I'm mailing off my first pcb for repair, advice?

Get a nice, sturdy cardboard box; not one that has been through the ringer, got wet, is damaged, or has crushed sides. Avoid ones that have had the surface cardboard torn off thereby exposing its corrugations. Use lots of anti-static bubble wrap around the PCB or make sure it's secured in an anti-static bag with lots of regular bubble wrap around the outside of the bag. Wrap the PCB both ways so there is sufficient cushion on all four edges of the board. Tape the bubble wrap to itself after it is wrapped so it doesn't unrvel and come loose inside the box. If the board does not fill the box, make sure there is some kind of packing material around your well-bubble wrapped board so it doesn't shake, rattle, and roll all over the inside of the box during transit. When you close the package to tape it up, the box should be evvvvver sooo slightly hard to tape closed meaning that the package is firm and the contents do not move around. Tape shipping label over the seam of the box; cover the entire shipping label with clear tape to prevent it from the elements, abrasion, etc. Or, get a clear shipping label envelope that sticks to the box and closes via adhesive. When you are done, you should have a nice, solid package that when shaken, you do not hear or feel anything moving around inside.

That should do it. I'm told I'm pretty good at packing PCB's by the people who have purchased from me. :)
 
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Lots of anti-static bubble wrap or make sure it's secured in an anti-static bag with lots of regular bubble wrap around the outside of the bag. Wrap the PCB both ways so there is sufficient cushion on all four edges of the board. Tape the bubble wrap to itself after it is wrapped so it doesn't unrvel and come loose inside the box. If the board does not fill the box, make sure there is some kind of packing material around your well-bubble wrapped board so it doesn't shake, rattle, and roll all over the inside of the box during transit. When you close the package to tape it up, the box should be evvvvver sooo slightly hard to tape closed meaning that the package is firm and the contents does not move around. Tape shipping label over the seam of the box; cover the entire shipping label with clear tape to prevent it from the elements, abrasion, etc. Or, get a clear shipping label envelope that sticks to the box and closes via adhesive. When you are done, you should have a nice, solid package that when shaken, you do not hear or feel anything moving around inside.

That should do it. I'm told I'm pretty good at packing PCB's by the people who have purchased from me. :)

Best advice on KLOV today!
 
I have some anti static bubble wrap, will that be fine or should I get an anti static bag too? Does Office Depot sell anti static bags? Will I need special anti static packing material or will crumpled newspaper work?
 
Take a picture of the item before you pack it.
Take a picture after you pack it.
Don't use Pink anti static bags. While the the pink wont build up a static charge, If a static charge does come in contact with the pink. The pink wont protect your items.
 
I have some anti static bubble wrap, will that be fine or should I get an anti static bag too? Does Office Depot sell anti static bags? Will I need special anti static packing material or will crumpled newspaper work?

Wrapping the PCB directly in anti-static bubblewrap is fine. I do it all the time. I'm pretty sure that as long as the PCB is well protected/encapsulated in the anti-static bubblewrap, it doesn't matter what you use for the "filler" packing. I could be wrong about that, but I personally have not had any problem using packing paper, regular bubblewrap, etc. for filler in this circumstance.
 
Take a picture of the item before you pack it.
Take a picture after you pack it.
Don't use Pink anti static bags. While the the pink wont build up a static charge, If a static charge does come in contact with the pink. The pink wont protect your items.

Had no idea about this. Thanks for the info!!
 
Pink anti static is just wrap that doesn't create static. It doesn't necessarily protect things from static... I wouldn't trust electronics just being wrapped in pink bubble wrap.

Anti-static bags are the way to go. If the PCB is sealed in an anti-static bag, it's pretty safe from static in there. You can find them pretty cheap on amazon or anywhere really.


One tip about bags... make sure you are measuring the overall volume of the PCB not just the length/width... You have to take height into consideration. If you buy a 16"x12" bag for a 15"x11" board, the board might not fit because the height of the board might be a couple inches high and the circumference of the bag won't allow it to fit.
 
Not sure if it's right or not, but if you don't have a bag, I've wrapped them in newspaper, then bubble wrap and it worked out fine.
 
I'm gonna look for some silver anti static bags at Office Depot today when I'm running some errands for work. If they don't have em I'll get one off amazon. I'm getting tired of constantly shooting myself in the foot, lol.
 
The packing suggestions here seem to have everything covered, so just a couple of general tips.

Make sure you have good communication with the repairer, and make sure you know what the repair time frame will be.

Expect that it may take longer...sometimes much longer.

If your board is taking a lot of work to repair, just be patient. Even if you are charged for extra work, it will probably still be a great bargain compared to the troubleshooting time put into your board.

A lot of these talented PCB guys price their repairs assuming a pretty quick and easy fix, so a repair outside of that could really mess with their schedule. Most of them do this in their spare time, so the extra time needed for a board can be hard to find.

Most importantly: be careful when you hook up the repaired board in the machine. You don't want to blow something and have to send it out again.
 
Take pictures of and record info on your board. Packing info given here so far is excellent. I do board repair as well, but I only do one or two at a time at most and in spurts, as I don't really have enough time to do everything I need to get done on my own games/arcade/etc.

If you are unsure of who you are sending it to, ask for a couple of references.

Communication is also key. Sometimes depending on time/problem these things can take a while to fix. I try to keep contact with my customers at least twice a week, usually more often.... even if there is no relevant update.

I provide a breakdown of everything found, everything replaced, everything fixed, and provide that not only as I go along, but at the end as well. A record of what has been done is good for the customer. No need down the line possibly a few years later of someone replacing some 10000 hour capacitors because the history/age of them is unknown, etc.

Best of luck with your repair.... pack well.... it is the cheapest insurance there is.
 
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