Moving Your Audio Gear
Eventually, most of us face the hassle of pulling up stakes
and changing our place of abode. If you're looking to move into a new home, you'll have to
examine carefully the problems of moving your audio equipment and precious recordings.
If you have a professional moving company deal with your
home entertainment moving needs, one major advantage is that, if they pack it and it
arrives at your new home damaged, they may be liable for some or all of the broken goods'
value. This may cost you extra, however, and the damage may be to something irreplaceable,
particularly when it comes to recordings. So be prepared to do the packing and moving
yourself if there are any doubts in your mind.
If you have a fairly modest amount of gear and are only
moving across town, it may be advisable simply to put the equipment on the seats of your
car and drive them yourself. For long distance moves, however, or if your things will have
to spend time in storage, some form of secure wrapping will be necessary. Most
manufacturers recommend you hang on to the original packing the equipment came in, but
often their bulk makes them impractical to store, so other cartons have to be used. Likely
sources are supermarkets, liquor stores, or friends who have recently bought stereo gear.
Try to find boxes that are big enough to hold the components plus an inch or so of packing
in each direction.
In order to pack up your components, you will have to
dismantle the system, of course, but before you do, give some thought to its eventual
reassembly at the other end. Assuming that you intend to set it up there pretty much as it
is now, you can save yourself a lot of time and grief by carefully labeling all the patch
cables before you disconnect them. A strip of masking tape folded around the wire and back
on itself can be written on with ballpoint pen. Mark each end of each cable, noting the
component it is attached to and the exact legend on the particular jack. There is usually
enough room to pack the cables in the same boxes as the components they go with; you may
even be able to leave some of them connected (but even if you can, don't neglect the
labels -- you may have to unplug things temporarily when you get to the new location).
Before you start putting things in boxes, some components
may need a bit of preparation. Some compact disc and DVD players provide transit screws to
prevent things from moving about inside the case during a move. These should be tightened
securely according to the instructions in the owner's manual (if they are removable, you
should have kept them with the manual when you bought the player; if you didn't, this is
one component you might consider moving by hand).
When replacing a component in its original packing, it's
usually only necessary to figure out how it fits into the foam spacers, carefully put the
pieces together and slide them into the box. With heavy gear, such as speakers and power
amplifiers, it's often easiest to put it together upside-down and slip the box on from
above.
For non-matching boxes, start with a layer of padding in
the bottom. Crumpled newspaper is okay for this, or you might consider using linens or
laundry -- you're going to have to move them anyway. Place the component in the center of
the box and add padding around the sides, tucking in cables and accessories where
appropriate. When packing speakers, if you can place two in the same carton, make sure
their front panels are facing each other; a sheet of corrugated cardboard between them
will add some protection. Finally, cover the top of the equipment with enough padding to
so that the top of the box is level when closed but not bulging. Then, securely tape the
box shut with Mylar or strapping tape. Duct tape is fine as well, but don't use masking
tape, which can rip or become unstuck. Label what's in the box, and mark it
"Fragile" in large letters on every surface.
Once the equipment is dealt with, your recordings should be
carefully packed. Vinyl LPs are the trickiest to deal with, as they are the most
vulnerable to physical damage. The ideal carton would be 12" x 12", so that a
quantity would fit snugly without shifting; simply put enough discs in the box to fit
tightly without being crammed in. Such boxes do exist -- some egg companies ship their
products in them -- but if you have to compromise, wine cases or similar boxes work well,
although you usually have to add some wadded newspaper at one side to make the discs
secure. Whatever you do, pack the records on edge and mark the top of the boxes,
especially if they are going into storage. And don't get too ambitious about the size of a
box of LPs -- a cubic foot of vinyl weighs almost as much as a concrete block, and someone
is going to have to carry it.
Tapes and CDs are more forgiving. Pack them tightly (in
their cases) with as few spaces in the cartons as you can arrange, and fill up the gaps
with padding or newspaper. For long storage, CDs should be on edge like LPs, and care
should be taken that tapes, video or audio, not be placed anywhere near magnetic fields.
In the end, the biggest factor in making sure your precious
audio and video equipment gets where it's going without damage will be careful transport.
But you can hedge your bets considerably by a bit of planning and a touch of care before
the movers arrive.
...Ian G. Masters
ian@mastersonaudio.com
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