Hi Steve,

I too have found that using prototype services are un workable. The regular board shops won't do a board without doing a whole panel. That means the cost will be between $1000 and $2000 (USD). It doesn't matter if you get 10 boards on the panel. If you only need one it's too expensive.

And I've tried those discount internet sites (4 boards for $49 each). I could get my boards for a couple of hundred dollars, but waiting weeks to get them in hand is a killer. As you know, I am a one man lab. I loose too much mental inertia (I think you understand the metaphor) in the downtime. It's a real project killer.

Making my own boards is my only workable option. But for the past couple of years I've been needing multi-layer boards with less than 0.010" (0.254 mm) geometry (lines and spaces). My solution is that I've just bought an LPKF board router. It'll be some weeks before I get it on-line, and I've got to get the plating and pressing going as well, but I'm hoping to be back to work in another month to month and a half. Once I'm up and running, maybe I'll make boards for Rob too and recoup some of my cost.