[ICOM] Shipping rigs

[Gary P. Fiber]

Shipping rigs if you take your time and pack the rig correctly or have 
it packed correctly no damage should come  from shipping.
The shipper could toss the rig across the room and it will not get 
damaged. The problem arises when we try to skimp on packing because we 
don't have on hand the required materials.
Sometime when around a FedEX shipping place ask to see one of their 
laptop shipping boxes. I shipped two laptops to my kids using those 
boxes and absolutely no problem with them when they arrived.
I suspect one could use the laptop box for mobiles. Its not free but 
costs $10.00 and that is not refunded when you ship.
While at Icom the shipping department tried several ways of shipping an 
IC-781 around. The found using the shipping peanuts the rig would 
migrate to the bottom of the box no matter how tightly packed.
They also found of using bubble plastic and placed the rough side, 
actual bubbles on the outside and smooth side against the rig this 
slowed down the migration.
The best way was to have the rig foamed in place, though fewer placed 
seem to offer that type of packaging.
Rigs like the current IC-7800 come in their own box on a ship, in a 
container from Japan. Rigs like the IC-7000 come maybe 4 to a case but 
that same way.
They seem to arrive with no damage. Icom America mostly ships to dealer 
using ground transportation, always was UPS they may have changed these 
days.
One time when UPS was on strike we used priority mail, found the parcel 
was received undamaged and arrived faster than UPS. Now with the flat 
rate up to 70 lbs its a good way to ship.
Just remember the KEY is in how you pack it.Follow UPS or FedEX packing 
instructions both are on the web or the USPS packing instructions, then 
go play basket ball with your packages rig ti mostly likely will survive.

I once had a fellow stuff a R-7000 receiver into a FedEx box with merely 
a handful of peanuts then called to see if it had arrived and if any 
damage occurred. It was damaged and he got it repaired on Fed Ex's dime.
I suspected it was not working before it was shipped and he wanted FedEX 
to foot the bill but just let it go.

Gary Fiber K8IX