thd9791
I’ll admit Ive been engaging in off-site discussion about PCBs over the last couple months.
Suffice to say, there are only a handful of contenders that produced boards in the late 70’s and early 80’s that used a BLUE substrate and green soldermask to produce boards. One of the common and previously known/found contenders actually has much less common blue substrate/green-mask/copper trace/tin coated variant which is remarkably close. Even closer than I’d like to admit... but just shy of saying it is “the source”. They all (and other contemporaries) have a copper tracing. And considering the reference photos they look copper at certain lighting points. And as fond of interpreting lighting vs. material as I am....gold would never appear like copper, and neither could tin obviously in those scenarios.
I’m absolutely convinced in reference and research that the board is as presented.
*edit*
save, to be honest... the ability to produce them ‘as they were’.
which, given what I’ve learned...might simply be impossible with today’s industry standards in relation to material and production.
I can’t express how many roadblocks there were to achieving the 100% idealized parameters for a replica PCB. And the overwhelming reason is because ‘we aren’t set up that way... no one is anymore’. Chinese manufacturers (who I surmise compose most of the clampcard PCB market and seem to have the strictest limitations...) and many US based production simply will not do things if they aren’t ‘to spec’.
This meant no blue pcb substrate: which is virtually extinct.
This meant no custom soldermask coloration: which is not even discussed elsewhere
And certainly no etc, etc, etc.
Purely by chance and at the ‘end of my effort’ I found two companies: who seem as old as time: who are still ‘able’ to do things in the old way. But are limited as no-one uses the old techniques. Thus they are no longer set up for “full service” vintage techniques.
To the honest point: There are two aspects I am still ‘mildly peeved’ over not being able to produce. But all the other facets of the realized PCBs are an absolute success to me... considering the journey... that they have been accomplished and look as they do. So I am VERY pleased and present them as the best that modern techniques can produce in an old way.
And many thanks for the kind praise. There were many hard choices involved and I hope “all y’all” (as they say in the south) are ultimately pleased
I had no idea what goes into getting people to reproduce these old boards
