wirst watch for darkroom

[Martin_1505]

Hi all,

I am looking for some wirst watch with timer which beeps in intervals as i set ( for agitation). Could you some recommend ?

martin

[Graeme]

Martin, Some consumer electronic stores sell "talking timers", which count from a set time (hours: minutes: seconds) down to zero at minute intervals and then up to ten minutes after the desired time has been reached. I bought one at a store called Tandy Electronics here in Australia (about $10). It is a Radio Shack brand, and have found it to be invaluable. I also use a musician's metronome to count the seconds between the minute intervals (this also gets used when I'm printing, as a timer when dodging and burning).

[Larry Huppert]

The Robic SC-707 is a very versatile stop watch which includes the ability for a beep at various intervals (can set 5 different sequential intervals which can repeat if desired). I sometimes use it for complex timing of multiple tungsten lights. Their website is: http://www.ompusa.com/robic/advanced.htm

[Pete Andrews]

Apropos of nothing much.My first 'process timer', for dish developing colour prints in total darkness, was a tape recording of my own voice telling me to "immerse the print.....now", etc. A surefire cure for anyone who thinks they like the sound of their own voice.

[David R Munson]

I originally bought my Timex digital watch to keep track of timing when doing interval training on the track. I quickly found, however, that it worked pretty well for darkroom stuff, since you can set it to beep any any interval you want. Only problem is that it beeps for about 10 seconds, which can get sort of irritating. If you hit the lap button, though, you can make it stop after a beep or two.

[Dave Schneidr]

In the age of computers and CD writers it's easy. Record the US Naval Observatory Master clock off the internet. Gather up some of your favorite tunes on CD. Start up the program included on most PCs like JukeBox player or some other sound mixer. Have the USNO annoncer in the background while listening to the music, fade out the music and bring up the announcer at 30 second intervals or whatever you need for agitation, record the whole 'show' onto another CD. You can play the result on a portable player in the darkroom while developing. Works perfectly. You also remix with new songs every so often if you get bored.

[Blake]

I use a dimmable green led alarm clock.. for processing by inspection. I agitate at the changing of the mins for 10 secs.

[Dean Lastoria]

The CD is good. The tape I tried but it changed as the batteries ran down. I didn't do the big set up, but if I use Rod Stewart's greatest hits starting on "the first cut is the deepest" I can get through a tray processing of FP4 with a touch too long in the fix. Took alot of rooting through the CD's to find it though -- Prentenders don't seem to work though. Dean

[Mark_437]

I use a child's toy called "Tick-Tock". It'll count up or down. You start it and it ticks once a second (but not loud enough to be annoying) and - as luck would have it - every thirty seconds a voice announces how much time has gone by. Perfect for film developing! Looks like a little robot, doesn't cost much ($10-$15?) and it works like a charm. Has a dim red light that glows faintly when it's on, so I face it away from me.

If it came from Calumet instead of TOYS 'R US it would be $149 and everyone would have one in their darkroom.

Cheers!

[Dick Clark]

I find the play time of Led Zeplin's "Stairway To Heaven" is just about right for FP4 developed in ID11 undilluted stock. Try "Archille's Last Stand" or the live version of "Free Bird" for HP5 with 1:1 ID11. For those dillute developers, "Alice's Resturant" results in perfect negs every time. Paul Simon's "Kodachrome" works for the fix step. Schmaltz pop like Brittany Spears or NSYNCH gives poor results, ditto disco.

DC