mabo
Has anyone tested Ilford Delta 100 or Kodak TMX with the HRX III processor? I’m getting completely different development times to those stated on the instructions. For example, the Delta 100 is specified as 6.5 minutes at a 1+29 dilution, but I’m getting around 13 minutes. It’s similar with the TMX (11 minutes on the data sheet, 20 minutes for me). With the old HRX II, the times on the data sheet were spot on (+- 1 min), so I’d like to know whether it’s just my HRX III that takes so long – in other words, whether it’s simply ‘past its sell-by date’. However, that would render SPUR’s impressive claim regarding the 2-year shelf life invalid.
mdeutgen
Markus,
Have you noticed that Heribert Schain has highlighted a few lines in yellow on his data sheet? He has already tested these values for the HRX III; the lines that aren’t highlighted contain the times for the HRX II and are intended merely as a rough guide. As far as I know, this is also noted at the bottom of the data sheet.
Martin
Gast
Hmm,
it all seems to be taking an awfully long time.
What does the developer’s colour look like?
I’d speak to Mr Schain directly; he’s always very cooperative.
SPUR
Hello forum members,
We have now tested HRX-3 for the Delta 100 as follows:
Dilution: 1 + 19, i.e. not the standard dilution of 1 + 29
Development time: 7 minutes
However, the excessively long development time with TMX seems to suggest that our storage recommendations in the new data sheet were not followed. As I am unable to upload the data sheet here for whatever reason, please find the storage recommendations attached.
Tips on shelf life:
HRX-3 has a shelf life of at least 2 years when kept in an unopened original bottle. This requires cool storage, preferably in the fridge.
To make full use of HRX-3’s shelf life, once the original bottle has been opened, the developer should be decanted into clean (brown) glass bottles, filled as full as possible, and stored in the fridge. For this purpose, you should purchase several glass bottles of different volumes (e.g. 150 ml, 100 ml and 50 ml), which can be reused for the same purpose after cleaning. If the glass bottles are not filled to the brim, you should also use an inert gas.
However, the use of protective gas makes little sense if the opened developer is left in the original bottle, as the original bottle is made of non-gas-tight plastic, meaning that the protective gas is displaced by air again after a while.
If you follow the tips above, a minimum shelf life of 2 years is guaranteed even after the developer has been opened!
Best regards to all
Heribert Schain
michael-kielgmxnet
My HRX III gave up the ghost after just over a year. Once the developer starts turning yellowish, it’s on its last legs. I was just about able to develop a roll of Tmax 400 with it in the end, though I did lose some shadow detail. Before that, however, I always got perfect results during the development using the development time specified for Tmax, even with other films (e.g. APX 100).
Gast
See,
you've already been helped ;-)
mabo
Thanks for your help!
My HRX III is about a year old and already has quite a yellow tinge. So, as I gather from the replies, it’s no longer usable.
I’ll order a new HRX III and follow Mr Schain’s advice on how to keep it in good condition.
Best regards,
Markus
