How do you keep track of time when tray-develop?

[David A. Goldfarb]

My Omega timer is about 5 feet from the trays usually. I think I've had it closer in the past.

[Doremus Scudder]

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]

Timex Ironman Triathlon watch. It has a programmable timer that can be set with 10 different segments.

Neal Wydra

[Ken Lee]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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