Jobo 2502 Duo Set Reels

[tgtaylor]

Is there a trick to loading these?

I have a dozen of these reels but have avoided using them because of the difficulty in loading them. Yesterday I developed a dozen C-41 and B&W rolls from my recent trip to Boston in a 2563 tank so that I could do them all in 2 runs. They are very difficult and time consuming to lead compared with the smaller 1500 reels but I believe that they deliver superior results due to their increased size. Had to resort to a combination of pushing and walking the film onto the roll.

Thomas

[koh303]

Use your index finger in the recess on either side to advance the film, same as in the 1500 reels.
The reels need to be 100% dry and clean, as any moisture will cause film to stick and make it harder to load.

[tgtaylor]

I do but they don't load like the 1500 reels. With your index fingers on both recesses at the same time, you can push the film onto the reel but it doesn't want to walk on as it does with the 1500. It has a tendency to get hung-up when past the half way point. Curiously the very first time I used a 2502 the roll literally leaped onto the roll but ever after its been a chore.

Thomas

[koh303]

Are you sure to remove the duo tab before loading 35mm rolls?

[tgtaylor]

I just posted the following to a similar question that was posted on apug:

I posted this very same question on the LFF site about the same time that you posted it here and never got any informative responses. But I have been shooting color negative in volume and due to the volume of chemistry required to process it ( 1L per 3/rolls), I have been using the 2500 series drums on my Jobo CPA-2 with the 2502 reels. After three successive runs this is what I currently believe to be the correct way to load the reels keeping in mind that I don't trim the leading edge into a V shape: Upon threading the leading edge into the slot and pulling it through to around the half-way point, gently continue to thread the roll onto the reel with the index fingers by "pushing" it onto the reel without "walking" it on by alternating twist. When you feel that it has gone about as far as it can go with that method, then start walking it by alternating twist but only applying a very light pressure on the film edge with each index finger on the twist side. When you think you have gone about as far as you can go with that method, revert back to pushing it through with both index fingers on either side of the film edges protruding from the sides of the reel. My mistake in the past was in applying too much pressure against the film edge which resulted in jamming the opposite corner of the film against the reel preventing its forward progress which is apparently easier to do with the 2502 than with the 1500 reels because of the greater reel size.

I hope that the above is indeed the case because if it is then I have mastered loading the 2502 reels which are superior to the 1500.

Thomas