Did I do anything wrong with my PCTEA?

[originalphoto]

I tried to use PCTEA to develop some films and I found it was so difficult to work with certain films and so easy with others.

PCTEA is made of:
100 ml TEA
9 g ascorbic acid (erytorbic acid, AKA isoascorbic acid works as well)
.225 g phenidone

Fixer is TF-3 that is made of :
ammonium thiofulfate (60% solution) 200ml
sodium sulfite 15 g
sodium metabisulfite 5 g
water to make 1 liter

I used Jobo CPP2 to develop the film at 20 oC and rotation rate was set up at F for 4X5 film, at 3 for 135 and 120 films. The process is as:
1, water soak for 5 min
2, develop for 10-20 min (depend on kind of film) using 1:50 or 1:25 of PCTEA diluted solution
3, water wash for 1 min
4, fix for 4 min using 1:3 of TF-3 diluted solution
5, water wash for 20 min

I expect the result will be: zone V 0.65 – 0.75; zone VIII 1.20 -1.35
It works very well for FP4+ 125 (120) and GP3 100 (120) and I used 1:50 diluted solution and developing time were 10.5 min and 11.5 min. But it did not work well for Tmax100 (4X5) and HP5+400(135), even I used 1:25 diluted solution with 20 min developing time, zone V density only reached to 0.3 (HP5+), 0.45(Tmax100) and zone VIII 0.65(Tmax100) and 1.10(HP5+).

Just want to find out what I did wrong since I read other people did well with Tmax and HP5+. What is an alternative developer for me (I like something like PCTEA, low toxic, long shelf life, concentrate stock solution and work well with machine)?

 

[chrisaisenbrey]

Maybe my experience with PCTEA and fomapan 100 go in the same direction. When developing fomapan 100 (4x5) in PCTEA at 1:100 I obtained only a very thin yellowish negative even at developing time of up to 20min. (all 20°C + first 30 s agitation + 4 times in the first 10 s of every min / combiplane tank)

But if I pre-soak (or rather pre-wash) the film for 2 x 10 min with constant agitation the devolvement produces a good negative within 10min! Strangely enough: a film, which was stored in the exposure cassette for several weeks before exposure and development was developed well in PCTEA 1:100 without any pre-soaking. (That was actually my first negative with PCTEA).

So perhaps some films contain some (volatile) substance that interferes with PCTEA. I wonder if other people made similar experience with PCTEA.