[LargeFormat] Tetenol Revisited [way long]

[Jim Brick]

Dear Unk,

Following is more than you (or anyone else) ever wanted to know!

A number of years ago I decided to remodel my darkroom. My Wilkinson 50-60 
(British) was aging and parts were no longer easily available. I had the 
automatic version and there were numerous little fluid valves that had a 
habit of failing with age. So I decided to replace it with a JOBO ATL-2300.

Being very handy with electronics and mechanics, I decided I could build 
the equivalent of the 2400's automatic refill system. An EPROM from a 2400, 
six tubing pumps, and six bottles with float valves would pretty much do it.

So I went to my local JOBO dealer and started the process of ordering a 
2300 at US $7500 plus drums and tanks. During my negotiation, the dealer 
said "I have a 2400 demo unit in stock if you are interested" and I replied 
"how much" and he replied "$9500." To which I said "sorry, that's way 
outside my budget," which the 2300 was going to bust anyway. So I went home 
and looked through the catalog to pick the drums and tubes that I needed.

I went back a couple of days later and started to place the 2300 order when 
the chap said that he could sell me the 2400 for $8500. Well... that's 
$1000 over a 2300, which is what it would cost for me to jury-rig it into a 
2400, so I said yes. That's how I got the ATL-2400 at a $3500 discount. It 
was especially attractive since it had been demo'ed just once. Everything 
(plumbing and spares) was still packaged-up in original bags. It was pristine.

The 2400 is unique in that the rear set of bottles (have to remove a panel 
to get to them should you want to) have automatic refill, and the front set 
are human refilled and the screw tops are right out in front. The utmost 
convenience.

I have Cibachrome P3 chemistry in bulk tanks 1, 2, & 3, which automatically 
fill process bottles 1, 2, & 3, and I have B&W or RA4 chemistry in 4, 5, & 
6 which automatically fill process bottles 4, 5, & 6. When I want to print, 
I simply select the process on the front panel and print. I can print for 
an entire week without mixing new chemistry since the bulk tanks hold 
fifteen liters. The Ciba P3 chemistry will last nine months without going 
sour. Unbelievable stuff. So I can pop in my darkroom and print Ciba 
anytime with no prep other than turning on my JOBO. I mix new B&W developer 
or RA4 chemistry just before using those processes. They degrade rapidly 
over a few days. The only B&W prints I make in the JOBO are 20x24. 16x20 
B&W and smaller are done in trays in my sink.

The front six bottles are for film developing. I select the process on the 
front panel, put the chemistry in the bottles (E6 takes all six, C41 takes 
two, B&W take two) and go. Last month I had 25 rolls of 220 Velvia and 
Provia to process. I mixed a 5 liter batch of E6 and did the whole mess in 
one day.

After looking at the differences between a 2300, 2400, and 2500, I cam to 
realize that the 2400 is the absolute best for me. The 2500 (another $2000) 
has the automatic refill bottles in front and sticking up, which is totally 
in the way. These bottles don't need to be visible. And it has the manual 
refill bottles in back which makes them more difficult to get to. You can 
see this at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29993&item=3003031869&rd=1

JOBO's web site says that the 2400 is made for B&W work and the 2500 for 
color. What a crock! The 2400 is the most convenient and easy to use ATL 
available. For all processes. Personal user experience tells me this. I 
have a friend in Salinas CA that has a 2500 and it works equally well, just 
a pain to have to remove a rear panel to get to the manually refilled 
chemistry bottles. The reason it is this way is that the automatic refill 
bottles are 1.5 liter (1 liter in the 2400) and they will only fit in the 
front space. The back space will only hold 1 liter bottles so that's where 
the manual bottles must go. The 1.5 liter bottles will allow you to run 
five rolls of 220 rather than four per batch. But putting film chemistry in 
the bulk tanks makes no sense for a darkroom that does everything, film and 
prints, equally. You want to be able to print for hours, days, weeks, 
without having to mess with chemistry. Just print.

I feel really lucky that I stumbled upon the ATL-2400, in perfect 
condition, at a reasonable price. I didn't envision just how perfect it is 
until I set it up and started using it. A dream machine!

:-)

Nefu Jimmy


At 04:26 PM 2/7/2003 +0800, rstein wrote:
>Dear Nephew Jimmy,
>
>      Stoppitstoppitstoppit.
>
>     Stop telling me you have a Jobo 2400. I have looked up the cost of them
>on the B&H site. The last time I thought of buying anything that expensive I
>got a nosebleed. Not even selling the family and renting out the goldfish
>would yield that kind of money.
>
>     I suppose one could always hang around one of the big commercial labs
>waiting for a fit of madness to strike the owner and then offer a modest sum
>to take it off his hands.
>
>
>     Uncle Dick