I respectfully disagree, Anil. In my most recent project I have developed a new generation mass spectrometer, and I have tried using prototype shops to make my circuit boards for the prototype, and I have concluded that the only way I will finish my project in anything like the near future is to make my own boards in house.

First, I find that the cost, though bearable, is really more than the "per board" prices so often quoted. Yes, you can get boards made for very low costs, comparable to what you describe, but only if you order 10 or more of them. The net result is that you actually end up paying hundreds, not tens, of dollars for your prototype board.

Still, that is not my biggest concern. My problem is one of mental inertia. Once I have a board designed and ready to be fabricated and tested, I have to wait weeks to get the board in my hands. And I simply can not lay a project down for three to five weeks and then pick it up and go from where I left off. And that is the main reason I need to make my own boards. I've tried using the board shops and they have turned what should have been a three to six month effort into more than a year and counting.