Heater for e6 developing

Hey guys,

I know many people here use aquarium heater to get there chemicals the proper temp. I found a thread here on modifying a won heater... unfortunately that model was discontinued. Can anyone point me to a 150w heater that is easily modified to get my temps to 104?

I use a water bath filled with hot water from the tap. Temper all the solution bottles by filing a dishpan containing the bottles with water at about 130F, refill to 110F or so after temperature drops to 100 (about 20 minutes), and then process as temperature drops through your selected target temperature. Check the temperature of the first and color developers with an accurate color thermometer before starting to process. I simply hold the SS tank in the bath in between agitations. The first and color developer are the only solutions for which temperature is critical. The other solutions need be within 5 degrees or so to avoid thermal shock to the film but they all progress to completion and need not be held to close temperature tolerance. Using this method and working consistently and carefully I have had no problems and do not fool around with heaters and electrical circuits in the sink.

i do the same with c41 but i really don't worry after the developer has been done...as long as my other chemicals are in a close range. I just worry about the first few stages of e6 so I rather have something more consistent

I have been using a food service warmer....

A small heater designed to heat a cup of coffee or tea will keep a water bath up to temperature.

Let me just make one point in case it isn't obvious. The quantity of water in your "bain" is key. If you use a small heater or a small amount of water, the temperature will drift more quickly or be more susceptible to variation when you put a container in. So, to be safe, you want the "bain" water to be many times more voluminous than your developer and container. Then your temp will stabilize and stay constant for a long time. This is why I use the food service things; I could put a tray of icecubes in there and it wouldn't change the temp. It's overkill for some purposes, but I do E6 up to 8x10 (and soon 11x14) so... I had to worry about that.

I'm always surprised more people aren't using one of these http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/search/nova+heater. I've got the cheaper version and love it, but do use it with much more water than recommended so the temp drops very slowly. It is easily enough to maintain temperatures through the C41 process which is what I use it for. I wouldn't have a concern about using it for E6, but i'm lucky to have a local pro-lab whose E6 dev only process is still cheaper than buying the chemical.

If it broke I would probably go for the more expensive version so that I didn't have to worry about the temp dropping at all and so that the temperature control nob is larger and out of the water.

GE Roaster from WalMart - $22.00. Works great for E6 and C-41.

http://www.lamarlamb.com/On-Film/Film-Blog/Developing-Slides/13127177_bK665M#!i=948545069&k=mwgyG