Sonsivri

Hi,

Anyone tried this PCB manufacturer? https://www.elecrow.com/pcb-manufacturing.html

Not elecrow, but if you are looking for reasonable China MFG, I can vouch for PCBWay. They are great.

I have used JLCPCB for a number of years and can't complain about anything really. Good quality, prices and fast processing and shipping. I have used PCBWay as well in the past, and they are also solid.

I am looking for a service that uses normal mail which costs less than $10

I had good experiences with both Pcbway and Jlcpcb. Note that due to COVID it is not unusual that normal mail from China takes 3 months to arrive. It is probably the reason why Jlcpcb is currently not listing normal mail for shipping to my country (Switzerland). My last order from Pcbway using normal mail took 3 months to arrive this summer (took usually 3 weeks for orders before COVID).
An alternative if your PCB is small is https://oshpark.com in the US. Even if the price per cm2 is much higher than in China, as normal mail shipping is free worldwide, if your PCB is small, the final price may be still interesting.

I use Elecrow regularly - I have found them a very good service with good quality.  Their "special offer" of $4.95 for 10 off 100mmx100mm has been going for years :-)   I use the "airmail" option for delivery, total turnaround from order to receiving PCBs is typically about 2 weeks. The airmail option is delivered this end by Royal Mail and, so far, I have never been charged extra by them for VAT collecion etc.  If you use one of the other couriers, such as UPS or DHL, it is likely they will want to charge you the VAT plus a handling charge.   

Elecrow seem to V-Groove free of charge when you have multiples of the same design on a 100x100mm panel - provided the lines to be V-Grooved are continuous from one edge of your panel to the other.

I believe cheap postage from China may be ending as we go into next year due to the scrapping of some international agreement.

@PeteBee.


UK Royal mail-   if the package value is below £15, there is no charge. Above invokes a 20% customs duty, and mail charge around £10 to deliver, so it gets expensive

seems I will go JLCPCB, normal mail takes 98 days :s

I think Royal Mail want 2 extra charges to be added  after our No Deal Brexit.
1. a Handling Charge to collect the Tax Due £17.
2. and a delivery charge (unless paid up front)
Most eBay sellers are already charging £1.19 and above to cover their extra costs this is bound to rise.
Even postage Costs from EU is £10 on average (some are still free or at a lower cost) but its only going up.
I never buy from the US as they want $60 on average for postage.  then there is taxs.

@pickit2

I had better get my ass in gear, and receive my designs before the end of December then  :( :(

That may be the theory.  The 20% is VAT, not customs duty.  Duty may also be payable on some types of goods.  However, in practice I have never been charged the VAT and handling charge by Royal Mail for PCBs arriving from China, including for many packages well over £15. Whilst the likes of DHL are always quick to charge it.  Of course, all this is likely to all change soon as others have commented.

My understanding is that this is not directly connected to Brexit, it is to do with the scrapping of an international postal union agreement (not just EU) about delivery charges in destination countries, and that it is a consequ3ence of the American-Chinese trade war with Trump initiating the scrapping of that agreement.

The increase is to do with the UK leaving the EU. all trade deals finish 2021.
just check postage from EU sellers, most have increase there postage charges this year.
as we were to leave the EU this year.
 
plus I have have 20% Vat & a handing charge of I think £17 .
one from the US. wanted £46 postage charge plus handling for a $8 Item.
I did not collect it from the PO.
you will need to be on your guard if your buying from eBay in the coming months.

this might revive local electronics shops in the UK? man the PCB I ordered today was $2, while the shipping is $46, this is real madness.. add to it this covid-19 crap that no understands anything about was the straw the f everyone on earth.

here you go, the funny thing is that there are no components whatsoever, I have to wait two months for the components, if I knew this will happen, I would have ordered from elecrow :D
Yhe PCB looks funny, I still live in the THT era :D

What device is U3 looks like you have 4 floating pins.
depending on device should they be pulled high /or/ low or are they true NC pins.

PIC16F1825, I should have at least put some pad for each in case I needed to use them, or a pin header, right  ???