I have purchased a bunch of chips as well as all other components to manufacture the Klondike. I was getting quotes from SMT shops locally (Houston) and they want to charge anywhere between $40k and $100k for producing 630 boards. However, for around $15K I can buy my own mini-SMT line here:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/832249626/Small_smt_assembly_line_smt_machine.htmlAny thoughts on whether that Alibaba setup can do the same thing the local SMT shops can do?
Adam - I just sent you a PM with the contact details of an assembly house that we used a few years ago. They're located in the Los Angeles area and at that time did a very decent job and were very reasonable with the price (from what I remember - $6-8/board with about 75-80 components, including PIC, transformer, a bunch of connectors, etc).
Thank you, those prices are Amazing! Its amazing how some companies try to price gouge. Unbelievable spread...