Hey All
In electronics, the higher the sophistication of a part, the tighter the packaging of that part, and the less access we have for that part. So we are now at the mercy of the assembler/manufacturer.
We are all in the same boat. A higher cost for a part SHOULD mean a higher degree of design features, better components in the unit, higher quality control and assurance. The all in one switches made ALL our lives easier. They use heavier gauge wire, the plastic box is more substantial than the "older" flimsy looking designs. The perceived added value costs were also at least $10US per switch over the "older design".
The perception is (was) that there is $10US more of value. Unfortunately, that is not really the case here. The design is good... It integrated a need for us, the additional wire gauge sizing also is a plus too. The biggest plus was that instead of wires being soldered directly to a little switch tab, the wires were soldered onto a pad (larger area) on a piece of circuit board. This is also its weak point.
Let me explain...The entire unit is hand produced and assembled, what all of us have is personally crafted switch. The only automation there is the screw gun that attached the screws to the body, and even that is held in a hand. The soldering of the wires is done by people applying a drop of solder to the pad. The opportunities of manufacturing a bad part are unfortunately quite high.
1. Circuit board material is single layer glass. No problem. However, the manufacturer of the board may not use the best processes to assure quality traces. After all it is only a wire connection device...hmmmm.
2. The circuit boards piece that you see in the picture has been hand cut via pneumatic or electric scissors from a "mother board" that could contain a hundred of so of these parts. An operator could easily and accidentally nick or cut a trace.
3. Have the boards been cleaned of oil and crap. My guess is as good as yours.
4. Solder - They PROBABLY use solder appropriate for the job.
5. Assembly of the board - Here is where it gets interesting.
I used to teach new employees a 2 day course on hand soldering. Yup... there is that much to learn about the process and what it takes to do a good job and have consistent quality.
The easiest way to see a good quality solder job is to look at the soldering job. Is it bright? If so the chances are high that the bond/connection is secure. Is the surface dull? If so, the bond is not there and the connection though probably has conduction, it will not have so for long. Use these as indicators. If they did not use a proper flux on the board, the solder may be bright but it would look blobby. (yeah... I know that is a lame REALLY technical term.
).
So now the little circuit board is soldered, and the person assembles it into its casing. It has to be manipulated, with wires being worked and twisted slightly for the fit. The unit is finished. Total time for all of this... all the processes from start to finish including packaging is less than 90 seconds.
Has the finished unit been powered up to test for circuit continuity? Does the manufacture do any life testing? (hahahaha - I know my guess). Are there any destructive testing aspects conducted....
The cost of buying these switches is about $15 and up (depending on the features). The cost to the manufacturer is less than a buck. (I have an engineering background in automotive electronic mfg., along with 25 years of Asian assembly experience so this cost estimate is bang on). The rest is marketing, distribution related costs and profit. So waddya want for a buck guys?
I lost my favorite plane to a switch - because I thought that the price included some quality control.(talk about my OWN experiences not being listened to0 by myself, I still kick myself in the butt over that!!!) Now I use 2 switches and 2 battery packs on any plane over 20cc.
my 2 cents worth!
Henry
[link=http://www.zrcgf.com]RCGF Engines - North America[/link]