I just finished receiving a series of large parcels with a completely disassembled 500 watt AM modulator, from East Coast to NM. Some were sent Fedex at my request, including the modulation transformer, a Stancor Polypedance. There were a pair of 810 triodes and some other transformers (fil, driver). The others went UPS. They were packaged extremely well, and I didn't see any damage to the parts, or packages. Maybe I was lucky, but I think there were 4 packages that came through just fine. I have shipped and received numerous things via UPS and Fedex out here over the years, and the only things that really got hammered were poorly packaged as well. So I think a lot of the responsibility lies on the sender and how much they care to overbox, foam pack, bubble wrap, remove heavy iron and ship separate, etc.
I received an hp 8751A network analyzer last year, off epay, and it was poorly packed. I knew it was going to be trouble, as the shipper wouldn't communicate by email, and was a jerk about responding to my pleas for extra care packaging. Probably that I won the thing for a little over a grand instead of the typical $3 grand those things go for. The thing was only packed in styro peanuts, thats it - in a huge weak cardboard box. When I knew it was at the UPS warehouse, I drove there to pick it up after counter hours. They allow me to do that. I unpacked it right there in the parking lot, not that I could have made a claim, since it was so poorly packed. However, i was very lucky, as the thing had shifted to one edge of the box, but miraculously had not had the CRT smashed or the connectors bent on the front or back. There were some typical holes in the box via UPS, and they missed the thing. So I said a prayer, took it home, and plugged it in - fine. I am most wary of epay deals in which the shipper doesn't really know what he is selling, or the value of it to us. 73 John K5PRO
