PDA

View Full Version : How do you keep track of time when tray-develop?



Marcus Carlsson
12-Oct-2006, 12:08
Hi,

I wonder how you keep track of time when you tray-develop your negative.

When I develop MF and 35-film (in a jobo) I have made a program that runs on my phone (java-application) which plays a sound every 30 seconds (to know when to agitate) and I can see the remaining time in the display.

However in a darkroom it isn't that safe because a phone call during my develop will light up the display, so therefor I can't use that program and now I wonder how you do it.

/ Marcus

David A. Goldfarb
12-Oct-2006, 12:10
I have a large Omega Pro-Lab timer with a phosphorescent dial. It's far enough from the film and dim enough that it doesn't cause any fog. The old Gralab timers are like this as well.

bruce terry
12-Oct-2006, 12:22
I have a large Omega Pro-Lab timer with a phosphorescent dial. It's far enough from the film and dim enough that it doesn't cause any fog. The old Gralab timers are like this as well.

David - about how far might that be? I get so creeped-out over fog my old Gralab sits face-up in a pulled-out drawer ... where I can't hardly see the second hand swinging. Used to have it on the wall a couple of feet above the dev. tray, but worried I was getting some surreptitious fog.

Bruce

Ben Crane
12-Oct-2006, 12:31
I put light tight plastic (the kind that photographic paper comes in) over the timer while I am loading the film into the trays. Once the tray is in the developer I cover the entire tray with a large plastic sheet then uncover the timer. I am probably more cautious than is necessary, but it doesn't take much effort and for me it is worth the peace of mind.

Bob McCarthy
12-Oct-2006, 13:32
Get an old tape recorder and record a time track. Start, aggitate..... 30 sec .... one minute........... one minute 30.....two minutes and onward

I can't take credit for it, but incorporated into my work flow!

Don't need no stinkin badges.. ur, light sources

Bob

Ole Tjugen
12-Oct-2006, 13:33
A CD player. I program the tracks to give me the time needed, and start the player just before I open the box of film. FP4+ in Pyrocat-HD 1:1:100, developed for three Gymnopedies, is just about right. With DD-23 I use one for developer, one for afterbath.

j.e.simmons
12-Oct-2006, 16:09
My Gralab is about 3-feet from my film developing tray. I've never seen any sign of fog. I think the combination of the color of the glow and the eyes ability to adapt makes us think the timer face is much brighter than it actually is.
juan

Glenn Thoreson
12-Oct-2006, 16:56
Little digital timers from Radio Shack, et al. They beep when the set time is up and can be reset to run the same time again and again. I keep several on hand. I don't usually do film in trays, though. Unicolor print drum and roller. I don't like trying to work in total darkness. I'm too clumsy for that stuff.

Brad Rippe
12-Oct-2006, 17:20
I use a Zone VI compensating development timer. It has a sensor that you put in the developer tray, and it beeps every 30 sec. Its set for 68 degrees, but with testing, you can alter the times. I just checked Calumets website, and it wasn't there, but they're probably available used.
I also use an old gra-lab timer. I just sheild it from the film, but position it so I can see it about 6 feet away, works great.
-Brad

Jim Jones
12-Oct-2006, 20:38
Little digital timers from Radio Shack, et al. They beep when the set time is up and can be reset to run the same time again and again. I keep several on hand. I don't usually do film in trays, though. Unicolor print drum and roller. I don't like trying to work in total darkness. I'm too clumsy for that stuff.

Similar timers are sold for kitchen use. I've used one for many years with no problems. Before then I counted the ticks of a clock. That's no fun. It does work well when doing complex dodging and burning of prints, though.

David A. Goldfarb
13-Oct-2006, 04:29
My Omega timer is about 5 feet from the trays usually. I think I've had it closer in the past.

Doremus Scudder
13-Oct-2006, 07:03
Marcus,

I use a Zone VI compensating developing timer when in my primary darkroom that has a red LED display that counts up like a stopwatch with minutes and seconds.

However, when I develop in other places, and that can be often, I use a combination of an oven timer and a metronome. I set the digital metronome at 60bpm so it clicks every second. The oven timer I preset for the development time plus 5 seconds. I turn on the metronome, then the timer, count to five and then immerse the films one at a time into the tray. I try to go through the stack at regular intervals, i.e. once every 30 or 60 seconds. I use the ticking metronome to time my agitations. If I have 6 sheets and am going through the stack once every minute, then I simply count 10 ticks, shuffle, count 10 ticks, shuffle... When the timer sounds, I quickly shuffle to make sure sheet number one is in the proper position and transfer the films to the stop, in the same order as they went into the developer at about the same rate. (Note, this bit of extra time is figured into my developing times).

I have used a loud clock instead of a metronome from time to time and it works just as well.

Neal Wydra
13-Oct-2006, 07:07
Timex Ironman Triathlon watch. It has a programmable timer that can be set with 10 different segments.

Neal Wydra

Ken Lee
13-Oct-2006, 08:36
If you use an infra-red viewing device, you can read the clock on the wall, the watch on your wrist, or any non-luminous timer you want.

Kevin Crisp
13-Oct-2006, 08:52
Marcus: I also use the Zone VI timer, but, if I didn't, I'd use one of these:

http://www.digitalcookwareinc.com/NU850.htm

I use one of these for timing fixing time for prints. It counts down in a pleasant voice. Radio Shack used to sell them, apparently the identical product is around elsewhere.

cyrus
13-Oct-2006, 12:32
I use a talking timer - a nice loud voice announces every 30 seconds, then each second for the the last 10 second. It has a clock, count down and count up function. The brand is Tel-Time but there are many others. Cost - under $20.

I bought two for my darkroom because once I accidentally dropped one and didn't have enough time to search for it in total darkness while my negs were developing, so I jsut quickly pressed the start button on the second clock.

Don Wallace
13-Oct-2006, 18:27
A CD player. I program the tracks to give me the time needed, and start the player just before I open the box of film. FP4+ in Pyrocat-HD 1:1:100, developed for three Gymnopedies, is just about right. With DD-23 I use one for developer, one for afterbath.


Ole, could I use the Debussy orchestration of two of the Gymnopedies for N-1?

Andrew O'Neill
13-Oct-2006, 18:40
I use a digital gralab timer. It's behind me on the wall, next to my enlarger. The LEDs are set to low. I've never had a problem with this set up even with infrared film.

Donald Qualls
13-Oct-2006, 19:38
I tried trays for the first couple times with my Gralab 300 directly behind the developer tray, probably about 8-12 inches distant (and a translucent polypropylene food container for the tray); I got visible fogging. At this time, I'm using the same timer on a shelf above head height, turned so no light from the phosphorescent dial and hands can fall directly on the trays, but I can still read the timer by leaning back a little.

This works well for developer, I don't need a timer for stop bath, and I turn on the lights after the film is all in the fixer (among other things, to ensure that I'm fixing for twice the clearing time by actually watching for the negatives to clear), though I could also reset the timer and restart it quickly if there were another timing critical step that needed darkness.

eddie
14-Oct-2006, 18:46
i have a count down timmer on y stop watch that beeps every 2 sec. for my agitaion. if i need to check my running time i step away from the trays and point it away and hit the little light button.

eddie

Ole Tjugen
15-Oct-2006, 11:59
Ole, could I use the Debussy orchestration of two of the Gymnopedies for N-1?

Whatever works. Even Mahler's 8th symphony for stand development :)

Anupam
15-Oct-2006, 14:28
The recorded tape/CD is a cool idea. I need to try that.

-A

Gerry Harrison
15-Oct-2006, 15:19
Heres an idea which I have had no experience with but have thought about it for a while. On the film makers developing instructions it always mentions something like subtract 15% time for drum agitation. Could you not use continous agitation in the tray and subtract 15% of developement time, then all you have to do is time the length of developement and not worry about the intermitent agitation thing. Just a thought.

Gerry

Greg Lockrey
15-Oct-2006, 15:25
I use a metronome, a cadance counter used in music, set at 60 bpm.

D. Bryant
15-Oct-2006, 16:04
Hi,

I wonder how you keep track of time when you tray-develop your negative.

When I develop MF and 35-film (in a jobo) I have made a program that runs on my phone (java-application) which plays a sound every 30 seconds (to know when to agitate) and I can see the remaining time in the display.

However in a darkroom it isn't that safe because a phone call during my develop will light up the display, so therefor I can't use that program and now I wonder how you do it.

/ Marcus
I use a Gralab 900 process timer. Prior to my aquisition of the Gralab I used a Heathkit darkroom process timer for over 20 years. Both have the capability of programing sequential steps of varying times which will start automatically or by the press of a footswitch. An audible alarm can be set in varying modes and the display can be dimed or turned off.

Don Bryant

Jim Jones
15-Oct-2006, 18:26
Whatever works. Even Mahler's 8th symphony for stand development :)

But don't turn it up too loud, or you won't have stand development any more.