How to properly ship heavy Vintage tube Radios avoid damage UPS FedEX

I have shipped many old heavy radios in the past with very few reports of damage. Heres the method. Many have asked me to make a video of the process. So since I just sold a transmitter to a fellow in NH, this was a good opportunity to present the boxing procedure. These old radios are being damaged everyday due to insufficient packing. Foam peanuts have no efect on heavy items, they will easily shift in the box, dented, bent. A complete loss of history. If you plan to ship something of value, watch carefully. Yes, it takes time, charge extra if needed, but dont gamble, poor handling will get you every time. Then you loose.

[@rich4137]

It’s a pleasure to watch this amount of care go into packaging after the sale. New generations need to watch this.

[@PeopleAlreadyDidThis]

Great procedure. I wish people would actually agree to do it. I request this sort of packing, get replies like, "I've already packed the radio. Don't worry, I packed it to survive anything." Then it arrives in peanuts, half of them crushed and all of them migrated to one side of the box. People bash UPS, but all carriers are guilty of rough handling. FedEx drops packages 4 feet over my gate. USPS carrier perches them on the gatepost and the wind blows them off. Received an indirectly heated ceramic linear amp tube recently that was carefully packed, tested working before shipping. The heater was open on arrival. Somebody must've played football with it. My worst experience was a 1949 Motorola suitcase TV. Despite pleas to pack carefully, seller taped flat cardboard to the cabinet and mailed it. That's it. I received a box of broken glass. The irreplaceable 7JP4 CRT imploded, of course, and the shrapnel wiped out everything else on the chassis. Learned a valuable lesson, too: the seller had insured it, but refused to provide the insurance number, so USPS wouldn't process the claim. Absurd. I would hope that's no longer an issue, but at the time it was. I've had problems even with knowledgeable hams who sounded responsible in pre-purchase discussions. One such fellow shipped a small linear poorly packed, despite numerous sales and his assurances that he knew what he was doing. Everything seemed in order until the box arrived. Knobs were crushed against the panel, the chassis was torqued. He ended up a bit angry by the time we negotiated a fair price for the remains of the amp, but he admitted he'd been in a hurry and just didn't take proper care.

[@MichaelLaferriere]

If someone is unsure of how to or doesnt have the time to package an item properly they should just bring it to a UPS or FedEx store and ask them to double box. They have the packing right there and can do it. Not as good a job as N6TLU but at least it wont be an amateur pack job. And if the item is damaged in transit you some more recourse since one of their employees (or subsubsubcontractors) did the packing. Save the receipt in case needed.

[@MichaelLaferriere]

Former UPSer here, great video! A couple things I would like to add. When you tape up the box, dont just tape the ends. Wrap the 'entire' box. The tape may not always stick to cardboard and even when it does, cardboard rips easily. If the tape encircles the box, it will always hold and in the event of a catastrophe, the tape will help hold the box together and hopefully keep contents inside. When I close a box I wrap tape vertically to hold the two flaps together and lined up and go entirely around the box. Then I do the same horizontally along the seam of the flaps. I'm glad to see the double boxing as boxes can also be damaged in shipment by crushing as well as from being thrown or tumbled on a belt. When someone is loading a feeder (UPS trailer) they are deep in the truck and a belt/chute is dropping packages at a furious rate. You have to build a wall and if your package is on the bottom, it has to hold everything on top. You obviously put heavy items on the bottom but you dont always have the luxury of time and being able to pick & choose the best boxes to build your rall. And if that feeder is in Massachusetts, it will be hauled over some hefty pot holes. And packing the interior of the radio is a perfect idea. You can put stickers on the outside "this side up" but the sort belts didnt graduate from high school and dont have their GED and can't read so the packages just tumble and bumble around the interior of the building. One thing you can do that will help is to always put the shipping label on the TOP of the box. In facilities with dimensioners (lasers that measure the size of the box, weight etc), the label should be face up so the unload will place it (hopefully) on the belt this way. That and the sort aisle needs to see the label so most of the time the label will be kept on the top during the process. The package car (UPS delivery vehicle) driver will also need to see the label so he knows its going to your house and the top is the best place for this. I have visited friends at FedEx and their process is similar. FedEx and UPS have a better system of accountability as items are scanned every time they come off a vehicle and as they go onto the next item. This helps prevent employee theft and lets you know exactly where in the process your shipment is. You will get good and bad shipments no matter what service you use. If you have something really special and unique to ship, ask about UPS's "high value" shipment. This is generally for smaller, very pricy items with a good chance of theft etc. Diamonds, rare paintings etc. These items do NOT go through most of the same process I mentioned above. Instead, they are hand carried from step to step by a supervisor and manual signatures go onto a clipboard. The item is then placed as one of the very last items on the feeder and the very first to come off. This insures it is not crushed or just tossed randomly in and it also keeps the item off the belts. You WILL pay for this service though due to the extra labor and checklists though. A boat anchor would be pretty pricey as supervisor’s dont like to lift but may be great for rare tubes etc. 73 - KC1OCA

[@imageofsin]

thank you so much for this info!!!

[@tommcintyre2963]

Very well done and long overdue. Let's hope all who ship will abide by these suggestions. As a Ham and a pilot, I have often used my own airplane to fly and physically transport the valuable items. One of a kind items (HRO-500, SX-115) have lived and enjoyed another day in my shack......

Terry, I have received two 100 watt Marshall heads in the past 30 days. One from New Hampshire the other from Texas all the way to Los Angeles California. I asked them to put corner cushions and bubble wrap the exterior of the amps. I told them to leave all tubes in place and they arrived in prefect condition. I think the key is to put corner cushions to absorb the shock. Both were packed by Fed Ex! In their boxes. With UPS I've received so many damaged brand new $1000+ amps. I asked the big gear sellers, Sweetwater, Zzounds, Guitar Center to use Fed Ex and double box all new gear to my house and haven't had any issues in years!

[@sincerelyyours7538]

Well done, Terry! I used very much the same method to ship my Hammarlund HQ-120X from New York to Tokyo and it arrived without a scratch. I got the same hard foam but 5/8" thick from Home Depot and cut it to fit between two of their heavy duty shipping boxes that I had resized so one would nest inside the other. One layer of foam was put between the two boxes (all six sides) and another was used to line the inner box, again all six sides, before the radio was put inside. I also removed the 12 tubes, all knobs and both handles, wrapped them in a layer of small-sized bubble-wrap each and put them in a plastic bag before placing the bag inside the cavity. To keep the knob shafts from getting bent I cut holes into another layer of foam and taped it to the front faceplate. Also, because the HQ-120X has very large and fragile VFO and Bandspread dials, I cut a cardboard baffle to serve as a barrier between them and the bag of tubes in case the bag moved around inside the cavity. I then wrapped the whole radio like a mummy in several winds of small-sized bubble wrap before placing it inside the foam-lined inner box. The box's exterior then got wrapped like a big x-mas present in brown shipping paper to discourage people from opening the package, legitimately or otherwise, during shipping. The box arrived in perfect condition and I can even reuse it for more round-the-world trips.

[@ordinaryaverageguy76]

If you ever use foam 'peanuts' try to enclose them in plastic grocery bags so they won't migrate around easily from where you put them & they don't leave a huge mess if they shed little bits.

[@brucebolton5115]

I’ve bought many radios, never received one packed that well! Great job.

[@hestheMaster]

Must watch video for all shippers of antique radios, vintage test equipment and stereos and phonographs.Need to also mention that Goodwill employees won't watch this! Love the foam rectangles cut to fit in empty spaces in the box to keep item from sliding in the box.Popcorn packing has its place but not here!

[@buildstoys]

Excellent video Terry, I remember Mark on Blueglow also did a great video on proper packing.

[@VintageTechFan]

Woah, that thing looks pristine from the outside and on the inside. Just as if it came from the store yesterday.

[@jvercellino]

Nicely done, and I'm sure the new owner will also appreciate the care you took. I sell and ship quite a few radios and other electronics and I thought I had the process down pretty well. I learned a few improvements on that after watching this video. Thanks! 73, WB9OVV

[@TheRadioShop]

Great packing job Terry!

[@eduardopower5254]

Hi sir

[@jeremiahlyleseditor437]

Thanks Terry. This was informative.

[@GregsGarage]

great packing job. Thanks for sharing your thoughts along the way... Very helpful.

[@bobblum5973]

A good example of careful packing, Terry, I'm sure the extra time, effort and materials will help that heavy "boat anchor" arrive safely in one piece! Just curious about any special tips you might have for shipping solid state gear. It usually isn't as heavy as the old tube gear, but it should still be packed similar to what you showed. I know my experience with shipping equipment is somewhat limited, but I do tend to be careful with any packing material that could generate static electricity, which the tube gear wouldn't be sensitive to much if at all. I've seen rolls of tape being bad for that; take a roll of masking tape into a dark room and peel off a strip, you'll see a line where the tape pulls off the roll. (I wouldn't use masking tape for sealing shipping cartons, of course!) Quality clear plastic packing tape is what I've typically used. As always, thanks for the entertaining and educational content. Take care!

[@sandraledger2612]

I heard that UPS has a conveyor that drops boxes almost 4 ft. From the electronics I have received I imagine this must be true. Clint & Sandy

[@imageofsin]

awesome video. thanks d-lab!

[@old_bastard2941]

Great video, love your material . Ebay sellers should pay attention. ;)

[@jdmccorful]

Great Demo!

[@LitesLAB]

Great job Terry! If only everyone packed like that .. lol

[@jake2213b]

When I was selling equipment I had a buyer tell me to pull the tubes and I bubble rap them place then inside the radio and I use bubble rap to make it tight. But I had a endless supply of cardboard so I use it for packing the radio keeping it tight. But like you I double box because UPS made me always double box everything I shipped for my company. The last test I always done is to shake the package hard. If it didn't move it was good and if it would move repack the item. Those guys are animals with your package.

[@mbutts1139]

Would be great if the destination took pictures or a video for you to show how it fared after shipping. Especially if the outer box shows it was man handled. I have had a radio that was super well double boxed that ended up with bent shafts. Maybe "this end up" would of helped, it was apparently drop on its side at some point. I used to be a professional mover, if the transportation company doesn't take care of your package, NO amount of packing will save your item. You would not believe the things I saw over the years from some van operators. Moving companies are supposed to be the best of the shippers.

[@renegade44040]

That package can be shipped in a covered wagon and make it cross country in one piece.

[@waynethompson8416]

I suppose that there might be some way to add a level of protection, but it might be overkill if you did. Great job on the packing and explanations. Wonder if it would be possible at a later date to show the rig as it was received? Either a video of it or photos?

[@diogeneslamp8241]

Can I get shocked putting the bubble wrap inside a D&A t-600 when it is unplugged? Are the tube tops hot ?

[@minibikemadman]

Are you taking on any work? I have a ranger 2 i just need to get electricaly correct and working right.

[@chansetwo]

Another tip is not NOT SHIP UPS. I shipped an near-mint RCA AR-88 from the UK to California in a custom made wooden crate, only to have UPS smash holes in the plywood crate by ramming it repeatedly with a fork lift. UPS then refused to compensate me and only payed-up when we threatened a law suit. That was 15 years ago. I haven't shipped UPS since and never will. I still have the AR-88 but it is forever damaged.

[@MichaelLaferriere]

Sounds like it got stuck on a belt. Large items go on a "bulk belt" and if they get stuck, they can pretty quickly shut down the entire facility until cleared. If a nail is stick out out or it the crate had 2X4s on the ends etc it could get bound up and will occasionally happen whether its UPS, FedEx or USPS. :-(

[@PictureDisks]

That was a used box you used. If the box is not a brand new box with the correct crush rating seal on it UPS will deny the claim if there is damage. UPS is the worst. Do a follow up video if it makes it or not in one piece.

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

agreed, UPS is the worst shipping choice.. FEDEX always treats me right..

[@aaa000777]

Unlimited Package Smashers can ruing anything!

[@scole901]

hey terry, what ever happened with the house next door

[@LitesLAB]

Hey Terry, got any 6AQ5s for sale?

[@randymoyer5351]

Just be sure Owner Removes all the Packing Material from inside the radio before Powering it on, Did you leave a note with it to do so before hand. I say though thats best way to ship an old radio though should be well protected too.

[@d-labelectronics]

I sent him the video

[@randymoyer5351]

@@d-labelectronics Thats good Let us know how it all goes .

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

UPS can still destroy it, and deny your claim.. Brown can do nothing for me.. FEDEX FTW!!

[@K1OIK]

The foam is too rigid. Newspaper or bubble wrap would act as a shock absorber.