Developing PCBs for the most using constructions: is it interesting?

[NovaPA]

Whereas a lot of specialists and amateurs develops their own the whole constructions or clones of famous brand schematics, I found - i think - a new direction for DIY.

I developed and manufactures blocks for the most usable in audio DIY constructions.
There are:
-PSUs (for anode like +300v, for OpAmps like +-15v, for Phantom like +48V)
-Special Prototyping Boards
-Simple tube stages (SRPP on dual triode like 12AX7, simplest stage on 7pin pentode tubes like 6as6 etc.)
- etc...

I have manufactured these on a local factory in Kaliningrad (Russia), tested and sold a few. There was a long discussion on Russian DiyAudio forum. Many users told their wishes and I took these in account in the next orders.

Now I want to ask for Your opinion. Do you need such a constructions (PCBs for manual assembling)? What kind of constructions would you like? What is good and what is bad?
This is not my commercial. Prices are lowest. This is just to help your DIY.


***************
Do you remember such a usual case: you often need any very necessary for a most kings of audio projects, such as PSU, level indicator, tube stage, special prototype board etc.
Recently I've got delivered from the factory the set of PCBs, which I designed.

I think this is very useful in YOUR DIY constructions, because:
-There is NO commercial and advertisement info in front side of PCB (silk), only name of my blog on the back side (on CU). You may easy put it in your commercial constructions.
-PCBs are made nice. With titles and values of parts
-Universal layouts for some parts with different sizes
etc...

for example:


Waiting for Your opinions.

My blog and article about this.

 

[ruffrecords]

Look through the White Market on this board and you will find several sources of similar boards You are welcome to advertise there.

Cheers

Ian

 

[NovaPA]

Look through the White Market on this board and you will find several sources of similar boards You are welcome to advertise there.
Cheers
Ian

Thank you I will try (do I have permission?)
But there I am not going to advertise. I just want to ask for users opinion.

 

[ruffrecords]

Look through the White Market on this board and you will find several sources of similar boards You are welcome to advertise there.
Cheers
Ian

Thank you I will try (do I have permission?)

You will need to pay to advertise in the White Market like everybody else. This helps support and maintain the board. You will also need to provide support to answer the many questions board members will ask you about your boards.

But there I am not going to advertise. I just want to ask for users opinion.

Look at the products available on the White Market. There is your answer. Also look at companies like JLM audio who provide a wide range of such boards.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Bo Deadly]

Lots of people are doing this. London Power makes modular boards like this. I working on a set of about 20 boards right now. In fact I went so far as to make all of the boards the same size (4.7"x1.5") with holes on the ends for standoffs so that they can be stacked together and then mounted on a 1U panel:

  http://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=61178.0

I'm made an external power supply with CPC connectors this way and now I'm designing boards for electronically balanced I/O, relay switching, boards that have momentary switches, LED VU meters, holes for pots and switches and even a micro controller (for driving LEDs and relays), etc etc etc.

The idea is to be able to make channel strips that might looks something like:

The downside is that you end up with a lot of wires running around which is not good. This is why I stack boards together so that I can either run headers between or keep wires short by running them from one level to another through holes in the boards. I also use FPC ribbon cables for anything digital, LEDs, momentary buttons and even relays. Although it remains to be seen if the high currents in ribbon cables will cause noise.

 

[NovaPA]

This is very good way. I am going to use similar approach to design PCBs in the future.
I will try do survey Your project, maybe order something 

 

[NovaPA]

I am developing now and am going to order new constructions.
I need your wishes and opinions.
Thank you.

 

[Bo Deadly]

I just did another run of boards:

However, unlike my previous post, I have changed all controls to vertical mount parts Alpha 9mm RD901F pots, Grayhill 56DP30, sub-mini toggles, LEDs for meters and momentary buttons like the first image in this post:

https://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=63580.msg805171#msg805171

I'm getting a huge Mouser order tomorrow so I can finally start building this stuff.

 

[NovaPA]

Wow, cool!
Seems  high quality and difficult.
How about collaborate?

 

[Bo Deadly]

Well I don't sell boards or anything like that. But if you use Eagle I can put the files on github.

 

[NovaPA]

Well I don't sell boards or anything like that. But if you use Eagle I can put the files on github.

Well, do you do Your boards for your projects only and don't sell separatedly?
So, I use Dip Trace... But Gerber is for everything

Also, I share my projects too...
Please, give me a link (don't mean me lazy  ) to you projects description.

 

[ruffrecords]

I just did another run of boards:

However, unlike my previous post, I have changed all controls to vertical mount parts Alpha 9mm RD901F pots,

Where do you buy your Alpha RD901F pots from?

Cheers

Ian

 

[Bo Deadly]

Where do you buy your Alpha RD901F pots from?

For Alpha RD901F vertical mount (which many sites call right-angle) I just ordered from Small Bear Electronics. I have also purchased RD901F from Mammoth Electronics. But Small Bear's selection is a little better (eg they have 1K reverse log for mic pre). Of course there's Ebay. Another possibility is Tayda but I have never ordered from them before. If you're in Europe maybe Thonk. It's kind of a pain making a separate order to one of these little outlets but they're usually also a good source of knobs (like I need knobs).

There's also BI Technologies P0915N on Mouser which looks like the same footprint (and according to the datasheet drawing they have dual sections w/ a 10mm mounting height).

More generally regarding vertical mounting controls in a 10mm gap, which I believe we are both doing, have I mentioned KR104 on Mouser? TE Connectivity KR104 is a shaft reducer that fits the mini rotary switches like Grayhill 56BD30.

 

[Bo Deadly]

Well, do you do Your boards for your projects only and don't sell separatedly?
So, I use Dip Trace... But Gerber is for everything

Also, I share my projects too...
Please, give me a link (don't mean me lazy  ) to you projects description.

I'm just doing this for fun. Some people work in the garden. I build music gear.

I don't have any project links but I'll post here in the Drawing Board when I get something working.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Thank you I will try (do I have permission?)
But there I am not going to advertise. I just want to ask for users opinion.

Unless you are giving these away for free, the white market is the place to advertise these for sale.

JR

PS: I Back in the 70s-80s when I operated a kit business I sold a generic +/-15V power supply kit, and some other general purpose modules (like simple EQ and gain blocks). I abandoned the kit business by the mid-80s when the economics of mass production made it cheaper to buy already assembled finished products. There exists a niche hobby diy business but probably not easy money already with several players.

 

[ruffrecords]

For Alpha RD901F vertical mount (which many sites call right-angle) I just ordered from Small Bear Electronics. I have also purchased RD901F from Mammoth Electronics. But Small Bear's selection is a little better (eg they have 1K reverse log for mic pre). Of course there's Ebay. Another possibility is Tayda but I have never ordered from them before. If you're in Europe maybe Thonk. It's kind of a pain making a separate order to one of these little outlets but they're usually also a good source of knobs (like I need knobs).

Yes, Thonk is where I get mine - just thought maybe you knew a mainstream distributor like Mouser, Digikey or Farnell that did them. Looks like the small outlets are the only places to get them. I like Thonk because they also have a lovely range of coloured knobs.

There's also BI Technologies P0915N on Mouser which looks like the same footprint (and according to the datasheet drawing they have dual sections w/ a 10mm mounting height).

I spent a lot of time searching for other suppliers but the majors only seem to stock a small range.

More generally regarding vertical mounting controls in a 10mm gap, which I believe we are both doing, have I mentioned KR104 on Mouser? TE Connectivity KR104 is a shaft reducer that fits the mini rotary switches like Grayhill 56BD30.

I have found some shims to convert 6mm shafts to quarter inch but I had not come across these 1/8 to 1/4 convertors - thanks for the tip.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Rocinante]

Capi has 1/8th to 1/4 buried under knobs.

http://capi-gear.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=202_204&products_id=333

And Squarewave those boards look fantastic.

Yes, Thonk is where I get mine - just thought maybe you knew a mainstream distributor like Mouser, Digikey or Farnell that did them. Looks like the small outlets are the only places to get them. I like Thonk because they also have a lovely range of coloured knobs.I spent a lot of time searching for other suppliers but the majors only seem to stock a small range.I have found some shims to convert 6mm shafts to quarter inch but I had not come across these 1/8 to 1/4 convertors - thanks for the tip.

Cheers

Ian