Mono RA4 - Is this the sign mine has gone bad?

[lilserenity]

Hiya,

I bought my first and so far only mono RA4 kit, from Nova.

It's done well and I have made about 30-40 prints with it. Mixed up fresh solution today (I've had it two months) but the print comes out of the blix at the end with a completely copper/brown shade, even stain.

I believe this is the sign that the mono kit has gone kaputt?

The Blix and Dev aren't cloudy as such, and the bottom sludge when shook was not solidified.

I was just using my usual starting point of 55Y and 65M.

If it has, it's about time I got the Kodak RA4 Dev and Blix 5l kit anyway!

Vicky

 

[hrst]

The answer is probably: Yes.

I had this severe brown staining problem with Tetenal blix. Kodak blix gives perfect whites regardless of blixing time (within specs of course). In the meantime, you can reduce the problem by blixing only 30 seconds or so to reduce staining, but then there is probably much residual silver and halides left, but you can reblix them with proper stuff when you get it.

I also used bleach made of potassium ferricyanide and sodium bromide and E6 fix (as two separate stages, wash in-between) in troubleshooting before getting proper Kodak RA-4 kit, and they worked very well.

I really can't stop wondering why they make this kind of kits. There is really no reason to premix these two solutions at factory. It's like sabotage towards traditional photography.

 

[nickandre]

Kodak Blix goes bad after a few months when diluted. Concentrating that would accelerate that process, right? That seems dumb.

 

[lilserenity]

Thanks, I suppose that makes sense. I'm relatively new to RA4 so I wasn't aware at the time I could use the Kodak kit at 20degC; but at least I did make numerous prints before it went bad!

On pay day I shall get the proper stuff

Thanks!

 

[perkeleellinen]

Be sure to report back about the Kodak kit. Interested to know how much you have to adapt your work style.

 

[Bob-D659]

I use the Kodak kit 10 liter sizes. They work GREAT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2 min at 20C and the mixed chems easily last a couple of months in soft drink bottles. The concentrates keep for many months after they are opened if you displace the air out of the factory packaging.