[rta5]

I've done stencils from OSH stencils before, but its not something I usually do. Typically I solder only a few hundred SMD components per year. The oven is less for reducing soldering time and more for increasing part selection; Too many parts come in leadless packages like QFNs that are painful to solder well by hand.

[malexw]

Got it. I have a project that I want to do based on a TI CC-1125 to connect 303 MHz devices in my home to a smart home system, but of course all the interesting parts these days come in QFNs. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to go through the trouble of reflowing it with hot air or if it was just worth the $100 for the booster pack development board. It's unfortunate that the economics of low-volume prototype manufacturing don't work out for the home designer.