Waterbuoy

[nicho]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

[ QUOTE ]
Nicho
Let me get this straight /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Are you claiming the glory of a 200 thread? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Look, I started it, so surely I should get some glory, even if you are the star!!

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Nicjo
What hurt most is you thought, this your own thread, would not make it to 200 posts and so had to cheat!!!! Thus you a sort of producer who has no confidence in his star and that is downright insulting /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I am more than happy to state that your openinf post with its 2 kg claim was a bit like a matador walking into the bull ring dressed in red! So yes, you are the catalyst/producer and maybe joint director and yet given all that you felt the need to cheat as you lost your nerve thinking it would sit there and stop below 200 or even believing for one second that I would keep my promise and leave the thread!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gunfleet]

I have seen Raise the Titanic you know >>

Lew Grade commented on the film 'it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic.'

 

[BrendanS]

It was more irony about the way that Gludy approaches arguments.

 

[Gludy]

OK Brendan
How would you go about explaining Archi's principles?

I really think its funny how you keep popping up for a snipe on this thread, not actually taking the discussion any further and mostly moaning about not enjoying it - my advice is do not take it too seriously and do not read threads that annoy you. It would make life much simpler.

 

[Chris_d]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif the Titanic weighed 100,000 tons...ish.... thats a lot of waterbouys at £13 each /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[nicho]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Sorry Paul, but my wife was a TV Producer, and she assures me Stars (I'll give you the capital S) must be kept firmly in their place!!

 

[MapisM]

[ QUOTE ]
It was more irony about the way that Gludy approaches arguments.

[/ QUOTE ]Yup, I must admit that I guessed that.
But you know, you must be prepared to some further irony if you criticize someone's approach by mean of a similar approach... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[KevB]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Lets face it keys and such like are dropped in marinas, either on your way to or from the boat.
It's unlikely you are going to drop you keys overboard when out at sea and if you do then more fool you for not keeping them in a safe place whilst at sea.
The biggest bunch of keys I have weigh 250g. The only marina I know that has a depth of more than a few meters is Beaucette.

So in all probability the waterbuoy will do as required.

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

We agree on that Kev
WB will cope with most bunches of keys and its its sold as doing that i have no problem. Other items costing a quarter of WB that deplot a baloon also do that.

The problem is that it claims to protect things up to 1 kilo and that items such as radios, gps units etc that may well be dropped in at sea are protected.

 

[KevB]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Hi Paul,

I just know you have one on order and will video an experiment and post it here. Can't wait to see it.

Kevin.

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

I do not even think they are in production yet - so no, I do not have one on order. I will not order one as folks will think I have doctored it. I will pay for someone else to get one ..... if the Dragons are still with this project and if it ever gets into production. I am not sure it ever will and that would be sad because the video would be a hoot. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
The web site does not even have a telephone number!!! I never order from a web site without all that contact stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Observer]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

I'm surprised no-one's picked up on the quality of the business proposition that Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis bought into. I believe the projected first year profit was £1.7M. Given retail price of £12.99, let's assume wholesale price of £8 per unit. At 50% gross margin and very modest allowance for distribution costs and overhead, that would need sales of ~500,000 units generating ~£4M revenue. Is that likely?

Personally, I thing the Dragons had taken leave of their senses. £1M valuation of a business with zero sales in a low value market! It's not even a consumable item. One off purchase with limited scope for repeat orders.

[edit]
Correction - I think the Dragons agreed £200k for 25% so that's £800k valuation, not £1M.

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

I did pick up on it and calculated the needed to sell 750,000 units a year by year 3.

I really think that once the Dragons look at things like the patent claims without patent numbers and a number of other issues they may not be around long. The show featured the ONLY other trigger for lifejackets and such but this very tigger in the only tests we know of have a 100% record of failure.

In fact I wonder if the Dragons are still around on this - all the web site states is that it was seen on the show.

 

[Nautical]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

May I claim fame for that, I posted the following right at the begining several days ago /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

....."Good enough presentation and fair play to him for getting the dosh, however, it is a fairly specialised item and will only sell to boaty, fishy peeps and listening to his pitch he is planning to sell a quarter of a million of them in year three (was it £2m T/O) allowing for trade discount, vat etc.

Personally I cant see that as viable, once you have bought one and unless it is used you are hardly likely to buy another one so once every boater and every fisherman or anyone who works/plays near water has one where are the sales coming from? new product maybe but still very high expectations in my view. I dont think I would be putting my money in it. Mind you what do I know"........

actually my figures are out but I didn't get the gist of his business plan, seemed a bit far fetched for the valuation he was looking for and I was surprised the dragons went for it. Similarly I have seen what were fairly good ideas and modest earnings forecasts and they poo poo'ed it. One wonders how some of them made their money!

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

The Dragons, when they invest, can do due diligence afterwards, and prove the claims are correct. Many of the agreements you see on TV will go no further after due diligence afterward

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

I think Brendan is right and I would frankly be amazed if the Dragons are still in on this project.
I do not think it would take anytime at all to uncover the truth behind the setup and they would be gone. All the web site states is 'as seen on Dragons Den'

Had the Dragons found that there was another product inflating a baloon for a fraction of the price and that the whole concept was not patented etc they would simply point out that the claims were not true and walk away.

This may well happen to a fair few of the projects they commit to - after all it TV and entertainment.

 

[thefatlady]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

As I said a week ago,
[ QUOTE ]
Having said that, this programme is designed as entertainment and I find it difficult to believe that anyone would commit to invest on the basis of that charade. If there was not a lot of off-stage rehearsal and investigation, then these guys are nuts.


[/ QUOTE ]

 

[rickp]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Yes, the followup programmes have shown that they've walked away from a few deals for various reasons. Maybe they've walked away from water-buoy in favour of a rival device which will lift my VHF as long as it weighs less than 120grammes (with a balloon which looks to contain about 0.12 litres of air - though I guessed the radius of 1cm for that balloon which is probably generous).

Rick

 

[Gludy]

Re: Good idea, BUT!

Rick that link has already been given way back on the threrad and was what i was referring to when I stated that there was a device available for 1/4 of the price. I think it was Sun Coast who gave the link.

They are claiming 129 grams support - I guess at the surface so in effect about 100 grams of lift for steel objects. In other words providing your kets do not add up to more than 120 grams you will be OK.

As all these devices take time to trigger there can be a much reduced load if they trigger at depth.

I really cannot see a use for any such device with VHF etc because most of the VHF/GPS units cannot survive well through a 30 foot ducking.

The VHF set in any event will have a lower density than solid steel keysand so the weight it would retreive would be higher than 120 grams.