Interesting. Does it fill and drain faster that way?Originally Posted by bobwysiwyg
I do the filling/draining from the top. It takes about 30 seconds or so to fill or drain from the top so I reduced my development time by 30 seconds. I haven't seen any problems.
The only leakage I've had was the time I neglected to close the air vent before agitating. Oops.
Cheers,
Mark
This is a bit confusing.
The holding clip for the film carrier has a ratchet and holds perfectly tight and will not slip or loosen, unless you have broken the springs on the clip by not slightly depressing them when taking the clip off the film carrier.
For filling the Light-Tight Hose Connector has an air vent built into it. To fill or empty and the correct speed you must loosen the Hose connector a half turn. This opens the air path. Just be sure to retighten it when finished filling the tank.
The Combi-Plan can process sheet film or glass plates. If doing glass plates you must assemble the film carrier with the straight grooves facing each other on the sides of the Film Carrier. If doing sheet film the curved sides must face each other.
The Combi-Plan is designed to be filled from the top and the body has a lip around the top that directs the chemistry down the side of the tank. THE COMBI-PLAN SHOULD NOT BE FILLED FROM THE BOTTOM DRAIN. THE BOTTOM CONNECTOR IS TO FORCE WASH THE FILM WITH A HOSE!
These directions are part of the instructions that are included with the Combi-Plan system. If you do not have the instructions I can email them to you. To get them send an email to bob@hpmarketingcorp.com.
I WILL NOT SEND THEM THROUGH THE FORUM!
Does opening the air vent allow for reasonable filling times then (i.e. under 20 seconds)? This has been the biggest issue for me vis-a-vis considering buying this tank...
I use a HP Combi Plan tank and like it very, very much. It allows control over a wide range of agitation times unlike rotary drums. I was concerned about negative comments prior to purchase but as it transpires these were not correct and probably based on inexperience.
The 30 second fill time is not a problem since it also takes 30 seconds to empty. It really excels for very dilute developers such as Rodinal 1+100 I use for Efke 25 and also shorter times with 1+1 and 1+3 ID11/D76 for 100ASA sheets. It uses a litre of chemical which matches my Patterson System Four tank used for 120 roll film so this simplifies things for me.
Best, Chris Jones.
If you can find one (ebay UK often has the most), a Paterson Orbital is a good bet. It is basically a daylight tray, in which you can process up to four 4x5", two 5x7" or one 8x10" at a time. Dead easy to load, easy to fill and empty. It uses minimal solution - 80-150mm, depending on the developer as much as anything.
I'm with Paul.
You won't find better than a Patterson Orbital tank.They were originally designed for paper but with a few modifications they are brilliant for sheet film. Others won't agree with me but I use 300ml of solution. Combi Plans make good washers for 4x5 film, I never got on with mine for anything else.
Best wishes,
Pete.
Actually, I wasn't referring to the retaining clip used to hold the film in the slots while processing, but rather the orange guides you slip over the slots to aid in loading. Ordinarily, they just rest there and fall off easily. I just use a rubber band to hold them in place temp. while loading.
As for the filling and emptying from the bottom outlet, not sure what the issue is, but I have no problems with this method and it seems to fill much faster, particularly if you don't let the bowl of the funnel fill which means controlling the fill rate a bit.
I have two Combi-Plan tanks. Occassionally I do get a bit of leakage but as it does not seem to be any particular one I believe it is from not having the top on as tight as it should be and rectify it outside the darkroom. There is less leakage than from my older Patterson roll film tanks. Loading Technical pan has been a pain but that is due to the thinest of the film and have no problem with TMAXs or other regular films. They are inexpensive on eBay and affordable new. I started using them before I set up my current darkroom and the darkroom does not have running water so develop films in another room so need daylight tanks. Combi-Plan tanks are far from perfect but not any wheres as bad as some make them to be. They do the job.
The film guide locks onto the film holder when properly installed and will support the weight of the loaded film holder by itself. There should be no need for rubber bands.
Well, I saw how that is 'supposed' to work, but the reality is, at least with mine, it doesn't. No problems, my work around works.
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