HEATH Digest - 2 Feb 2001 to 3 Feb 2001 (#2001-35)

[J. Werner, W8QA]

In a message dated 2/4/01 1:58:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV writes:

<< I am wondering if anyone has
 any advice or actual experience with shipping one of the big heavy
 heath transmitters such as the apache, dx 100 or the marauder
 or maybe even the warrior amplifier?  Will it need a wooden crate?
 Will UPS refuse because of the weight... will it have to go
 by some special shipping..?   what's been the experience out there? >>

Ray:

I ship heavy, delicate items all the time in my business.  UPS has always
done an excellent job for us, but then again we pack things VERY carefully.

Wooden crates always fare better than cardboard boxes.  They are a hassle to
make, but definitely worth the effort.  We usually use 1x4's and 1/4" or 3/8"
plywood, the former for small crates and the latter for larger crates.  We
run a fat bead of yellow wood glue on the 1x4's before using drywall screws
to attach them to the plywood.  The only piece we don't glue is the crate's
lid, but we don't spare the screws when attaching it.

Make sure that you use SHEET Styrofoam inside the crates.  You can contour it
easily with a sharp knife to protect anything that protrudes from the piece,
e.g., knobs.  Peanuts shift around during shipping, and that's when damage
occurs.

Also, make sure to attach extra 1x4's to each end of the crate to function as
handles.  It's really not fair to blame freight handlers for dropping crates
when it's difficult to pick them up.

If you follow these tips, you almost cannot fail.  UPS will ship a piece as
heavy as 150 pounds now, so that includes most pieces of ham gear.

Also, buy the right amount of insurance.  Sure, it can get expensive, but
heavily insured shipments get extra special care.  I recently sent three
crates that were collectively insured for $58,500.  The insurance cost more
than the actual shipping, but they got to their destination without so much
as a scrape.

If you must use a motor freight carrier, a wooden crate is almost a must.
Also, be sure to get a firm price quotation before taking the crate to their
freight dock -- you'll almost always get a better rate that way.  You may
have to look at the carrier's tariff book a bit, because there is usually
more than one way to accurately describe the contents of the crate, and the
rates can vary wildly between different rate codes.

Good luck shipping your baby, Ray.  You'll do just fine as long as you do
your homework.

Best DX and

Very 73,

John, W8QA

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