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Overweight 9090DB

Jonathan75

Jonathan75

Active Member
I am going on a business trip and will be bringing back a 9090DB with me. I know everyone thinks I am crazy but I want to carry it on board and put under the seat in front of me. I will be flying on a CRJ Canadair Regional Jet. USAirways tells me the underseat dimensions are 17L X 32W X 11H. So it will fit a 15 11/16 X 21 5/16 X 7 3/16 Sansui 9090DB. Their limit is 45 inches total. But the weight limit is 40 pounds. That is where my problem lies. So I need a weight loss plan for it.

Does anyone know how much the transformer weighs? Will it bring it down from 52lbs to the 40lbs required if I remove the transformer in the hotel room and put it in my suitcase?

I know I can ship it back but I want to avoid the cost and trouble of tracking down the right packing materials in a strange town. I feel it will be safer if I protect the front face and knobs and gently hand carry it. I will use a carry strap with a foam handle on it to make it easier. It is called a StrapAHandle.

http://www.strapahandle.com/

Any input on a good weight loss plan is appreciated.
 
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All I can say is that girl in the StrapAHandle demonstration video is cute.

Good luck!

You could remove the knobs too, they are solid and heavy. The heat sink should come off easy.

EDIT: On second thought removing the knobs will leave the shafts vulnerable to damage.
 
Does the heat sink have heat sink compound on it? If so I will need to pick up some more to reapply when I get home.
 
Seems risky to me hand carrying a 9090DB back. Put a ding on it and the money you saved won't be worth it. OTOH, shipping is also dangerous!
 
I sure wouldn't hand carry it onto a plane.. one in a rush passanger, and it could be trash city...

Not to mention all the work removing trannys would be.

If anything, I would box it very well, and check it onto the plane. Yes, it may get knocked around some, but not near as much as it would shipping it to yourself.. Only handled twice, where as no telling how far a driver will kick it down the road.

If you pack it right, it will be a non issue, and probably only cost you about $25 or so to check on.

Also, not sure if you have ever tried carrying anything 40 or 50 lbs for any kind of distance, but all I can say is if you haven't, I hope it's only about 100 yards between the cab door and the door of the plane... Even using that strap, you're going to suddenly think you're carrying something about 150 lbs

One last thought... WHat happens if you hit some bad turbulance, and suddenly it slides sideways under the seat? You're gonna have some banged up heat sinks. I used to fly quite a bit, and I've been in turbulance that this would have easily happened.. .
 
One last thought.. even though you may try, they may not let you carry on something like that. Especially since most airlines limit the carry on size to 45 linear inches, and you are right at that limit without including how far the knobs stick out. Also, carry on items are usually limited to bags, or hardshell cases, and not devices.

I really do think you need to rethink this idea.. Too easy to see more bad reasons not to, than to see the good that will come out of it...

I'd be calling the airline and talking to them if you still decide this is a good idea before you just try it.
 
OK.. I still have more thoughts about this, because I don't think you are really thinking it through all the way...

Say the airline will let you do this. Say you take the time to pull the tranny to lighten it. I would also pull the antenna from the rear so it doesn't get bashed... BUT...

You're in line waiting to go through security... The receiver gos through, but for what ever crazy reason the person in front of you gets held up at the metal detector, or you get held up because they want to know what this crazy chunk of metal and windings are in your suitcase...

In the mean time, your receiver is sitting at the end of the belt, and everyone elses bags are being smashed into the side of it, or they are dragging their bags over the top of your receiver trying to get them off the table...

I hope you really don't try this...
 
similost said:
OK.. I still have more thoughts about this, because I don't think you are really thinking it through all the way...

Say the airline will let you do this. Say you take the time to pull the tranny to lighten it. I would also pull the antenna from the rear so it doesn't get bashed... BUT...

You're in line waiting to go through security... The receiver gos through, but for what ever crazy reason the person in front of you gets held up at the metal detector, or you get held up because they want to know what this crazy chunk of metal and windings are in your suitcase...

In the mean time, your receiver is sitting at the end of the belt, and everyone elses bags are being smashed into the side of it, or they are dragging their bags over the top of your receiver trying to get them off the table...

I hope you really don't try this...
Click to expand...
Good point simi, I didn't think of that at all. I would freak out seeing that happen to any sui much less a 9090DB!
 
I removed a transformer from a 9090DB once to ship it to myself (shipped the transformer separate) The transformer is about 1/2 the total weight of the receiver.
 
Thanks for everyone's input. If I do decide to ship it I would not use the airlines as checked luggage. With the airline based on the size and weight it would cost me $150. And FedEx would be around $30. But regardless of what I decide I will want to remove the transformer to save weight. So being that I have not had the pleasure to view the 9090DB in person, what tools will I need with me to remove the transformer and any advice regarding it? How sensitive is the transformer and what precautions should I take when putting it in my luggage?

But I did check with the airlines and stereo receivers and amps are allowed to be carried on. I guess since I fly almost every week for my job I am not as fearful for carrying things on board. Not only that but it will also have a personal body guard, automated accident avoidance system, auto gyro and dedicated auto balancing system that can decelerate and lower the receiver to a feathers touch at a moments notice, and all this will be controlled by a human brain the fastest super computer in the world that can process 10 quadrillion instructions per second.
 
Carry it on, set it in the seat next to you, plug in headphones, and claim it's a vintage Ipod.
 
Jonathan75 said:
.....and all this will be controlled by the fastest super computer in the world that can process 10 quadrillion instructions per second.
Click to expand...

psh, my super computer can do, like, 20 qradrillion instructions per second.


And, I would just ship the thing with the transformer in it. If not, there's 4 screws, and a handful of wires, most of which pull right off the boards. I wish I had one here to look at for ya.
 
I just got off of a plane maybe two hours ago and I HOPE that if you decide to do this, that your plane is bigger than mine was (DC-9/S-80). No way was a 9090db going to fit anywhere under any of the seats on that plane. My computer bag barely fit.
 
removing the transformer is not a big deal. It requires a #3 Phillips screwdriver or 10mm socket to remove the four screws that hold the tranny to the case. a small phillips to remove the voltage selector switch, and a pair of dikes to cut the two white wires connected to the voltage selector. the wires on the output side connect via plug in and the board is labeled with the wire color so no worries there. When I snip the two white wires I leave a short piece of the wire with the insulation !/8" or so so that I know where the wires go back. I doesn't matter which white wire goes to which connector but you will probably find that they will only go one way due to the length.

I do this anytime I ship one to myself and it prevents the shipping guys from cartwheeling the unit up to the front door. The tranny packs in a small box and doesn't cost much to ship.
 
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