X-Authentication-Warning: delorie.com: mail set sender to geda-user-bounces using -f X-Recipient: geda-user AT delorie DOT com X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=google.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:sender:x-originating-ip:from:date:x-google-sender-auth :message-id:subject:to:content-type:x-gm-message-state; bh=iUFEKj2FZfOXKt/zMROdHtBy4olrARO7RWypyd10Qek=; b=a2mxHz7qOWED7luRUCfYv5rPmahByIPBvEXhL3soW/zvRIqywpS8WTarvMH0/heO0s Qsk11FaZn8cW4ie+iI7N0nDi6PcQKacKETMxKVqTMlHImTNlBsS9/evMMdvuRZiNBO44 4C4e9RCM7Nokr3d08ABh8PPYWTIwdqH8mWltr6y7dDkZOgCRdHLJ8Tfwg2wxg3S76P8T ks6wT2pxy/yNETNoHSwfiaz2kpf1TbxfOru4wVGrf94vAFx0VSDHnFSFiB97iicAuxXU 7ZD9wJx5qgKhKXidtV3gY6CL2mlsB/ICVb7THiVV0HzkmvMEXx3w2QmpC3+MkNjBs9QA JNJg== X-Received: by 10.67.21.226 with SMTP id hn2mr9229817pad.135.1369240661752; Wed, 22 May 2013 09:37:41 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: mjd AT hackvana DOT com X-Originating-IP: [2600:3c00::f03c:91ff:fedf:628a] From: Mitch Davis Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 00:37:21 +0800 X-Google-Sender-Auth: kisnvtZMcriEjQyy1JVHEIZf-Pc Message-ID: Subject: Re: [geda-user] ITEAD? To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQkTGyqKcaXcyzHC5gD2CNJSxUYhVry44xK+i0WTmAcJiPi4vo8uCOQbV1OKmEElV7UkSYmd Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com > On 05/20/2013 03:19 AM, Atommann wrote: > > > > There's another PCB supplier in Shenzhen, it is hackvana.com > > He provides good service in English. > > > > The guy behind hackvana is Mitch Davis who is a good hacker from Melbourne. > > Should I have any concerns about "IP harvesting" with these Chinese > outfits? (probably not with the Aussie gent, I'd assume..) Hello, Aussie gent here! I moved to Shenzhen two years ago to be close to the world's largest electronics market. It's an amazing place. You can see me interviewed by Ian Lesnet of Dangerous Prototypes here: http://dangerousprototypes.com/2012/12/06/workshop-video-interview-with-mitch-from-hackvana/ I speak Chinese, which is necessary when talking to the PCB fabs. I use several fabs and meet with them every few days. Relationships are everything here. As atommann said, my business is providing affordable PCBs to hobbyists and small business. But I have a terrible confession to make: I'm a KiCad user! (I was going to add a comment about gEDA's inability to do slots for things like the pads of DC power jacks, but that would be cruel). Open source is very important to me, I've used Linux since 1993 (and DJGPP before that) and many of my customers are hackers working on open source hardware. I have an IRC channel (Freenode network) for my customers and folks into PCBs, electronics and OSHW called "#hackvana". Please drop by. Regarding ordering, here's my guide: http://tinyurl.com/hvpcbfaq Not yet as fancy as online ordering but it works well. I have many customers who have used Seeed and Itead and now use me instead. For example: http://electronics.ozonejunkie.com/2012/11/pcb-manufacture/ The main reason is being able to talk directly to me about PCBs, and also with my other customers about electronics. We're a real community! Anyway, I just want to let you know I'm gEDA friendly, although I'd really love it if someone were to write a guide on using gEDA to produce gerber and drill files with the extensions I need. Regards! Mitch.