[GreenKeys] PC board work.

Bob kb8tq kb8tq at n1k.org
Mon Jan 25 09:19:11 EST 2021 

Hi

KiCad has it’s quirks but it works very well. The price (free) is right 
and will stay that way. As long as CERN is backing the development 
process, it should keep getting better. With budgets always an 
unknown, that part of it is very much “we’ll see ….”.

Bob

> On Jan 25, 2021, at 7:58 AM, john at toebes.com wrote:
> 
> I have to second Steve’s recommendation on KiCad.  For our Christmas trees, we had long been commercial users of Eagle but their updates by Autocad caused us to rethink our strategy and we have been pretty happy with KiCad.  One really surprising feature of KiCad is the ability to generate 3D images of the populated board.
>  
> From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net <greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Steve Garrison
> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 6:04 AM
> To: Gerry <gblock at sbcglobal.net>
> Cc: greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] PC board work.
>  
> For you folks that haven't used layout software and dislike paid and/or subscription software as much as Eric and I do, might I suggest KiCad.
>  
> They will soon be releasing v6 and I'm currently trying out the nightly builds of v5.99 which will become v6 when it's ready for prime time.
>  
> Have been using and learned KiCad on v5.  It is free, very widely used, and its main support comes from CERN. The folks with that big particle accelerator in Switzerland.  There is a paid version if you just have to have a paid version, or you can make donations to help support the free version.
>  
> At least check it out.
> 
> Steve G./N4TTY
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Jan 25, 2021, at 1:59 AM, Gerry <gblock at sbcglobal.net <mailto:gblock at sbcglobal.net>> wrote:
> 
>> Unbelievable. 
>> Thanks for update. 
>> Takes skill to deal with 0402!
>>  
>> Gerry
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jan 24, 2021, at 6:49 PM, Gil Smith <gil at baudot.net <mailto:gil at baudot.net>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have used Eagle since 2006 when I splurged and bought the full-up 16-layer version with the auto-router.  The autorouter was only kinda useful to me on one really dense digital board, and I never renewed that option when I upgraded.  I have never gone beyond six layers;  I mostly do 4 layers, but sometimes 2 or 6. 
>>>  
>>> <rant>
>>> Then Eagle was bought out by Autocad, and it went to a subscription plan, which I hate.  So I will happily use my several-year-old version forever.  I have the final non-subscription versions of photoshop and illustrator as well, so bite me Adobe.  This subscription software stuff really pisses me off.
>>> </rant>
>>>  
>>> Eagle has its quirks, but I can do anything I want or need with it.  I do a lot of mixed-signal stuff:  analog conditioning, 24bit adcs, micros...  I regularly hand-assemble down to 0.5mm pitch and 0402 -- just me, two pairs of reading glasses, and quality solder wick :}
>>>  
>>> gil
>>>  
>>>  
>>> gil smith, AF7EZ
>>> greenkeys moderator
>>> gil at baudot.net <mailto:gil at baudot.net>
>>>  
>>> 
>>>> -------- Original Message --------
>>>> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] PC board work.
>>>> From: Gerry Block <gblock at sbcglobal.net <mailto:gblock at sbcglobal.net>>
>>>> Date: Sun, January 24, 2021 6:46 pm
>>>> To: Jeffrey Angus <jdangus at att.net <mailto:jdangus at att.net>>, Gil Smith <gil at baudot.net <mailto:gil at baudot.net>>
>>>> Cc: greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>>
>>>> 
>>>> Gil,
>>>>  
>>>>   What layout program do you use?
>>>>  
>>>> Gerry
>>>> AD6MC
>>>>  
>>>> On Sunday, January 24, 2021, 5:10:00 PM PST, Gil Smith <gil at baudot.net <mailto:gil at baudot.net>> wrote:
>>>>  
>>>>  
>>>> Hey Jeff:
>>>>  
>>>> Where do you get your boards?  For the last few years I have been using pcbway in China:
>>>> https://www.pcbway.com <https://www.pcbway.com/>/
>>>>  
>>>> They have been awesome and I have done dozens of 2- and 4-layer boards there.  About a week turn plus a a few days shipping (get DHL, not fedex).  Instant quote on the home page.  Best prices I have found (though I sometimes get hit with a 25% tariff fee).  Variety of soldermask colors avail (some cost extra).  I like red, blue, and black -- the yellow is gross.  Arrays are easy.  Routing and V-groove not too costly.
>>>>  
>>>> They do full-turn assembly though I have not used that service.
>>>>  
>>>> thx, gil
>>>>  
>>>>  
>>>> gil smith, AF7EZ
>>>> greenkeys moderator
>>>> gil at baudot.net <mailto:gil at baudot.net>
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>>> -------- Original Message --------
>>>>> Subject: [GreenKeys] PC board work.
>>>>> From: Jeffrey Angus <jdangus at att.net <mailto:jdangus at att.net>>
>>>>> Date: Sun, January 24, 2021 12:33 pm
>>>>> To: greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>>
>>>>> 
>>>>> This is what I do in my spare time now that I'm retired.
>>>>> I use Express PCB software.
>>>>> A few years back I designed a two speed motor controller
>>>>> for my Lorenz Lo-15c.
>>>>> Last year I did a signal converter for Sen Williams to go
>>>>> from on/off keying to bi-polar for his Creed TTYs.
>>>>> 
>>>>> All I need is a schematic.
>>>>> And you get the PC Board schematic redrawn for ExpressPCB
>>>>> and the PC Board layouts.
>>>>> 
>>>>> And no, I don't charge for this.
>>>>> Although, I'm not too proud to accept donations, if you're
>>>>> feeling guilty about it.
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> "I am a river to my people."
>>>>> Jeff-1.0
>>>>> WA6FWI
>>>>> www.foxsmercantile.com <http://www.foxsmercantile.com/>
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>>>>>> Jordan Spencer Cunningham's GreenKeys Search Tool: https://teletype.net/gksearch <https://teletype.net/gksearch>2002-to-present greenkeys archive: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/ <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/>1998-to-2001 greenkeys archive: http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html <http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html>Randy Guttery's 2001-to-2009 GreenKeys Search Tool: http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html <http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html>
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>>>>> Jordan Spencer Cunningham's GreenKeys Search Tool: https://teletype.net/gksearch <https://teletype.net/gksearch>2002-to-present greenkeys archive: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/ <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/>1998-to-2001 greenkeys archive: http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html <http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html>Randy Guttery's 2001-to-2009 GreenKeys Search Tool: http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html <http://comcents.com/tty/greenkeyssearch.html>
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>>>> Jordan Spencer Cunningham's GreenKeys Search Tool: https://teletype.net/gksearch
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>>>> 1998-to-2001 greenkeys archive: http://mailman.qth.net/archive/greenkeys/greenkeys.html
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> 
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