#716 – Electronics Manufacturing History with David Ray

Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, SeaSats! Check out their open positions making autonomous ocean vehicles.

Welcome David Ray of Cyber City Circuits

• The “Retro Electro” Series: David explains his passion for writing historical articles for Digi Key, focusing on “giants” like Orstead whose contributions to electricity are often overlooked.
• Career Background: David details his path from Marine Corps radio repair to cash register and Motorola radio repair.
• Starting the Business: In late 2019, David cashed in his retirement to buy pick-and-place machines and start his own factory.
• Teaching the First Lady: David recounts the story of teaching First Lady Jill Biden how to solder during a summer camp.
• Growth via Twitter: For the first few years, 95% of his revenue came from relationships built on Twitter (X).
• The Kit Business: David discusses his “Soldering Kit of the Month” program, noting that while fun, the kit business is exhausting and low-margin.
• Equipment & Machines: A discussion on why he uses Charm High machines and his strong advice to buy new equipment rather than used industrial machines, which are often sold because they are “used up”.
• Stencils & Paste: David advocates for framed stencils and GC10 solder paste, which is shelf-stable and prevents cold solder joints.
• Soldering Physics: Insights into the thermodynamics of soldering, especially the difficulty of working with 2 oz copper boards.
• John Fluke History: David previews his research on John Fluke, explaining that Fluke meters became yellow because the Navy had trouble finding gray ones on the ground.
• Upcoming Articles: David mentions future work on the history of Op-amps and strain gauges.
• Business Services: Overview of Cyber City Circuits’ services, including reverse engineering, obsolescence engineering, and free DFM (Design for Manufacturing) consulting.
• Success Philosophy: David shares his “Monopoly mindset,” viewing business setbacks as “chance cards,” and stresses that persistence is the only way to avoid failure.

Links from David