[Elecraft] Radio Packing for Shipping

[Don Wilhelm]

  Bob,

I would not advocate packing peanuts or full enveloping bubble wrap as 
the mail support for anything heavy - peanuts or bubblewrap work for 
relatively lightweight objects, but not for heavy items.
I had several years experience packing some very delicate and relatively 
fragile items (expensive laminate panels for display exhibits) that had 
to be "fork truck" capable.  The one most important parameter is to 
support the object to be protected at the corners.  As an example, you 
can see the foam placement on many items like LCD displays and such 
where there are formed corner supports, and nothing else - that is the 
packing method I refer to.  If the object is supported at the corners, 
and there is open space between the sides of the enclosure (box) and the 
remainder of the item, it will ship well without damage.

So the ideal for heavy delicate items is to provide good support at each 
corner and not worry about filling the spaces in between.  Actually 
attempts to totally support the item at all points says it will be 
distorted with any distortion of the outer container, while support at 
only the corners will allow the outer container to distort without 
causing damage to the item itself.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/27/2011 8:11 PM, Robert Harmon wrote:
> Jim,
>
> Thanks for the excellent guide on packing.
> I wasn't aware of the settling issue with packing peanuts, thats good to know.
> I will be packing up an Alpha amplifier for shipping soon, your info is duly noted!
>