Remember there's the reader power supply in the stand (and maybe other electronics). NO! I assume by 'mechanism' you mean the whole machine, keyboard, reader, 'typing unit', etc. Now, the 'typing unit' -- the main mechanical chassis is _not_ fixed down. It rests on rubber mounts, only, If it comes loose in shipping, and it will, it will do a lot of damage. Eithter fit the shipping screw (if you have it) into the hole on the bottom to anchor the typing unit to the base pan. Or remove the cover, unhoom the H-plate that links the typing unit to the keyboard (rear right of the keyboard), unplug the cables at the back of the call control unit, and remove the typing unit completely. Pack that separately. -tony

Where are you located? Maybe someone close to you will want it and they can drive to pick it up. I think it is.

--- Don <THX1138 at dakotacom.net> wrote: Definitely. It is rather awkward to use the paper tape reader without the base. I had an ASR33 shipped to me as follows: The machine was removed from its base and bolted down to a piece of half-inch particleboard (plywoood would be even better) with bolts and washers, with the bolts going through holes in the baseplate and into the typing unit casting. This was the way that the machines were originally shipped from the factory. The wooden baseplate was padded below with urethane foam. The machine was surrounded by a heavy cardboard "collar" that filled the space between the baseplate and the top of the crate so that if it were turned upside down, the machine would hang from the bolts rather than rest on the easily-cracked plastic cover. The machine was wrapped in plastic, and bags filled with styrofoam popcorn filled the dead space inside the box. He used a wooden crate, which was ideal, but a well-reinforced doublewall carton would probably work as well. The base was shipped separately in a cardboard carton. Shipped in this fashion, I had no problems with the machine when it arrived. --Bill