SHIPPING PRIMER

[WA6MHZ]

Some NEW Hams, or Vintage Hams who have never shipped anything before need to read this. Yesterday I got in YET ANOTHER radio all smashed up. WHY?
Because the SELLER was "uninformed". I left out the word "STUPID" because maybe he had never shipped anything before.

1) DO NOT USE WADDED UP NEWSPAPER to pack stuff. Newspaper is cheap, plentiful and would SEEM to make an ideal way to cushion stuff when shipping. But in reality, it compresses on inpact to a condition the same as the cardboard on the outside, transferring the shock to the precious contents inside. Newspapers INSIDE a radio would be a good idea for taking up airspace so that the tubes don't come loose and rattle around and break. But NEVER put it on the outside!!!

2) Don't choose a box because it is almost the same size as the item to be shipped! You need a MUCH LARGER box! Then, you can put adequate bubblewrap and peanuts inside.

3) if the item has a heavy transformer in it, such as a Linear, consider removing it and shipping it separately. I would MUCH rather get a 2nd box with a transformer with wires cut than I would to have it bend up the chassis and cabinet from impacts.

4) KNOW that the box is going to be dropped, kicked, mutilated, smashed and BRUTALIZED!!!! Shippers get off on seeing just how much they can toss around and damage shipments. They have no mercy. Labeling it "Fragile" is just an invitation to them to GORILLA IT MORE!!!! In fact that is a good example. Imagine your box is going to be housed with a bored, ANGRY Gorilla on the way. he will do all he can to DESTROY the contents! It has to be wrapped THAT WELL!!!

5) USE BUBBLE WRAP! LOTS OF BUBBLE WRAP!!! Completely encase the radio in bubble wrap if you don't have the original shipping container with styrofoam inserts cut for the rig. Double box it if possible. Buyers would be TOO HAPPY to pay for extra shipping costs if they knew it would help the item to arrive safely.
Once wrapped up and taped securely, place a thick layer of foam peanuts on the bottom of the shipping box. Lay in the item and fill the sides with foam peanuts. Then place a thick thick layer of foam peanuts OVER the item to completely fill the box. Now you can tape it shut. Use LOTS of tape!!! Tape from every angle, over every seam, over the center in both directions many times. TAPE IS CHEAP!!!

6) for radios with tubes, know that vibration may loosen the tubes from the sockets and break them. But it might not be a good idea to remove them as they are matched for the circuit. In such case, fill the inside with foam peanuts too, or wadded newspaper to keep them in place and take away airpsace. Some tubes,especially transmitting tubes, are VERY EXPENSIVE and should be removed and shipped separately. AGAIN, Buyers don't mind extra expense if it means the items arriving SAFELY!!!

7) Don't trust the USPS. They are the most brutal. Use FEDEX or UPS that have tracking on the items. They lose alot less and appreciate the business more. The Post office is very JADED and annoyed that they have to deliver this stuff! All business's use UPS and FEDEX.

8) DON'T use the radio box to ship in. Leave the radio in that box, closed up, but then put it in a much LARGER box and fill the space around it with foam peanuts. Radio boxes were designed for storing the rig on the shelf, NOT shipping it in. It needs FAR more protection than the radio box provides!!!!

Wrap the stuff as if you were anticipating it being dropped from a passing PLANE! If ONLY most sellers were more concenesious (or however that is spelled!!!) and follow the GOLDEN RULE of Shipping: "WRAP the item like it was going to be SHIPPED TO YOU!!!"

[WA6MHZ]

OH also don't use those stupid "AIR PILLOWS". Those pop so easily, leaving NO protection whatsoever. Whoever invented those oughta be SHOT!!!

[GM3ZMA]

The most stupid question I have been asked at an airport check in desk is:

"Is there anything fragile in that case?"

My reply was:

"Yes, that is why it is in that case".

The case in question was a rather large PeliCase, and the airport was Perth Western Australia.

Jim GM3ZMA

[KT1F]

OH also don't use those stupid "AIR PILLOWS". Those pop so easily, leaving NO protection whatsoever. Whoever invented those oughta be SHOT!!!

They're perfectly fine for lighter things. A lot of stuff from Amazon uses them.

Polystyrene or Styrofoam as it's commonly called in the US is bad for the environment.

I think many of the inflatable bags are biodegradable and even if they're not, they take up a lot less space when deflated. When used within their limits, I think the bags were quite a clever idea.

[WB2WIK]

Almost everything I receive from private sellers isn't packed properly.

I try not to buy anything "on line" at all, but when I have to, it's from commercial entities who ship a lot of stuff and usually pack things appropriately.

I couldn't agree more about avoiding USPS. Their "tracking" doesn't work, insurance claims are a nightmare, and the delivery drivers often don't have a dolly or hand truck with them so they try to carry stuff that's too heavy and drop it.

[N5YPJ]

What about packing services at places like UPS Store, are they any good?

[W5INC]

I hope the SX-88 rec. wasn't in the box you just recieved.

I only use FedEx as they do seem to be a lot better then UPS and eons ahead of the USPS service. UPS once dropped a Collins S line Xmtr over my 6' high fence onto concrete. When I complained about this UPS's reply was the radio wasn't packaged correctly. It would have to be 1 hell of a good packing job for a large Xntr to be dropped over 6' in the air, land on concrete and survive intact with no damage to the piece. FedEX IMO seems to be the best of the shipping bunch.

[N5YPJ]

I hope the SX-88 rec. wasn't in the box you just recieved.

I only use FedEx as they do seem to be a lot better then UPS and eons ahead of the USPS service. UPS once dropped a Collins S line Xmtr over my 6' high fence onto concrete. When I complained about this UPS's reply was the radio wasn't packaged correctly. It would have to be 1 hell of a good packing job for a large Xntr to be dropped over 6' in the air, land on concrete and survive intact with no damage to the piece. FedEX IMO seems to be the best of the shipping bunch.

I wonder how the genius driver who did that would survive being dropped 6 ft also? we haven't had any of that but what I did find objectionable was when we lived down a long dead end county road if you happened to cross paths with the driver, he was more than willing to give you your package but he expected you to deliver other packages for addresses on that road. I refused as I didn't even know the addressee, later on another neighbor dropped something off for me they driver had given him. I talked to the driver and told him if anything ever went amiss I would be filing a claim with full details. It stopped but he didn't like having to make the drive yet with no delivery confirmation on so many things they handle today it is too easy to lose something and be without.

[WF7A]

What about packing services at places like UPS Store, are they any good?

They are since they'd be the ones held accountable for any damage due to an improper packaging job so if you do need to file a claim, you'll have better luck with it. Of course, you pay for the packaging service as well as the shipping part of it, but it's affordable peace of mind to do so...though piece of mind is what you'll give 'em if they damage your package!

(I gave a shipper a piece of my mind, once, after I found out they lost my package but then the clerk accused me of being an atom smasher.)

[KW9W]

Thanks for the warning. I learned what not to do after seeing how my mother 'newspaper' packed antique china and shipped it from Europe (while on vacation) to her home in the U.S. Talk about empty space in a box for everything to move around, yep-you guessed it.

I'm a big believer in double boxing most anything. I received a fixer-upper saxophone that was shipped (from a pawn shop-no less) with several sheets of wadded newspaper for looks, and it bounced around-loose in that box-halfway across the U.S. I shooked my head in amazement when I opened the box, grrrr.