Well, I once shipped a Heathkit Mohawk to a guy. When it arrived, he found a used plastic diaper among the packing!
That's as close as I've gotten to accidentally shipping a kid in with a radio... 73, Don Merz, N3RHT --- Bob Peters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well I can tell ya all one big thing here ...Don > Merz knows how to pack > gear...My god it took me a whole day to unpack a box > that I got from > Don... More packing material then gear...Must have > been the kitchen sink > in the box Hi ... > I expected to find his first born in the bottom of > the box... > > Bob W1PE > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Don Merz > Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 2:02 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Discussion of AM Radio > Subject: RE: [AMRadio] Packaging Radio Gear > > > "People don't care about their work" is certainly a > factor. They are returning the feeling they are > getting from their employer--sometimes in spades. > > But to be complete, uncaring workers are probably > not > the main factor at work (pun) here. > > The biggest factor is probably the sheer volume of > shipping that goes on today versus say, 1960. Most > shipping was business to business back then, in > large > lots. Catalog sales to individuals were a tiny > fraction of what they are today. If you wanted a > radio, you went down to the ham radio dealer and > bought one off the shelf that you carried the last > mile yourself. Today, that last mile is part of the > shipping task for radios ordered from catalogs. > > Additionally, the majority of the shipment's trip > was > on steel rails instead of potholed asphalt--the > stuff > probably didn't get jolted around as much. At the > handling facility, people--not automated conveyors > and lifts--handled > the packages--shipping automation as we know it > today did not exist. It > didn't have to because labor was cheap and > single-piece volume was low. > > So maybe people don't care as much about their work > today. But I kind of doubt that their lack of care > for > their work is the biggest factor in shipping damage. > > 73, Don Merz, N3RHT > > > --- W1EOF <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > As people have stated, it's a combination of both. > > People cared more about > > their work back then and probably took better care > > in how they handled > > stuff. There was less pressure to "just get the > > stuff outta here" than now > > I'm sure. > > > > Secondly it does not matter whether so much > whether > > you use a particular > > material or not, it's HOW the materials are put > > together that matter. > > Someone in a reply said it doesn't matter how it's > > packed if it gets dropped > > six feet. I think you are stating my second point > > from a different angle. I > > wouldn't send a Valiant out my door unless I felt > confident... yes, > > confident that it could withstand a six foot drop. > > Probably an eight foot > > drop. That's not unusual and std packing procedure > > for a business. It's not > > hard to do but it takes a little work and more > than > > that it takes thought on > > how it should be boxed. I've sent hundreds of > items > > around the world. > > Fragile glass items. Heavy radios. I never had one > > damaged in transit. ALl > > of those packages were expected to withstand at > > least a six foot drop. > > > > As an example, here is what I would do with a > > small-medium sized > > transmitter: > > > > 1. Remove the tubes. They get individually wrapped > > in bubble-wrap and > > shipped separately. Any other loose pieces get > sent separately in > > another box. If you want you can in some case wrap > that > > stuff up and put it inside > > but if you want to be sure, pack it separate. > > > > 2. Depending on the tranmitter, it's value, etc I > > might need to make a > > wooden support for the transformers. > > > > 3. Wrap this up in both directions with bubble > wrap. > > The one with the bigger > > bubbles, not the small-bubble kind. Tape it good. > > There should be at least a > > couple of inches of bubblewrap on every surface. > > > > 4. Using bubblewrap or high-density foam fit this > > assembly into a box. Not a > > bad idea to put it into a heavy garbage bag and > tape > > before it goes in the > > box. > > > > 5. Tape this box up. Tape it up GOOD. If heavy use > > strapping tape as I > > describe below. Now this is where many people > would > > stop. It looks like it's > > ready to go, right? Well many people would ship > this > > out but it's not ready. > > > > 6. Get ANOTHER, larger box. ALlow for 3-4 inches > in > > every direction. In > > between the two boxes you need some cushion. I > > pesonally like peanuts but if > > you use them they must be packed DENSELY. You want > > the inner box to be able > > to move a bit, but not much. Pack the peanuts in > > there tight. Tape this box > > up tight. Then get your strapping tape and wrap > two > > double bands of that in > > each direction, each band about 25% of the way in > > from the edge of the box. > > If the box is long then I'd add two more bands in > > that direction. The > > strapping tape will prevent the box from bursting > > should it be dropped on a > > corner for instance. It's very strong stuff. > > > > You're done. > > > > Now if the transmitter is really large, or extra > > heavy (say > 80 or 100lbs) > > then you need to go to the next level and crate > it. > > Basically you follow the > > steps above and then put that assembly into a box > > that is made of plywood > > with reinforced corners, etc. Making a suitable > > crate is somewhat of an > > art... a story for another day. > > > > If you follow those steps listed above you will be > > able to drop that > > transmitter 6-8 feet without any damage to the box > > or the transmitter. It > > will hit with a funny dull sounds and sort of > bounce > > (which is what you > > want, thats' the energy being absorbed and > deflected > > not transferred to the > > transmitter). > > > > 73, > > > > Mark W1EOF > > > > <SNIP> > > > Could someone explain to me how radios were > > shipped back in the > > > 50's so that > > > they arrived at the dealers with no apparent > > damage. I wonder what the > > > original packing was back then? > > <SNIP> > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > > AMRadio mailing list > > Home: > > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html > === message truncated ===
