Conductive ink printer could be an interesting thing at a low price (if the technology is useful, prices might come down eventually).
Still, it mentions:Quote~5 USD
Board cost.
I'm not sure how this compares with the cheapest Chinese fab house (for those that can wait up to a few weeks), but I understand that even more expensive - but rapid - could be worth a lot for some people in some cases. I don't even know much much the current home etching methods cost per board.
I'm using first a breadboard, then a piece of PCB inside a cardboard box to prototype. I can then write all the pertinent notes on the outside or inside. I dont route the wires in from the top, I cut holes for them and use dip sockets and plugs which I already have.
This is new but for a long time Ive used home-made cardboard boxes to enclose projects. With RF sometimes you have to have a snug case, this is easier to get right with copper coated cardboard or foam core than anything else.
I've often tried to use metal cases but just couldn't do what I wanted to do so ended up back with cardboard and copper and foam core..
I've used foam core for antennas too.
I don't do a lot of high frequency stuff but I am experiencing the shortcomings in breadboard use, I find the soldering up of stuff a hassle - and I always muck it up.
I marvel at how tidy some people seem able to work but I have problems transferring schematic to reality so I tend to breadboard a lot.
I have used Vero but I find the copper tracks very limiting and end up cutting tracks and putting jumpers all over the place and it is useless for anything with an IC or two, I've had some that wouldn't take solder readily.
Used to do a similar thing when I had a darkroom - digital is so much less hassle.
Good advice. My wife hasn’t forgiven me for wrecking the nice porcelain kitchen sink with ferric chloride yet.
Plastic trays for this stuff. I’m a fan of the Poundland Tupperware boxes. They also won’t melt if you’re doing an IPA wash.
What is kind of clear here is that there really isn't what I'd describe as an 'elegant' solution for this, that the more complex 'packaged IC' components get, the higher the frequencies get that the prototyping methods become really challenging.
I like the idea of breakout boards for the SMD packages, I think I'll make sure to add an extra package for the making of these as I go.
I think some of the techniques used by you guys are a little tricky for one like me who lacks all the experience in build and layout strategies that you probably take for granted, I really need to force myself to learn some PCB layout stuff but I'm just not the artistic type so I struggle a lot with it.
Happy days - that put a light on - that pad idea looks really usable .. off to buy some stuff - I'll experiment with that method for sure. You could even layer that with standoffs.
Rqd 1 Nibbler, 1 PCB shear, materials, new soldering station ... update - ouch - how much is a PCB shear anybody got a secondhand one taking up too much space ..
Nice PDF on it here: http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~pharden/hobby/HG-MANHAT1.pdf and here: http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~pharden/hobby/HG-MANHAT2.pdf
Quick excerpt:
(omitted for brevity)
Mainly because you have to tombstone the SMD parts to get them on the ground plane and conductors.
[...]
On the desulphation project take care - excessive constant voltages on 'gel' type or glass mat batteries will not have the effect you expect, the battery will be effectively trashed if you're not careful. Such methods only work on 'liquid' lead acids because the liquid can carry stuff away from the plate more readily. For Gels and AGM's you need to consider pulsing, raise the voltage yes but do not apply it constantly to such a battery or the gas builds faster than it can dissipate / the cells overheat - the result is never good.