Flinn scientific thermometer for AP tank

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What About Bob

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Today I received a Flinn digital thermometer for use in my AP tank that I will be using shortly. I tested the Flinn against two of my Legacy Pro glass thermometers and the Flinn is about 1F to 1.1F of a degree higher. The two glass thermometers register identically at 68F while the Flinn shows 69.1F Right now I am leaving a graduate with water sitting on the bathroom sink with the glass thermometers resting in it and then off-and-on checking with the Flinn.

When I did a few mock developing runs using plain water in the AP tank I noticed that the water jumps 0.6F higher after the water goes into the tank then there is a drift of 0.5F at almost the halfway point of a 12 minute process run. My original thought was that plastic tanks would hold temperatures more steadily over time than stainless tanks. The way I have been doing things, with stainless tanks, the developer comes back out from the tank as it went in, at 68F. Ambient temperatures of my room and bathroom are at 71F - 72F.

The Flinn doesn't have a calibration adjustment but it seems to stay at a consistent reading, relative to the other glass thermometers. With the Flinn you have to raise the thermometer up a little from the bottom of the graduate or the temperature reading will not be as accurate.

I was watching one of John Finch's videos where he used a digital thermometer halfway through the development cycle and gave an idea on compensation for developing times if temperatures should drift some. So thinking that I will be using the AP tank soon then I should try this technique.

So I guess my question now is: Which thermometer would be the accurate one? I have gotten great results with the glass ones that I have been using since 2019.
 

MattKing

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Which thermometer would be the accurate one?

All of them. And none of them.
It is consistency that matters the most - with black and white processes. You also need a bit of accuracy for good colour.
For black and white, if there is a consistent difference between the thermometers, just factor in the offset when you work with them.
It may be that the temperature readings you have obtained since 2019 have all been off by exactly the same amount. Your process incorporated that difference during that time. Now to get the same results, you need to use an offset with the new thermometer.
I have a Kodak Process III thermometer that I use as a calibration reference only. Each on my other thermometers reads slightly differently. I "calibrate" my processes based on the Process thermometer. I know how much offset to use with each of the other thermometers, and incorporate their readings into my work.
 

Rick A

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I agree with what Matt said about consistency. I use a tempering pre wash at the same temp as my developer, then make sure my developer is the correct temp when I pour it in the tank. After that I don't bother checking and allow the developer to do its job. I check the temps of my stop and fix, as long as they are within one or two degrees of the developer you are good to go.
 

MattKing

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I use replenished developer and re-use film fix. That permits me to easily develop at whatever the ambient temperature is at the time. I simply adjust the development time accordingly.
No temperature drift to worry about, and I only have to be sure that the temperature of the stop, post-fix rinse, HCA and wash are reasonably close to the ambient temperature. When time permits, I just pre mix the the stop and HCA, and let it and a couple of large jugs of rinse and wash water come to room temperature ahead of time.
 

Rick A

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I use replenished developer and re-use film fix. That permits me to easily develop at whatever the ambient temperature is at the time. I simply adjust the development time accordingly.
No temperature drift to worry about, and I only have to be sure that the temperature of the stop, post-fix rinse, HCA and wash are reasonably close to the ambient temperature. When time permits, I just pre mix the the stop and HCA, and let it and a couple of large jugs of rinse and wash water come to room temperature ahead of time.

My darkroom is in the basement, in summer it's between 67-70f and in winter drops to around 65f, so I have to temper my chems to get temps up. My water supply runs just the opposite, in winter it flows around 70- 74f and summer it's around 64f. My supply line runs above and parallel to a heat duct so it warms up in winter and the A/C cools it in summer.
 
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