Amiga 1200 edge connector pursuit

[Pat the Cat]

Guys Acill, Mathew Leaman (Amigakit) and I had a conversation about this at dinner @ Amiwest. Acill sourced out a large supply of reasonably priced connectors. I know Acill followed up on it with Amigakit but im not sure the current status.

My 0.02 cents worth - you will not get a cheaper connector than Sullins without going direct to China, or maybe India.

It's a custom gold plated edge connector with hundreds of connections. This isn't cheap even at volume. Not outside of the Orient.

[Pat the Cat]

If you go with some Chinese manufacturer you may get some tin junk for a lot less, but the reliability of the main connection of the accelerator and everything on it is at risk. Why go that why?

Because, believe it or not, some Oriental manufacturers produce better quality at lower cost than American ones. And Chinese ones will deliver to your  door, free. Americans won't ever do that. The Chinese government pays the cost of all export deliveries (they also own the shipping and transportation companies, and electricity is considered a fundamental human right in China).

I guess some people can't accept these facts, and it is true that 90s  Amiga PSUs made in China (OK, Hong Kong, same difference nowadays pretty much) used triodes extensively, but that was a  quarter of a century ago.

The reason I suggest India is because their semiconductor industry has  also been radically shifted upwards in build quality, but being smaller  and mostly English speaking, it is rather easier to navigate.

I am still using a 90s Indian PSU. It's bulletproof, light, and can operate  far outside the temperature restrictions of an equivalent American unit.  Because most Indians don't have air conditioning.

You would have to be an idiot not to check, and I don't think you are an idiot, Majesta.

[Pat the Cat]

Fair point, but cheaper isnt going to do that. If you ask for cheap you will get cheap.

Hmmm... value for money. Some of it is cheap "tat", some of it is quality gear at a very low price, and you don't really know until you have a sample in your hand to study.

Far riskier without building up a relationship with the supplier first, but if Sullins ain't got the capacity, they can't have the business anyway.

Supply and demand, Chief. Huawei did not get to be number one without producing damn good products at very low prices. In quantity, mostly to customers within China.

India is heading that way, and the smart money is going in there now. They have the capacity. They have the will to make and sell.

I'm not saying I LIKE the way either country operates in the tech industries. I am simply suggesting them as viable sources, today, tomorrow, whenever. Sometimes, there just are no "good" choices, and you have to pick the least "evil".

There are honest players all over, folks. You got to reach out for good. It don't come knocking on your door by itself. That's usually trouble, in my experience anyway. Everybody gets that too.

[Pat the Cat]

I guess if you ask around enough for enough free samples, eventually you'll get enough quality ones that you can pay Sullins if you want for the remainder.

Alternatively...

http://www.esuppliersindia.com/products/edge-connector.html

https://www.tradeindia.com/manufacturers/edge-connector.html

Then you'll have got them all half price. :hammer:

Acquaintance did that with plastic filaments samples. He ended up with over 2 tonnes of the stuff. At £20 a kilo, nice business if you can get it. £40K for clicking on the internet, in worth of goods, anyway.

You don't give out part numbers. You give out specs, dimensions, materials. If they want to meet it, let them bust their guts trying.

What you really want is a low volume manufacturer. This is the Indian dimension. They can do that.

I can't hunt for you on this, but there are 800 million Indians. Some of them make edge connectors.

[Pat the Cat]

The last few things I got in from Kipper has Sullins printed on them. If you can get a sample from a Chinese or Taiwanese company I say go for it, but if your looking at only getting say 100 at a time and they offer you them at under $10 each, no way are they going to be good quality.

It is totally random what the build quality of any supplier is. It depends on their production method and attention to perfecting a production run.

What you need is an unbiased quality control of sample assessment.

Cost is an indicator of quality, but the real proof is measurement. How thick is the gold plate? How consistent  is the build? How reliable are the tolerances? Cost isn't just based on raw material cost. Some outfits in that part of the world make with recycled ingredients. If you effectively have your own gold mine for the plating process, that helps enormously. Likewise, recycling ABS for the plastic carrier. You can cut unit costs to the bone that way. In a lot of courntries you even qualify for a government subsidy because you are earning them carbon credits. Claiming it can be very awkward though.

It's a jungle, the supply chain. I'll agree with you there.

But, if you get a manufacturer with spare capacity of a LARGER, longer adaptor size, that can be cut down precisely, that is one way around. Likewise, adapting two smaller adaptors.

You got to be flexible in what you can use, but absolutely cast iron with regards to what you accept as quality stock. I'm right with you on that last point, Chief.

Finding perfect with one supplier is unlikely. You might end up buying two smaller units from different suppliers. That would mean checking BOTH for build quality and tolerances. It sounds easier but it still has issues that you have to address and get the right answers to get a reliable, dependable circuit.

And of course, if the free samples are a bit skimpy on the gold plate, you can always try extra plating them. You won't save every single one probably, but that can be worth doing too. Just don't overdo it, it's a very subtle process to manage properly. That's what Sullins are really charging for - consistency of plate.