DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

I had some 5/16" paper tape manufactured for use in antique Teletype machines. I tried several US paper tape manufacturers. One quoted me $10 a roll, but made a good roll. One sent me a roll with rough edges that jammed in the machine. Most were uninterested, even for a large order. The US companies were really hard to communicate with, too. Getting emails answered was tough. Phone calls usually went to voicemail. I finally had 1000 rolls made in Fujian, China for $1/roll. They worked fine. Much better customer communication, too.

Some of the decline in US manufacturing comes from this sort of thing.

Re: DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

#6

Post by sctb » Mon, Mar 19, 2018, 4:20 PM UTC

LeonM wrote: post #2

Needs a [2016] tag

Updated, thanks!

Re: DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

#7

Post by Yetanfou » Mon, Mar 19, 2018, 4:39 PM UTC

Yes, this has been here before. Back then I replied that, when confronted with the same problem, I simply took a hacksaw to a DB-25 and had a working connector within a minute. Not as fancy, maybe, but just as functional...

Re: DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

#8

Post by rebootthesystem » Mon, Mar 19, 2018, 4:56 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #5

It's embarrassing that it's easier to get things made in China than in the US. I had some 5/16" paper tape manufactured for use in antique Teletype machines. I tried several US paper tape manufacturers. One quoted me $10 a roll, but made a good roll. One sent me a roll with rough edges that jammed in the machine. Most were uninterested, even for a large order. The US companies were really hard to communicate with, to…

I have been in physical product development and manufacturing for three decades. Doing business with US manufacturers has become more and more difficult over time. What you describe here is very true and only the tip of the iceberg. I have, for example, sent out 50 requests for quotes for machined components only to be utterly ignored by most of the shops I contacted. The same exercise with China results in an almost overwhelming number of quotes received almost instantly. They are open for business. Have been for a while. I, frankly, have no clue what game we are playing.

Re: DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

#9

Post by pkaye » Mon, Mar 19, 2018, 5:20 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #5

It's embarrassing that it's easier to get things made in China than in the US. I had some 5/16" paper tape manufactured for use in antique Teletype machines. I tried several US paper tape manufacturers. One quoted me $10 a roll, but made a good roll. One sent me a roll with rough edges that jammed in the machine. Most were uninterested, even for a large order. The US companies were really hard to communicate with, to…

All the large orders would go the China anyway and nobody can "keep the lights on" with just a small order flow like yours. I remember around 2000 when SV was still full of machine shops that would do prototype and volume manufacturing of parts. Slowly they got moved to Texas and then overseas. Initially the volume manufacturing got moved elsewhere but these shops can't subsist on just prototype volumes alone. Then in a later job, same thing happened to PCBs.

Re: DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

#10

Post by munificent » Mon, Mar 19, 2018, 5:25 PM UTC

rebootthesystem wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #5

It's embarrassing that it's easier to get things made in China than in the US. I had some 5/16" paper tape manufactured for use in antique Teletype machines. I tried several US paper tape manufacturers. One quoted me $10 a roll, but made a good roll. One sent me a roll with rough edges that jammed in the machine. Most were uninterested, even for a large order. The US companies were really hard to communicate with, to…

I have been in physical product development and manufacturing for three decades. Doing business with US manufacturers has become more and more difficult over time. What you describe here is very true and only the tip of the iceberg. I have, for example, sent out 50 requests for quotes for machined components only to be utterly ignored by most of the shops I contacted. The same exercise with China results in an almost…

> Doing business with US manufacturers has become more and more difficult over time.

Any thoughts on why?