International shipping of products containing tubes

[Ian Bell[_2_]]

I recently sent a prototype tube mic pre from here in the UK to a client
in the USA via DHL. The mic pre is built in a sealed die cast box and
has a separate similarly constructed linear power supply. I surrounded
each with about 2 inches of foam, then some polystyrene so they fitted
snugly into a cardboard box.

Despite that, on arrival a tube had been shook out of its socket - OK
maybe tubes should go separately - but worse, a sub-chassis that fitted
into slots inside the die cast box had worked loose and pulled off some
connections to its tube sockets.

Now given how I packed it, there was no way I expected a sub-chassis to
work loose.; DHL must have really thrown it about to achieve that.

So my question is, what are others people's experiences of shipping tube
based gear and what lessons are there to be learned.


Cheers

Ian

[Raymond Koonce]

Ian Bell wrote:
> I recently sent a prototype tube mic pre from here in the UK to a client
> in the USA via DHL. The mic pre is built in a sealed die cast box and
> has a separate similarly constructed linear power supply. I surrounded
> each with about 2 inches of foam, then some polystyrene so they fitted
> snugly into a cardboard box.
>
> Despite that, on arrival a tube had been shook out of its socket - OK
> maybe tubes should go separately - but worse, a sub-chassis that fitted
> into slots inside the die cast box had worked loose and pulled off some
> connections to its tube sockets.
>
> Now given how I packed it, there was no way I expected a sub-chassis to
> work loose.; DHL must have really thrown it about to achieve that.
>
> So my question is, what are others people's experiences of shipping tube
> based gear and what lessons are there to be learned.
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Ian

Hi Ian,

I have shipped three heavy (60+ pound) amps to Europe successfully with
BAX Global. Never used DHL. FedEx Ground wrecked a pair of Klipsch
Heresys for me recently, but they were repairable. They were packed in
2" foam and double cardboard but they had been dropped hard enough to
hammer loose the glued/stapled joint holding the baffle to the box.

I packed the amps with 2" rigid foam on all sides of the inner box, with
the amp inside a plastic bag for moisture resistance and placed that
inside a second box with 2" foam all around and 1/8" Masonite hardboard
between the cardboard and foam in the outer box. I always ship the
tubes separately, similarly packed. I assume the worst.

Regards,

Raymond

[Ian Bell[_2_]]

Raymond Koonce wrote:
> Ian Bell wrote:
>> I recently sent a prototype tube mic pre from here in the UK to a
>> client in the USA via DHL. The mic pre is built in a sealed die cast
>> box and has a separate similarly constructed linear power supply. I
>> surrounded each with about 2 inches of foam, then some polystyrene so
>> they fitted snugly into a cardboard box.
>>
>> Despite that, on arrival a tube had been shook out of its socket - OK
>> maybe tubes should go separately - but worse, a sub-chassis that
>> fitted into slots inside the die cast box had worked loose and pulled
>> off some connections to its tube sockets.
>>
>> Now given how I packed it, there was no way I expected a sub-chassis
>> to work loose.; DHL must have really thrown it about to achieve that.
>>
>> So my question is, what are others people's experiences of shipping
>> tube based gear and what lessons are there to be learned.
>>
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Ian
>
> Hi Ian,
>
> I have shipped three heavy (60+ pound) amps to Europe successfully with
> BAX Global. Never used DHL. FedEx Ground wrecked a pair of Klipsch
> Heresys for me recently, but they were repairable. They were packed in
> 2" foam and double cardboard but they had been dropped hard enough to
> hammer loose the glued/stapled joint holding the baffle to the box.
>
> I packed the amps with 2" rigid foam on all sides of the inner box, with
> the amp inside a plastic bag for moisture resistance and placed that
> inside a second box with 2" foam all around and 1/8" Masonite hardboard
> between the cardboard and foam in the outer box. I always ship the
> tubes separately, similarly packed. I assume the worst.
>
> Regards,
>
> Raymond


Thanks Raymond. Useful stuff.

Cheers

Ian