Just purchased Jobo Atl 1000 - need a bit of help please

[numnutz]

Hi I have just got hold of a Jobo Atl 1000. I have still to test the unit out fully although I saw it working before purchase.

It seems to differ slightly from the diagram / pictures on the Jobo website as it has two (turnable) knobs on the control panel and a small press switch on the side.

The lower knob is the same as the Jobo instructions as it enables the process required to be selected - B&W - 5, 7, 9, 11 ,14 minutes. E6 normal + 1 - 1, E6 3 Bath + 1, C41 normal + 1 -1, RA 4 RT, RA 3 RT and Cleaning.

The upper knob has a mid position - Normal - then it is labelled + 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20% and - 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20%. Can I assume that the + and - figure extend the developing time for B&W processing or does it apply to each and any process and each step in the process?

Does anyone know what the small press switch on the side is for?

I have a small tank and spiral for 5x4 and I have a tank that will take two 5x4 spirals and I understand that 1 10x8 print or sheet of film can be processed in this. However many comments are made that this tank would scratch the films back. Has anyone had experience with this? - I think I might have a solution to get round this.

Does anyone know if any suitable tank will take two 10x8 sheets of film? - I understand that the expert tanks will not work in this processor.

I have a submersible water pump for wash water and will purchase an aquarium heater for use with 74°F temperature and eventually will get another for 100°F temperature colour processing. The unit will not be plumbed in, I will use a 20L container for tempered wash water.

Any further help or encouragement is welcomed - Rotary processing is new to me as all I have done before is dip and dunk and small hand line processing.


Thanks in advance for your help

nn

[Joanna Carter]

It seems to differ slightly from the diagram / pictures on the Jobo website as it has two (turnable) knobs on the control panel and a small press switch on the side.

Hmmm, my 1500 has only one knob on the same side as the press button, could you post a picture of what you are talking about?

The lower knob is the same as the Jobo instructions as it enables the process required to be selected - B&W - 5, 7, 9, 11 ,14 minutes. E6 normal + 1 - 1, E6 3 Bath + 1, C41 normal + 1 -1, RA 4 RT, RA 3 RT and Cleaning.

The upper knob has a mid position - Normal - then it is labelled + 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20% and - 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 20%. Can I assume that the + and - figure extend the developing time for B&W processing or does it apply to each and any process and each step in the process?

This sounds like the machine may have been customised, a picture would help. Processing times are controllable by using the press buttons on the side.

Does anyone know what the small press switch on the side is for?

There should be three press switches: enter, + and rinse. Hold the enter switch in whilst switching the machine on with the big button on the panel and you will be able to edit the program times; the + button is for altering the temperature and times and the rinse button allows for letting water in via the rinse hose in the machine, but only if you are connected to the a high pressure supply.

I have a submersible water pump for wash water and will purchase an aquarium heater for use with 74°F temperature and eventually will get another for 100°F temperature colour processing. The unit will not be plumbed in, I will use a 20L container for tempered wash water.

I use the Nova Darkroom submersible heater; it is essentially a souped up aquarium heater and will cope with temperatures up to 40°C. I find I don't really need a heater for the 24° water, it isn't that critical and, as long as you start at 24-25°; the water should still be acceptable, even if it cools a little.

[numnutz]

As suggested here are some photographs of the unit in question:

http://www.londontramways.net/atl1000-pix/index.html

Sorry they are on my website, I couldn't find a way of linking them directly in a post - I don't use Flickr etc. and my website does not permit direct linking.

Sorry also for the delay I couldn't work out the flash thingy on my DSLR - This is the first time I have used it.


nn

[Joanna Carter]

As suggested here are some photographs of the unit in question:

Hmmm, that is quite different from the ATL1500.

OK, here goes with a few educated guesses

The lower knob is, as is fairly obvious, the programme selector; you will need to confirm the actual processing times for E6 if you want to know for sure how long the developer takes.

On the 1500, it is possible to re-program every step of a process; this looks like the times are preset and all you can do is use the upper knob to alter the developing time by the marked percentages. You might be wise to run each process, using nothing but water in the chemistry bottles, and note down what effect the % figures have on the process timings.

As for the button, on the ATL1500, there is a small flexible hose next to the bottles and this is intended to be to supply water to rinse out the bottles, but this only works when the machine is connected to the water supply via the high pressure inlet; in that case, I am assuming that the button is meant to be pressed to switch on the rinse water supply to this hose. But, your best course of action is to try pressing the button; if it is for the rinse water, and the machine is connected to the mains, if you don't pull the angled end of the hose out of its resting place, the water will simply flow between the bottles into the water bath.

It will be interesting to know what you find out.

Sorry also for the delay I couldn't work out the flash thingy on my DSLR

And you call yourself a photographer

[Baxter]

That is how it should be; same as the one I owned. Bottom knob is for the process type 3bath E6, C41, B&W etc. Lights 1-6 are for the current bath in operation. Top knob is for compensation. in percentage of timings for first bath only. I made an excel file for equivalent stop push/pull. I'll try to find it and attach. However just out for xmas drinks.....

[Joanna Carter]

That is how it should be...

But what about the button?

However just out for xmas drinks.....

Mine's a G&T

[numnutz]

Well I have just tested the thing out - the cleaning option works OK apart from failing to empty solution bottle No6. I can fix this as I have some spare seals. But the main problem is that the machine fails to heat the water bath. - The water seems to be recirculating, the little green light next to the water icon lights up but the temperature of the water bath and the chemicals do not rise. After a short time the green light goes out and the machine starts even though the correct temperature has not been attained.

So does anyone have any idea where to get spares ? - Without testing, I assume either the temperature sensor is faulty or perhaps the heater itself. I can work around this by making up a heater /thermostat for the water bath and waiting for the correct temperature to be attained before starting the process. What is slightly disturbing is the fact the processing cycle starts even though the correct temperature has not been attained.

So all in all not one of my best value purchases , but I think it can be recovered.

Any more comments and ideas would be most welcome.


nn

P.S. - By the way I have assembled an instruction book from the information on the Jobo website. This is for the ATL1000 and 1500 only. If anyone is interested I can put these online as a PDF file, please let me know.

[Joanna Carter]

the main problem is that the machine fails to heat the water bath. - The water seems to be recirculating, the little green light next to the water icon lights up but the temperature of the water bath and the chemicals do not rise. After a short time the green light goes out and the machine starts even though the correct temperature has not been attained.

Have you tried running an E6 cycle? Try putting water that is less than 30°C (cold tapwater) into the first three bottles (about 600ml each) and into the water bath; then run a 3 bath E6 process

Without testing, I assume either the temperature sensor is faulty or perhaps the heater itself. I can work around this by making up a heater /thermostat for the water bath and waiting for the correct temperature to be attained before starting the process. What is slightly disturbing is the fact the processing cycle starts even though the correct temperature has not been attained.

For the B&W processses and the cleaning cycles this seems to be normal, try the E6 process as I suggested. The temperature sensor is actually in the first developer bottle and is very important for the E6 process as it is when this bottle, not when the water bath, achieves the correct temperature that the process is meant to start.

P.S. - By the way I have assembled an instruction book from the information on the Jobo website. This is for the ATL1000 and 1500 only. If anyone is interested I can put these online as a PDF file, please let me know.

The manual is available in PDF format from here

[numnutz]

Well its got me a bit mystified, a 3-bath e6 process worked fine. tested with water and all was fine process time OK and temperature 100°F. But still no 74°F on a B&W process though. That is OK, I can work around it.

I compiled my instructions PDF from the JOBO website so you can read a printed page of A4 either on screen or printed out without having half the page obscured by the a copy of the same thing in German.

Sorry also for the delay I couldn't work out the flash thingy on my DSLR - This is the first time I have used it.

and you call yourself a photographer

I have never called myself a photographer because my efforts are somewhat feeble when I see other peoples photographs on this forum, Apug, Fadu, Large Format Photography Forum (USA) and other more digital websites and also my photography club Crawley Camera Club.
My time in photography was spend mainly in the darkroom processing and printing, both colour and monochrome. My photographic qualifications are a BSC. (Hons) Degree in Photographic and Electronic Imaging Sciences graduating in 1998. and before that 23 years in the darkness of the Lab.

All I can claim really is I get my pictures correctly exposed and sharp where needed (well some of the time anyway )

nn

[Joanna Carter]

Well its got me a bit mystified, a 3-bath e6 process worked fine. tested with water and all was fine process time OK and temperature 100°F. But still no 74°F on a B&W process though.

That is just what I find with the ATL1500. Bearing in mind that you need to ensure that E6 chemistry is below 30°C for a 38°C process, something you might like to try for B&W processing (which I haven't yet tried), is to fill the bottles/bath with water that is well below 20°C, possibly as low as 15°C; the theory being to force the same temperature difference for B&W as for E6, in the hope that the temperature sensor tells the logic to heat before starting. The instructions for the Jobo mention that B&W chemistry should only need to be below 22°C but, it might be worth a try to see if the larger temperature difference ensures the preheat cycle.

I have never called myself a photographer… My photographic qualifications are a BSC. (Hons) Degree in Photographic and Electronic Imaging Sciences graduating in 1998. and before that 23 years in the darkness of the Lab.

All I can claim really is I get my pictures correctly exposed and sharp where needed (well some of the time anyway )

Well, it's a lot more qualification than I have; You'll have to excuse my sense of humour, it's sometimes difficult to express a joking remark in print

[numnutz]

and you call yourself a photographer

Sorry to appear a bit abrupt about your last quote, there was no offence taken - I usually feel I should tell people about my perceived limitations.

Believe it or not I have never used the flash on my Canon 20D since purchase except on the day I unpacked it from its box, and the same for the Canon 50D that I purchased last Christmas. I just would rather use available lighting augmented with tungsten household type lamps for interiors where necessary. Perhaps that is down to my dislike of using flash gun guide numbers they seemed to me like using pot luck combined with mathematics - until thyristor controlled auto flash units appeared.

The processor seems to be OK now, when I will use it for colour I don't know, probably not until after Christmas. I will try some monochrome sometime next week as I have a tabletop project to try out.

nn

P.S. Happy Christmas to all my readers

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