Thanks to all that replied to this thread. It was hard to get specific questions answered by just querying the web.
With regards to the film type, they all worked with varying degrees. None had any influence on the actual problem asked. Surprisingly Neopan 400 was sharper than PlusX.
I did rule out the water. When I receive the 'still, I will at least know I have a good on-demand supply. Condo living makes it a pain for in-line water pipe filters.
The pre-soak helped allot. That would be open to debate, I guess. Seeing is believing. It probably depends on the film.
The amount of water used got surprising. Using 5-10-20 reduced the volume considerably. I keep jugs of distiled on hand to keep it at room temp and to insure the oxygen content is at a minimum. Using running water, here in Montreal, was a huge waste of time.
I used D-19 because it was suggested via the TMax recipe. Although it covered the "classics", it is not strong enough for everything. When I run out, I will start to use paper developer.
My bleach was too low in acid. I use %20 tech quality and had to double my content ratios. This helped the bleach work better and many spots went away.
My clearing responded to more time. Instead of the suggested 3, I went to 5.
The film choice does make a huge difference for "perfect" results. I would certainly by a few 100' lengths of Foma 100R if they sold it. 36 frame rolls are not my style. For me, I want to go reversal for everything I shoot. I will accept a loss in perfection when it just a family gathering. Everything I shoot is not art..
I will shoot what I have and tailor the process around it.
Mr DR5: The first BW Reversal I had seen was a TMax 8x10 processed your lab. Impressive.
Thanks to all.