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Looking for information darkroom timers

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mikebarger

mikebarger

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I use several Gralab 300's for process timing. I'd like to get a digital timer
that resets, maybe a Gralab 545??? Pretty basic, 300 would be fine except I get tired of resetting it.

I've got three of them on the wall, one for development, fixer, and wash. It'd
be nice to have one for the whole show, and one that didn't have such a loud
and unending alarm.

Any thoughts on 545 or other timer?

Thanks

Mike
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I use THIS timer. It's cheap and functional. After the process is complete, it resets to where it was before for the next cycle. You could easily mount a metal plate on your wall and stick this (via magnet on back of the unit) to make 3 timer combination. There is no back-light but it is fully visible under safe light. The alarm is no t loud as the description implies.

http://www.amazon.com/Component-Des...3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1263920334&sr=8-3
 
I have a Gralab 525 w/footswitch-- handy but a few too many switches--occasionally i bump the wrong one in the dark. As far as analogue timers, I also have a Time-O-Lite Master that resets itself. I also have a couple of Graylab 300's and a Time-O-Lite ECZ 73. I like and use all of them. the 525 is connected to my ProLab 4x5. For processing, I use several el-cheapo digital countdown timers from the Dollar Tree store($1 each)

Rick
 
I'm using my old trusty Palm III PDA with the Foto Timer application.
This Palm can be used without backlight - great in the darkroom, and the Foto Timer application can be programmed with as many steps you need, for any number of film or paper processes.

Thor Egil
 
mikebarger said:
I use several Gralab 300's for process timing. I'd like to get a digital timer
that resets, maybe a Gralab 545??? Pretty basic, 300 would be fine except I get tired of resetting it.

I've got three of them on the wall, one for development, fixer, and wash. It'd
be nice to have one for the whole show, and one that didn't have such a loud
and unending alarm.

Any thoughts on 545 or other timer?

Thanks

Mike
Click to expand...

Mike

What are you doing? Your GraLab 300 is the best processing timer I've ever used. It beats any digital timer hands-down. Easily set and easily changed (even mid-stream). They can be operated single-handedly. You can see (and read) it from any distance and in the dark, and they can switch up to 600W of equipment (Jobo). You can even turn them into an f/stop timer (see picture attached). They are great timers. Don't do it!
 

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I only use them for process timers, not as an enlarger timer.

They are good reliable timers, I don't like the loud buzzer (one of them can be heard a block away), and the fact they have to be reset to the same time each time.

Petty I know.

Mike
 
Bill

Looks like it only goes to 999 seconds? About 16.65 minutes. I need one that will at least go to 25 minutes.

Thanks

Mike
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Have a look at the RH Designs Process Master II. I got one recently and am very pleased with it.

Ian
 
RalphLambrecht said:
Mike

What are you doing? Your GraLab 300 is the best processing timer I've ever used. It beats any digital timer hands-down. Easily set and easily changed (even mid-stream). They can be operated single-handedly. You can see (and read) it from any distance and in the dark, and they can switch up to 600W of equipment (Jobo). You can even turn them into an f/stop timer (see picture attached). They are great timers. Don't do it!
Click to expand...


Ralph: I have an old time-o-lite that is fine but has the same defect the GraLab 300 has: it cannot time to .10 seconds. So I cannot do flashing times for determing whether my safelights are safe and to do pre-flashing. You MUST use a more sophisticated timer for the kind of sophisticated printing you do, right?
 
I pre flash/ post flash with a 7.5w bulb with a rosco diffusion taped to the front that is hung from the ceiling over my head so that it lights the baseboard and the enlarger head does not create a shadow. It is activated with a 'knee switch' and is not automatically timed. A mental one one thousand, etc count. Most flashes are at least 5 seconds as counted by me long.

I have new and old Gralab 300's The newer ones have a rheostat to turn the buzer down to a soft hum. The ones without this feature almost always scare the life out of me when they go off. Get inside yours and add a potentiometer to the buzzer circuit; you won't be sorry once the work ahs been done.
 
mikebarger said:
I only use them for process timers, not as an enlarger timer.

They are good reliable timers, I don't like the loud buzzer (one of them can be heard a block away), and the fact they have to be reset to the same time each time.

Petty I know.

Mike
Click to expand...

You can turn the buzzer down or off.
 
On mine it's either off or on. On is really on. I might try to figure out a way to tone them down.

Mike
 
jglass said:
Ralph: I have an old time-o-lite that is fine but has the same defect the GraLab 300 has: it cannot time to .10 seconds. So I cannot do flashing times for determing whether my safelights are safe and to do pre-flashing. You MUST use a more sophisticated timer for the kind of sophisticated printing you do, right?
Click to expand...

He is looking for a process timer not an enlarging timer.

Anyway, printing down to a 1/12 stop is all one ever needs. Using a base exposure of at least 16s (which you need for successful dodging & burning), this calculates to a minimum increment of 1 second. You don't need 0.1s in an enlarging timer. On the other hand, a timer allowing for 0.1s increments from 1 to 9s and then jumps to 1s increments from 10 to 99s creates a problem. It is not fine enough in the 10s range.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mpirie said:
Does anyone know if GraLab made European (220/240V) versions of their timers?

Mike
Click to expand...
Yes they make their timers in a 240v/50hz as well as 120v/60hz, as per DimcoGray web site.

Rick
 
ralnphot said:
Yes they make their timers in a 240v/50hz as well as 120v/60hz, as per DimcoGray web site.

Rick
Click to expand...

This might be worth a call to DimcoGray. I was told in recent past by DimcoGray that the product is no more shipped to Europe due to EU import restrictions concerning CE regulations. This may be different for countries outside of the EU with 220V/50Hz current.
 
jglass said:
But what about flashing? Don't you need less than 1s for that, at least to measure the threshhold of the paper?
Click to expand...

No, that would be hard to time accurately. I use a small aperture (and filtration if needed) to get to a couple of seconds at least. But of course, it depends an the size of your enlargement too.
 
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