Issues with Pyrocat-MC… Any suggestions?

[Lachlan 717]

I am trying to get my head around Pyro-MC and not having much luck.

As background, here is what I'm doing:

*Pyrocat-MC from Photographers' Formulary. Tried both tap water and distilled. Parts A&B added by syringe (one for each bottle; thoroughly clean). Mixed at 3:3:300ml in clean cylinders;
*Kodak TXP @ 9 minutes as per the recommended starting point;
*JOBO processor set at 3 seconds;
*20 degrees for all chemicals;
*Tried both water stop and Foto Speed SB50 stop;
*Tetenal Superfix as the fixer (checked as being pH neutral).

As for results, I am getting really, really thin negs with only highlight details; nothing at all in the shadows. Basically base+fog and a couple of weak highlight areas.

As a control, I have processed identically exposed sheets in Tetenal Ultrafin with no issues whatsoever. Nice, robust negs with no issues in tone range.

Before I head out and do even more test developments (messing round with Dev times to see if I can get some more density/image on the sheets), can anyone shed some light on this? I'd like to know why the images are so far off being even acceptable. Am I doing something significantly stupid?

Thanks in advance,