[TowerTalk] Isoloop Packing

[Jim White, K4OJ]

The big problem with truckline freighting is minimums

20 pounds may as well be 200 lbs - or even on some stuff 2000 lbs...

When shipping an antenna truckline be sure to do your homework as to 
what freight category you want to call it...  if you consider the 
antenna a finished product the freight cost is prohibitive... if you 
call it class 70, and describe the contents as aluminum tubing it is 
much less money.

ALSO, if your employer does a lot of freight work, try and bill through 
the job - an individual pays full price, the trucklines all discount 
their rates for their customer base.  To pay half what an individual 
would pay is not unheard of.

Oh yes, when you receive freight ALWAYS SIGN THE FREIGHT BILL

Subject to inspection

If there is something inside the carton that was covered you now have a 
leg to stand on should it be necessary to file a freight claim.

If there is damage apparent at time of delivery (looks like someone 
backed a forklift over the carton, etc.) DO NOT SIGN THE FREIGHT BILL 
UNTIL THE DELIVERY DRIVER GETS AN EXCEPTION NUMBER FROM HIS DISPATCHER 
AND WRITES IT ON THE FREIGHT BILL.  Also, try and take a photo of the 
carton prior to it being opened up to document the severity of the 
abuse. I like to take a picture form a distance with either the driver 
or the logo on the side of the delivery truck in the background.

Sometimes it is cheaper to physically alter the item being shipped in 
order to get it to break down into small pieces and you supply the 
splicing/repair piece to the buyer as part of the deal... perhaps an 
internal splice of tubing inserted to recreate a longer piece with a 
welded attachment would be worth it. Typically an internal splice if 
done correctly has absolutely no effect on a radiator other than making 
it heavier... if it is for example a vertical - so what!

K4OJ






Pete Smith wrote:

> At 06:34 AM 1/23/04 -0800, Jim Lux wrote:
> 
>> I just ran a quick calculation on the UPS web site to ship a 20 pound 
>> box,
>> 45x45x8 inches from Los Angeles to NY.  $115 by UPS ground, and they did
>> calculate by dimensional weight (80 pounds!) plus the oversize surcharge.
>>
>> Dimensional weight (pounds) = L * W * H / 194
> 
> 
> 
> And the trouble, if I recall correctly, is that the Isoloop radiator is 
> welded to the tuning capacitor to reduce losses, so taking it apart 
> would not be possible.
> 
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> Check out the World HF Contest Station Database
> Updated 9 Jan 04
> www.pvrc.org/wcsd/wcsdsearch.htm
> 
> 
> 
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