Kodak XTOL trade concern announcment

[Adrian Bacon]

I would note that 1L packets are on the small side for practical replenishment -- though I suppose you could mix one for working solution and a second for replenisher (my working solution is 2L, however, because my sheet film tank takes about 1.6L for 4x5 film). Still, not a bad idea to sell both 1L and 5L size, so folks who use it slower don't have to be as concerned about the stock solution going off.

Yeah, for my uses, 1L is waay too small. I mix up 15L at a time. My working bottle is 2L. I go through 15L every couple months when things are slow and easily blast through that in a month when it's busy.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Yeah, for my uses, 1L is waay too small. I mix up 15L at a time. My working bottle is 2L. I go through 15L every couple months when things are slow and easily blast through that in a month when it's busy.

Yep. Conversely, I work full time and drive an hour each way; I don't get much shooting time or darkroom time, so a 5L has already lasted me around four months, and I'm only halfway through the replenishment stock. If I find it going off (Kodak claims six months, and most say it does better than that) and have to switch to one-shot, I'm likely to go back to homebrew -- D-76, D-23, Parodinal, or Instant Mytol. Or order in some triethanolamine and make PC-TEA.

 

[radiant]

Just buy 5 bags of Excel It's a bit more expensive than Xtol, but not too much.

 

[PieterB]

Just buy 5 bags of Excel It's a bit more expensive than Xtol, but not too much.

Never bad to support Foma if you really want a clone of Xtol

 

[radiant]

Never bad to support Foma if you really want a clone of Xtol

And not a bad idea to email them saying that it would be good time to offer Excel in 5L mixes Their email is foma@foma.cz

 

[Sirius Glass]

I use the 5 liters of XTOL and put it in five one liter bottles. I never had a problem with the quantity.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I still haven't heard anything back from Kodak Alaris or Sino Promise concerning the "trade concern" Xtol. I'd have to check back, but it seems like close to two weeks since I emailed. Guess I'll have to find the email and try again...

 

[pentaxuser]

I still haven't heard anything back from Kodak Alaris or Sino Promise concerning the "trade concern" Xtol. I'd have to check back, but it seems like close to two weeks since I emailed. Guess I'll have to find the email and try again...

Well, Donald, Andrew got a reasonably quick response and you didn't. I wonder if your question differs from Andrew's in that his may not have been an inquiry about what the "trade concern" actually is. It may be that your's is the "more difficult " question to answer in the sense of a euphemism for "less willing to answer" The basis may be that any answer might lead to more questions and the proverbial "brier patch"

I fear this may have played its part in the delay

pentaxuser

 

[Donald Qualls]

@pentaxuser All I did was note the announcement of a "trade concern" and give the information that I had two 5L bags, gave their manufacture dates (both on the affected date list), and tell them I looked forward to their instructions how to proceed. I didn't ask any hard questions at all. I'll send a "second" tonight after work.

 

[removedacct1]

@pentaxuser All I did was note the announcement of a "trade concern" and give the information that I had two 5L bags, gave their manufacture dates (both on the affected date list), and tell them I looked forward to their instructions how to proceed. I didn't ask any hard questions at all. I'll send a "second" tonight after work.

Here's a thought: have you checked your Junk/Spam folders to see if they did reply, but it went amiss?

 

[Donald Qualls]

Here's a thought: have you checked your Junk/Spam folders to see if they did reply, but it went amiss?

Yep. Look at it every day, my filter gets a few false positives.

 

[removedacct1]

Yep. Look at it every day, my filter gets a few false positives.

Well, it was a thought. I emailed kodak on a Friday afternoon and got a response by 10AM the following Monday. Is there any chance you mistyped the address it was sending to?

 

[K-G]

I sent my first mail to Kodak Alaris on January the first and a second try yesterday ( Jan 14:th ) but still no answer. My order from Fotoimpex in Berlin has also been released, but without the Xtol package that I ordered.
They ( Fotoimpex ) regretted that they didn't have any in stock and right now it is not possible to get deliveries. Perhaps all problems haven't been sorted out yet.

Karl-Gustaf

 

[AgX]

I wonder why they did not advise Fomadon Excel instead. (I already hinted at Fotoimpex' remark on the limited longevity of Excel in their product description.)

 

[removedacct1]

I sent my first mail to Kodak Alaris on January the first and a second try yesterday ( Jan 14:th ) but still no answer. My order from Fotoimpex in Berlin has also been released, but without the Xtol package that I ordered.
They ( Fotoimpex ) regretted that they didn't have any in stock and right now it is not possible to get deliveries. Perhaps all problems haven't been sorted out yet.

Karl-Gustaf

Karl,
I was advised in the email I received that new, correctly made inventory would not be available until mid-February at the soonest. I expect that means it will be a while before we see product in shops.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Well, it was a thought. I emailed kodak on a Friday afternoon and got a response by 10AM the following Monday. Is there any chance you mistyped the address it was sending to?

Pretty sure I copy/pasted or used a mailto link from the page linked at the top of this thread.

 

[K-G]

Karl,
I was advised in the email I received that new, correctly made inventory would not be available until mid-February at the soonest. I expect that means it will be a while before we see product in shops.

OK , that explains a few things. Thank you for responding.

Karl-Gustaf

 

[K-G]

I wonder why they did not advise Fomadon Excel instead. (I already hinted at Fotoimpex' remark on the limited longevity of Excel in their product description.)

I checked on the Fotoimpex website and it seems that also Fomadon Excell is out of stock. Could it be that they use the same subcontractor for manufacturing ?

Karl-Gustaf

 

[pentaxuser]

I checked on the Fotoimpex website and it seems that also Fomadon Excell is out of stock. Could it be that they use the same subcontractor for manufacturing ?

Karl-Gustaf

I fear that if the lockdowns plus the old KA's Xtol developer problems were to continue long enough we might all be using Caffenol It has to be the developer that requires nothing except household items and is 100% environmentally friendly

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

I fear that if the lockdowns plus the old KA's Xtol developer problems were to continue long enough we might all be using Caffenol It has to be the developer that requires nothing except household items and is 100% environmentally friendly

pentaxuser

No, no, no! Coffee makes me too jumpy.

 

[mshchem]

I fear brown developers. First the warning about brown Dektol, I like to drink my coffee. I hope that this gets sorted soon. The color chemistry coming from China is very good. I prefer the "Tetenal" ? XTOL, but I'm sure it will be sorted out soon. I bought a new coffee maker, and I plan to drink my coffee.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I fear brown developers. First the warning about brown Dektol, I like to drink my coffee. I hope that this gets sorted soon. The color chemistry coming from China is very good. I prefer the "Tetenal" ? XTOL, but I'm sure it will be sorted out soon. I bought a new coffee maker, and I plan to drink my coffee.

I too prefer to drink coffee. Three days ago, I also picked up a new coffee machine after my old machine died at 16 years of age.

 

[mshchem]

I too prefer to drink coffee. Three days ago, I also picked up a new coffee machine after my old machine died at 16 years of age.

View attachment 263881

I bought a cheap Mr Coffee. That looks wonderful! What is the model? I need to get serious about my coffee.

 

[Mick Fagan]

It's a Lelit Mara X.

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2020/03/10/lelit-marax-review-in-progress/

Mick.

 

[wyofilm]

I too prefer to drink coffee. Three days ago, I also picked up a new coffee machine after my old machine died at 16 years of age.

View attachment 263881

The problem is I think that I would need a cup of coffee before I could manage to operate it! But it looks nice ...