Shipping heavy test equipment from germany (HP853A + HP 8558B)  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: anotherlin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 07:32:28 am
content: Hi everyone,I don't know if that's the right place to ask this question, but that's related to test equipment.However, moderators please move (or even delete) this topic as necessary.So I've won a bid on ebay.de for a non working HP853A + HP 8558B spectrum analyzer.The HP8558B seems to power up but the screen is blank. So with some luck, the analyzer module is just fine.And the problem is somewhere in the HP853A mainframe, which should make repair easier.However, the guy is charging me 130 euros for shipping from Germany to France, using UPS.Package should be 30kg and UPS is very expensive for individuals.Can one of you in germany double check the quote on UPS' website?Thank you.Best regards.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 08:23:02 am
content: https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_de

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 09:18:36 am
content: I think the price is reasonable a heavy unit. My experience with shipping heavy test equipment like that is that it costs about 65 to 80 euros to ship from one EU country to the other by using economy services. But for that you'd need a business account.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 09:37:38 am
content: Hopefully some the cost is going towards packing materials (i.e. thick sheet foam), you need decent stuff for large/heavy items, not just a random pile of used crap.David

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 10:33:49 am
content: Not sure what it's like in Europe but here there's several pack-and-send services that act as go-betweens between you and commercial freight carriers who don't normally deal directly with the public. I've found these to be much cheaper than using courier services when you're sending heavy and/or bulky items, e.g. ones where you need a tail-lift truck to move it. You can also get better prices if the sender and receiver are prepared to drop off/pick up from freight depots rather than getting door-to-door pickup/delivery.

author: Pinkus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 10:54:38 am
content: Ask him how much he charges for packaging, and then order the transport service yourself. You can order and pay for a pick-up service from UPS or DHL / DPD / Hermes etc. from France (of course, this is only possible if someone is always at the seller's home). In total this would be probably cheaper.

author: shabaz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 11:24:11 am
content: Hi,Unless it's for nostalgic reasons, that instrument is not worth the shipping cost. Possibly even a little TinySA Ultra might meet your needs better.I had a working one of those instruments, never used for years, I simply left it outdoors next to a dumpster rather than tip it on top, and someone took it within the hour. Maybe they sold it, or played with it for curiosity, but I would not want anyone to think it's a good first spectrum analyzer (because it isn't) and buy it from me from Ebay.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 12:36:29 pm
content: Quote from: shabaz on August 25, 2025, 11:24:11 amAt least you don't need a magnifying glass to see what’s on the screen, unlike that toy SA. I'm not a fan of the 8557/8/9 SA modules myself, I do however like the scope modules, but they are not compatible with the 853A.David

author: shabaz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 01:17:52 pm
content: Easy to dismiss a small low-cost hobby SA as a toy as you did, but anyone purchasing that HP may well be a newcomer to these types of instruments, or price-sensitive. They may well get more use from a TinySA Ultra, and far less buyers remorse, until they have decided they have outgrown it (or not, depending on needs). Especially since it's easy to destroy an expensive instrument as a beginner. The sharp 4" LCD display is hardly a world apart from the HP screen, and it can be operated with a PC if that's an issue.

author: anotherlin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2025, 09:02:37 pm
content: Thanks for all your answers.I just wanted to check if the guys was over-charging, and indeed a bit, I've tried the UPS online quote link. And the cheaper options "standard saver" is about 80 euros for 30kg, not 130 euros.Also, I've not shipped heavy stuff for a while and prices did gone up crazy, french post (La Poste Colissimo) is 84 euros for 30kg inside Europe. That used to be around half or maybe "only" 50 euros.Regarding the utility of such an old spectrum analyzer, it is sold as not working, with the analyzer module looking powering up. It's really for the fun of the repair and experimenting with. The service manuals are available with full component level schematics and theory of operation. On the RF side, there may be some unobtainum parts, but other than that, it should be possible to obtain the needed part(s).But I agree that something like TinySA (or any "cheap" SA that does the job) should not be dismissed. With appropriate knowledge, I guess some serious work can be done with it. It's not so much about the quality of an instrument/equipment as the capabilities of the user to make the most of it.

author: hfleming
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2025, 07:01:30 pm
content: All I that I can say, don’t trust UPS in Europe lately. Have used them a lot in the past without any problems, but lately they cannot find my street, even though they have done so in the past… so, because all of a sudden our little road must’ve disappeared from their local maps, arranged drop-offs at the local drop-off point, but even though UPS said they dropped off the stuff at the local drop-off point (a supermarket in the nearby village), only to discover the stuff was NEVER dropped off, even though UPS said it was (same as my address that has suddenly became invisible on their driver’s maps)…