Thanks for the post Steve,
Where is Circuit Xpress located? Can you give me some contact info?
Can you recommend an inexpensive layout program suitable for both
analog and digital layouts?
Thanks,
Michael
--- Steve Katz <stevek@jmr.com> wrote:
> Jim, I have some comments and questions contained below. If you'd
> answer
> them, perhaps I and other readers might have a better understanding
> of what
> you're trying to say.
>
> 73 de Steve, WB2WIK/6
>
>
> > Do you know what fabricated PCBs cost, even in short runs?
> [Steve Katz] I think I do. I use Circuit XPress for short runs,
> and after paying the $500 setup charge per layout for Gerber file
> transfer,
> a PCB the size and quality of the AR347 amp board is about $50/each
> for the
> first 10 or so, diminishing to about $25/each in 100+ lot runs,
> assuming
> high grade FR4 and 2 oz copper, tinned, plus silk screening.
> > With the art work in hand, I could go to a custom board house and
> have
> > one-off boards custom-made for less than what CCI is asking. In a
> > quantity
> > run, the price would fall well below two dollars a board very
> quickly.
> [Steve Katz] If you can get me these boards for $2/each, seriously,
> I'd like to place an order with you today for 1000 pcs.
>
> > And -- did you happen to check the price of the active devices for
> that
> > 1000-watt CCI amp? You probably will not believe me when I tell
> you that
> > it's over $900.
> [Steve Katz] If you buy all the parts one-off, I'm sure you're
> right. But CCI didn't design the amp, Motorola did, and I think they
> sell
> the BOM pretty reasonably.
>
> > On the other hand -- most of the RFE amps use the 2SC2879 device,
> which
> > sells in small-handful quantities at about $15. each. Properly
> biased and
> > heatsinked, these are good for 100 watts each all day long.
> >
> > So on the one hand you've got CCI selling amps made from expensive,
> > hard-to-power, hard-to-cool Motorola devices, and on the other hand
> you've
> > got RFE selling amps made from cheap, easy-to-power, easy-to-cool
> Japanese
> > devices.*
> [Steve Katz] I don't understand the "hard to cool" comment. Is the
> device Rthj-c higher? What's the Rthj-c of the 2SC2879?
>
> > The RFE amp goes straight out the door and under the dash of a semi
> for
> > about 20% of the cost of the CCI amp -- which requires some
> relatively
> > sophisticated work to power up.
> [Steve Katz] All I can say is the obvious, which is: "If it's so
> great, why don't they just apply for certification?" It's not
> expensive to
> do so. They'd have to lock out 22+ MHz per CFR47 requirements, but
> could
> include a retrofit kit to put 12/10m back in for licensed amateurs,
> same way
> everybody else does. I don't get their gripe.
>
> > Are you starting to get a clue about the political and societal
> > ramifications of the RFE decision?**
> [Steve Katz] Not really.
>
>
> > Jim N6OTQ
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Amps mailing list
> > Amps@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
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