Dave's new lab

[ECEdesign]

Saw on twitter that dave is moving to a new lab on Tuesday.  Do we get a sneak peek of what it looks like?  Looks like a big building!

https://twitter.com/eevblog/status/713696207193780229?lang=en

[Kilrah]

...

[tech5940]

Have a look at the picture a little closer... If its true he got one heck of a deal on rent.


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[ECEdesign]

LOL I didn't look at the price... Its not even April 1 yet 

[tech5940]

I think Dave was just warming up for April 1st


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[rrinker]

 By the way, those donuts in the parking lot were created with his Sinclair C5. 

[tautech]

Additional revenue may be available from after-hours burnout comps it seems. 

[SeanB]

I am available if he needs a janitor and sweeper to live in, I do not need much room, just a small office and a shower.

Did suggest he petition the council though to change the road name, 3 Minnow place is not a proper address, 3 EE Avenue is so much better, or you can call it Engineering Row.

[Brumby]

Hmmm.  Road, street, avenue, crescent .....

I KNOW!!!! 

Rename the thoroughfare Open Circuit!   

[MarvinTheMartian]

Rename the thoroughfare Open Circuit!   

I like it Brumby! 

[EEVblog]

Rename the thoroughfare Open Circuit!   

+1 

[MarvinTheMartian]

Alternatively, it could be Short Circuit?

[SeanB]

Alternatively, it could be Short Circuit?

Not really, only if the address was No 5.

[MarvinTheMartian]

Not really, only if the address was No 5.

He should have rented next door then. Would have been perfect!

[Xenon Photon]

This bulding sux it has no dumpster room. dislike.

[Brumby]

Alternatively, it could be Short Circuit?

Too obvious.


Then there's this:

Not really, only if the address was No 5.

[station240]

Dave is this what you did all that money that was supposed to buy the DSE branding ?
Should have an unlimited supply of cheap junk to teardown, what with the bunnings down the road.

Link to actual real estate listing
http://www.pineproperty.com.au/property/3-minna-close-belrose/
note: All their commercial properties have $0 , the usual if you have to ask you cannot afford it.

[Brumby]

It's going to be a biatch of a drive for Dave.

[SeanB]

Not really, just live on site, claim it as enhanced security solution.

[Brumby]

I'd be concerned about the opinion of SWMBO.

[MarvinTheMartian]

It's going to be a biatch of a drive for Dave.

I don't know what suburb Dave lives in - I'd assumed that it would be the same or less distance than the current lab.

Other factors must have come into play  considering Sydney has just been listed as having the (third??? - I can't recall) worst traffic conditions in the world!   

He couldn't have rented the whole building, could he?

I assume it's been split up into units by a developer or Dave has entered into a new business venture with his partners (?) following the unsuccessful bid for tricky Dick's.

I'd be concerned about the opinion of SWMBO.

That would be my biggest fear also! 

[Brumby]

It's going to be a biatch of a drive for Dave.

I don't know what suburb Dave lives in - I'd assumed that it would be the same or less distance than the current lab.

I don't know where Dave lives, but I get the impression it's not too far from his current lab - maybe a 15 minute drive or something like that.  The new place would take 3 times that in peak traffic, if not more.

Other factors must have come into play  considering Sydney has just been listed as having the (third??? - I can't recall) worst traffic conditions in the world!   

Feels about right.

[MarvinTheMartian]

The new place would take 3 times that in peak traffic, if not more.

No doubt.

Though I think Dave probably doesn't keep "office hours" so it wouldn't be as bad. 

[station240]

Knowing Dave, he spent 30 seconds inspecting the inside of the building, and 30 minutes inspecting Agilent's dumpster out the back.

[Brumby]

It's Altium, not Agilent.

I don't expect much interesting stuff in their dumpster.

[MarvinTheMartian]

I don't expect much interesting stuff in their dumpster.

If he's leased the whole building, how is he going to get his dumpster fix?

Raid the dumpsters next door?

[Brumby]

(Shhhhhh....)

[PTR_1275]

http://commercialpropertysearch.savills.com.au/searchdetailplainnew2.aspx?id=154698&jt=For%20Lease&com=False&ret=False&ind=False&lan=False&addr=3%20Minna%20Close%20Belrose%20NSW%202085

This ad is showing $230/square meter plus gst per annum, then $44.90/square meter for outgoings (I'm assuming water rates and council rates etc..) the building is 4000 square meters, this takes it to over a mil per year for the whole building.

It is quite a nice building though.

Now, if Dave did take over the whole building, he can only dumpster dive the stuff he throws out. Imagine how many work benches would be needed to deck it out properly.

My thoughts are it is an early April fools joke. This would be a lot more travel time for Dave and the costs are astronomical. If however it isn't a joke, I would love to see the buildup of the new lab

[MarvinTheMartian]

...this takes it to over a mil per year for the whole building.

Wow, that's some serious money!

Now, if Dave did take over the whole building, he can only dumpster dive the stuff he throws out.

Maybe we can turn the tables and we dumpster-dive his dumpster (after all you know what sort of used gear you find in his dumpster!) 

[EEVblog]

It's going to be a biatch of a drive for Dave.

I did that drive for 4 years.

[EEVblog]

It's Altium, not Agilent.
I don't expect much interesting stuff in their dumpster.

Just several thousand unsold Nanoboards 

[SeanB]

Dave's drive to his current work is a 15 minute walk in a park, and similar on the way back. If he is in a hurry it is 5 minutes. Think that might be a deal killer unless he gets the 99 year lease at the initial rate for the building. Then he simply will move lock stock and bunker to there. Living in as extra security, or to have that night shift as dumpster quality controller in the area.

[nctnico]

It's going to be a biatch of a drive for Dave.

I did that drive for 4 years.

I guess you used to work in that building? No fear of bad spirits lingering around because Altium (IIRC) laid you off?

[ez24]

FYI  The move is this Friday

[MarvinTheMartian]

FYI  The move is this Friday

Just as well I didn't rock over today (Tues) as noted on Twitter!     

[nidlaX]

Knowing Dave, he spent 30 seconds inspecting the inside of the building, and 30 minutes inspecting Agilent's dumpster out the back.

ITS KEYSIGHT PEOPLE! KEYSIGHT!
-Corporate Shill

[Fsck]

Knowing Dave, he spent 30 seconds inspecting the inside of the building, and 30 minutes inspecting Agilent's dumpster out the back.

ITS KEYSIGHT PEOPLE! KEYSIGHT!
-Corporate Shill

just call them HPAK. it'll be an ever evolving name.

[EEVblog]

I guess you used to work in that building? No fear of bad spirits lingering around because Altium (IIRC) laid you off?

I worked in that building for just over 3 years (9 months in the old building at Frenchs Forest).
I was happy as Larry when they laid me off. Only thing that pissed me off (with hindsight) was that I wasn't smart enough to use my retrenchment money and buy Altium shares at 10-15 cents. I'd be sitting on close to $1M now 

[Brumby]

Interesting share price history....

... and not the kind that would suggest a positive future, if you were looking at the position of 4 years ago or earlier.

[EEVblog]

I worked in that building for just over 3 years (9 months in the old building at Frenchs Forest).
I was happy as Larry when they laid me off. Only thing that pissed me off (with hindsight) was that I wasn't smart enough to use my retrenchment money and buy Altium shares at 10-15 cents. I'd be sitting on close to $1M now 

But knowing what you knew then would it have been a sensible idea? They weren't laying people off because business was thriving. You were smart to not buy shares in fact.
Apart from a change of management what did they ever do that was smart? Not much from judging from past comments you've made.
You have probably followed the share price more closely than me (ie not at all) so what did they do that would explain the change in fortunes?

Correct, it did not look promising at the time with Nick Martin still at the helm. He drove the company into the ground financially with his stupid ideas.
BUT the company had zero debt (always has) and had enough cash in the bank almost equal to the worth of all the shares, i.e. the shares could not go any lower really, being at cash value, so it was either up, or bust.
Given $50m turnover or whatever it was, and it's always loyal user base, the odds of then actually going bust was quite low.
But it did look like they would stay at that price forever, as they had for many years, because Martin did not care about profitability of the company.
I also knew the move to china and losing half the staff would cut back on costs, making the numbers more attractive, but that alone wouldn't have raised the price by a huge amount.
But you are right, the change of management was the golden ticket I didn't see coming. Martin had ruled the company with a iron first for it's entire life, but he didn't count on his buddy Aram from Morfik who he saved from oblivion actually turning on him in a coup with the board. Ironically the 15% of Altium Martin gave to Aram when he bought Morfik gave him the votes needed to side with the board and boot Martin out. (Aram already had a lot of shares being a former early Protel guy)
It was one of the best corporate plays of all time by Aram and the dumbest move ever by Martin 

The rest is history. The board started to run Altium like a real profit focussed company, and once they started paying a dividend again, bam, there it went, 10 cents to $5 in 3-4 years.

[StuUK]

Yep, all hindsight... don't beat yourself up too much!

[EEVblog]

Yep, all hindsight... don't beat yourself up too much!

Only to the tune of a million dollar!

[zapta]

Only to the tune of a million dollar!

A million dollar is not what it used to be.