[Elecraft] K3 Shipping Box

[Don Wilhelm]

Jim,

I don't know if you can get the box and spacers that Elecraft uses - you 
can give them a call and ask.  They use a box and dense foam supports 
which fit the K3.  After your K3's first trip to Elecraft, you will have 
a box like that when it returns.

I ship a lot of radios (K1, KX1, K2 and XV series transverters), so I 
have come to know what packing methods will work well and protect your K3.

The requirement for safe shipping (by all carriers I know of) is that 
you have 2 inches of protection space on all sides between the radio and 
the box.
The very most important aspect is that the radio cannot move in the box 
if the box is subjected to a sudden stop at the end of a sorting ramp.

The K2 will meet those requirements by using a 16x16x8 box.  Wrap the K3 
in bubblewrap (using only a minimum amount of tape, it does not have to 
be wrapped as a mummy), then put almost 2 inches of packing peanuts in 
the bottom of the box.  put the K2 in and fill the rest of the box with 
packing peanuts.  The bubblewrap is to keep the packing peanuts from 
sticking to the K3.

If you do not have packing peanuts, put layers of bubblewrap to 2 inches 
thick under the K3 and use crumpled newspaper to fill the rest of the 
box.  If you use crumpled newspaper, make sure there is enough tightly 
packed at each of the K3 corners so the K3 cannot move in the box.

With an object as heavy as the K3, do not use the large air bags.  While 
they fill a lot of space, when pressure is applied, they can burst 
leaving little protection.

You can always take your K3 to a shipping depot and they will package it 
for you.  But they will usually wrap the radio "like a mummy" with lots 
of tape holding the bubblewrap - that gives the technician unwrapping it 
fits to get all the wrapping off.
But the shipping depots are responsible for the safe packing of whatever 
you are shipping.  Yes, they charge for that service.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/18/2017 7:12 PM, James Setzler wrote:
> Greetings,
>
>
>
> I bought my K3 as a kit and, for some reason, the finished product doesn't
> fit back into the box it came in!
>
>
>
> Is there a Factory Approved Box available that I can get to insure the K3 is
> packaged properly for shipping?