Selling antennas

[CALNNC]

I just saw an antenna I would have liked to purchase, but...a lot of folks attempt to sell their HF antennas on QTH , and will not ship. You do not have to have a symetrical premade box to ship an antenna. I've sold several antennas and shipped them, here is how I did it. Chances are the antenna that is offered for sale was shipped somehow, so reshipping should not be a problem. Number one rule! Take pictures! Take pictures before you box it up, and after. Pictures will expedite any claims if something goes wrong. This goes for radio gear too. Strip mall shippers for UPS or FedEX, are not responsible for packages they do not pack themselves. This means you will deal directly with UPS or FedEx bureaucrats and pictures go along way to proving you are not trying to scam them. You will have to disassemble antennas, and hopefully you put antiseize compound on all the joints. With trapped antennas, put the traps in staggered arrangement to minimize diameter. You might want to put an extra piece of cardboard around the traps Put all the hardware in a Ziploc freezer bag(heavier plastic). Arrange the tubing and traps in a neat bundle and tape together with strapping tape. Some of the tubing will slip down the boom for added protection and overall diameter reduction. If you have large areas of nothing but skinny tubing, use styrofoam from insulation board or other packing to fill out those areas. Keep the length minimum, check you shipper choice for max length, think UPS is 9ft and USPS is 6ft long. Get cardboard boxes that have length, like shipping wardrobe boxes, or dish boxes, and cut them open so you have a flat section of cardboard. Do some math to figure out the diameter of your antenna bundle, and transfer that measurement to determine how wide to cut a strip of cardboard, allowing extra for overlap. Wrap the cardboard around your ant bundle, leave a bit over the end to make a close flap, and tape it tight. Lay on another section of cardboard, overlap the first piece, and repeat until you have the whole thing boxed. If you have a flimsy bunch of aluminum, taping everything to the boom should protect from bending. Don't scrimp on strapping tape use. If you have a really big ant., you might have to ship in multiple boxes, but remember the idea is you want to get it gone, and make a buck. As long as you have kept within the shipper dimension limits, they will take it and send it. Keep your money order receipts from the sale for your claim if they screw it up. They will not give you manufacturers retail price for a mangled item unless that is what you sold it for. If all this sounds like a lot of work, add it to your sale price, if somebody really wants it, it will sell.

I don't know how many antennas or radio gear are actually sold when you say 'pick up only', but if you are willing to put a little work in it, you can get it out of your house.

Charlie W4MEC in NC

[k4kk]

AMEN!

[N8ERM]

Any of the major shippers will NOT pay unless the item is shipped in the OEM shipping container. Your other option is to use large PVC pipe to ship antennas. Yes it adds cost but the bottom line is the item will arrive in the condition it was sent in. The other packing tips in the previous post are great. I use cheap masking tape and sheets of thin Styrofoam to wrap the traps, stuff the extra spaces with Styrofoam peanuts so the antenna will not rattle around and you are good to go. Rigs, that do not have the OEM shipping material, I use blocks of Styrofoam available for free at furniture dealers. Usually they are glad for you to take it. For cutting I use an old electric carving knife. Wrap the rigs with Glad wrap and always separate the accessories from the rig. In the second box, I always use two; I use 1-inch sheet Styrofoam available from lowes, Manards or other building suppliers.
Good trading, selling and buying,
Terry N8ERM

[judoverb]

I cover the traps with inexpensive masking tape and sheets of thin Styrofoam; then, to prevent the antenna from rattling around, I fill the empty spaces with Styrofoam peanuts. For rigs without OEM shipping materials, I utilize free Styrofoam blocks from furniture retailers.
five nights at freddy's

[W0AAT]

Go to carpet stores and ask for the tube the carpet came on, typically heavy cardboard.

Another option is cardboard concrete form tubes, they come in all kinds of sizes and lengths.

With either make sure to cut a wooden disc to fit tight in the end so nothing can puncture out like it WILL with just cardboard or tape. If you must use cardboard use 4-5 layers glued together into a solid piece. Can staple the wood puck in from the sides, or use screws into predrilled holes. Folding the end over works too but adds length...

And ask around to other local hams! I ALWAYS save antenna shipping tubes in case someone needs one!

And in the upper midwest SpeeDee Delivery is great and will take 12' items! Forget their coverage but MN, WI, IA, SD and maybe other states... I use them for shipping masts and H frame tubes from Coremark Metals...