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[KD8Z]

I need to ship a Kenwood TL-922A about 1k miles here to Fl. by UPS and need to get it here undamaged.  The questions are;

1#
Must the tubes (3-500z x 2) be removed and sent in a separate package double boxed or are they secure enough inside the Kenwood TL-922A to make the trip undamaged?

2#
Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

73
Thanks for your replies
KD8Z

[N3JBH]

Well i Shipped and bought a few amps in my days. i  only had one survive. and that gentle man had packed the inside of the amp with so much styro foam packing it had  no possible way for the tubes to move break extra. although he super over packed the whole deal.

other then that i never had an tube survive being shipped in a amp. Ny advice remove the tubes and pack them very very carefully and ship seprate from the amp.  my best advice is package each tube in it's own box  and pack it as if it was the last tube on earth.

As far as the Amp besure you keep it in a upright posistion. so transformer will not break loose or  some other tragic thing. double box your amp. and use sturdy packing stuffing.  my role a thumb here is wad up the packing and sit on it. if it pops or flatens out then it is to whimpy.

Last rule is let the shipper pack it in front of you. but you stand there and watch them do it. And tell them no matter how great the say it is you want more.
get the packer to sign the receipt that they packed it and if you have digital camera take pic of the packing process.

After all that insure it for replacment cost and ship it. if some thing happens then you have all bases covered aginst the Shipping companies arguments.

i know that sounds like alot but i sadly learned that lession the hard way. and had a couple folks that was not happy dont make some ones day a bad day

[W2VW]

There is no such thing as upright position during shipping unless you use truck freight. All shippers use belt systems and manual trailer unloading. Your item will be flipped over and dropped several times.
Tubies should usually be removed and bubble wrapped in a large separate box from the rest of the amplifier. Original Eimac boxes are pretty good.
The amplifier should be double boxed at least. Inner and outer boxes should have material between them. Pink foam  insulation sold at home improvement stores for use as insulation is really good for this. No point in double boxing if one box contacts the other box.  

[K6AER]

I repair and ship many amplifiers. And I have found several things that work well over the years.

•   If all possible remove the transformer and ship it in a separate box with the transformer bolted to a plywood base.

•   On glass tubes, remove the tubes and place them in a separate padded box for shipment. Mark the box GLASS and mark on the box DO NOT DROP. Use a box at least twice as large as the tube. Mark on the box THIS END UP. Glass tubes are sensitive to being shipped on their side. If at all possible ship the padded tube inside the amplifier.

•   Place a plywood base under the amplifier and fasten the amplifier via straps to the base, Place the amplifier and plywood base into a box at least 3 inches larger than the amplifier.

•   Place the amplifier into a second box with large bubble packing or 2 inches around the origional box. Peanuts are a poor substitute for packing material, they move and compress with shipping.

•   Expect the amplifier to coast about $100 to ship and the packing will cost about $40 for material.

•   On a large box provide handles made out of rope for lifting. Do this for the transformer box as well.

•   Insure the amplifier for replacement cost.

•   Airfreight is generally easier on the equipment than surface shipment.

•   My best shippers are FED-X first, UPS second and DHL (Damm Hard Landing) last.

•   Take a picture of the amplifier before shipment and the shipping container before pickup. This helps in a claim situation.

After all of the above pray that the amplifier arrives in one piece.

Good Luck.

[WW5AA]

I usually use the "UPS Store" to package fragile items. A little more expensive, but insured that there will not be a claim problem. I have shipped lots of electronic equipment this way without any damage.

73, de Lindy

[KE3WD]

And, PAY ATTENTION to the TRANSFORMER HOLD DOWN BOLTS!!

If you cannot remove the power transformer easily and ship it in a separate box, at least take a minute and inspect all xformer hold-down bolting, lockwashers, etc. and tighten securely, replacing any suspect hardware accordingly.  Loosening each bolt and adding a drop of Loctite before retightening can make quick work of it.  

While you are in there, tighten up the hold down bolts on everything else that might come loose in the vibrations of shipping.  Air cargo is subjected to harmonic mechanical waves that can actually back nuts completely off of threads, even if the component doesn't break completely free, the nuts and washers can lodge in places where electrons shouldn't flow.  


.

[WB2WIK]

I'd definitely remove the tubes and pack them separately.  That will leave "dangling parasitic suppressors" inside the amp that can snap off and fly around inside the amplifier if it's roughly handled, so have the shipper tape those down to the big plate RF choke using vinyl tape to keep them from breaking.

If you want to be sure the amplifier is shipped "top side UP," the only way to assure that is to box or crate the amp and strap it to a wooden pallet.  A palletized shipment costs very slightly more than just a carton (mostly due to the added weight of the pallet), but doing it this way assures the top will remain UP and the pallet will remain DOWN because nobody can pick up a pallet by hand: They're lifted using fork lifts or pallet jacks, which always lift the item by the pallet itself and not the carton.

I never have palletized shipments damaged; however I have "carton" shipments, no matter how well packed, damaged all the time.

WB2WIK/6

[HA6SST]

Seconded, remove the tubes and then strap it to a pallet.

HA6SST

[K2MK]

1. Never ship the tubes in the same box as the amp no matter how well you separately pack the tubes. Even if you have a very large box that could accomodate both items. The shifting mass of the amp will manage to crush the box containing the tubes.

2. If something arrives broken don't waste your time with a UPS claim. They will say that bubble wrap and peanuts are insufficient for heavy items. (Of course what else would you use). And they will always say that glass items were insufficiently protected no matter what you do. And of course you will have to send the items to UPS for evaluation which will result in a loss of several weeks and more damage due to their poor repackaging. Plus, they will ship the box back to the shipper's address. Insurance is good if the package never shows up.

Good luck,
Mike K2MK

[K6AER]

I had an Alpha amp that was shipped properly, doubled boxed by a professional shipper and insured for $3000. DHL dropped the amp off...literally.

After much run around from DHL I had to take them to court for damages. The judge ask if I had taken out insurance ($3000) and I answered yes. The Judge said for me to give DHL the amplifier and for DHL to give me a check for $3000.

It was the shortest time I have ever spent in court.

[W4KVW]

I stay AWAY from what BROWN can do for me(UPS).They think every package is a steel ball & they could NOT possibly damage it no matter how far they can throw or drop it.I use FedEx & have YET to have even a bad corner on a box!

Clayton
W4KVW