with the formalities of selling to individuals within USA: they've raised their prices since I first posted about them! :(
« Last Edit: November 10, 2017, 11:25:43 am by tooki »
 

Offline paulca

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Re: Who made the high quality breadboard?
« Reply #24 on: November 10, 2017, 01:37:38 pm »
Any thought on Multicomp boards?
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