RH Designs Processmaster II, any experience?

[naaldvoerder]

Hello,

Are ther any apuggers that could share there experiences with the new processmaster from RH Designs?? Very eager to hear your comments, both positive and negative....

Thanks Jaap Jan

 

[Ross Chambers]

I find it difficult to make any negative observations. At present I have 6 combinations of flm and developer programmed in (very easily done).

The percentage over and under time is great and toggles with the minute and second timing.

It really comes into its own with tray processing which I use with 5x7". The display is clear and can be dimmed. I do take the caution of placing it under the bench when I'm using open trays, but RH Designs believe that it is safe at bench level.

I can't comment on the temperature compensation function, I use fresh solutions at 20 degrees for each roll/sheet. It may be slightly difficult to use the probe with some tanks. The 30 sec agitation beep is nice.

I now have a kitchenful of cooking timers and talking timers (so easy to hit the wrong button on those, mine only talks from 10 minutes to go which is very suspenseful if you are worried that you did hit the wrong button in the dark for a 12 minute development)

The most sensible darkroom buy that I have made.

Regards - Ross

 

[hka]

I use the former model I for almost 3 or 4 years now and I have to say this is one of the better utilities I ever bought for the darkroom. The newer model has some new advantages I won't use that's why I stick to the one I have.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Harry,

What do you find useful about the unit in comparison to a more basic darkroom or kitchen timer?

Tom

 

[hka]

You must program the needed times for the different processes only ones.
The countdown starts and 15 seconds before the end a sign is given 'to wake you' up.
All the developing processes I use from b&w, c41, e6 and ra4 are stored in memory. No more papers around with dev. times.
I use a footswitch to activate it so my hands are free to pour in the chems or holding the paper.

 

[thefizz]

Its clearly the best piece of equipment I have in my darkroom. I couldn't live wihout it.

 

[Jarvman]

I've been wondering, can the temperature compensation be used in conjunction with the factorial development mode? Or is the emergence time influenced by temperature anyway so its unnecessary?

Cheers

 

[RH Designs]

I don't have a definitive answer to that but I suspect that factorial development takes temperature into acount; you can use both features at the same time if you wish. However, the temperature compensating feature is really intended for film development whereas factorial development is more appropriate for prints.

 

[Ross Chambers]

I finally set the timer up for temperature compensation; it's an interesting exercise to attempt to compare darkroom clock seconds with compensated seconds (watching the clock in the dark is really not one of the more stimulating exercises in life)

Sydney is having a colder than usual winter and solution temperatures were heading south rapidly.

I find various displays which occur when the half minute temperature measurement is taken: always something, a momentary dip in the display, but sometimes a brief lighting up of all the channel indicators, and the ominous and self explanatory COLD or HOT.

My question: is the differing range of displays at the time of temp measurement significant?

Regards - Ross

 

[RH Designs]

Normally the display will just blank briefly when the measurement is made. If you're seeing odd things on the display make sure the probe connector is firmly seated; I've not seen such behaviour personally but if the probe is connected properly it may not mean anything significant - just that a firmware event has occurred at a certain point in the display routine which has caused a random character to appear briefly.

"Cold" means the probe is below 18C, "Hot" is above 26C, both are outside the recommended range of developer temperature.

 

[clayne]

Best feature so far I've found is the factorial development feature coupled with a footswitch and audible alarms. I just stamp my foot when I begin to see the image form. Sometimes I alter the factor depending on the paper/dev I'm working with.

BTW Richard, one bug I've found with factorial mode is that it applies to all steps. So if one tries to use the foot-switch to pause the timer (kind of an undocumented feature) they end up triggering factorial mode for a stop-bath or other step down the line. There needs to be a way to lock the factorial mode to specific steps.

I don't personally use the temp probe.

 

[Ross Chambers]

Thanks Richard,

It is indeed COLD in these parts at the moment and when I embarked upon the learning about the temperature compensation function, which seemed to be wise, it was only when playing with over and under temperature that I first saw the COLD and HOT displays. The fluid was certainly well over and under ideal processing temperatures because I set it up that way to help me understand the function.

As far as I can see the flash at the time the probe measures has no effect on development results.

Regards - Ross

 

[RH Designs]

one bug I've found with factorial mode is that it applies to all steps.

That is true, and I can see the disadvantage. I'll discuss it with my software man and see whether it can be modified.

 

[RH Designs]

Update - Chris says he can change it so that the Factorial Mode only works on the first step of a process (which is usually the developer). How does that sound? This would be offered as an upgrade for existing users.

 

[Tim Gray]

Sounds great. I've not experimented with that feature yet though...

I like mine. Very useful. I don't use the temperature compensation either. Just use it as a nice timer with footswitch.

 

[clayne]

Update - Chris says he can change it so that the Factorial Mode only works on the first step of a process (which is usually the developer). How does that sound? This would be offered as an upgrade for existing users.

Definitely sounds great. Is this is a firmware drop-in somehow?

While we're there how about a flashing count during the last 10 seconds of a cycle?

 

[Mike Wilde]

So nice to hear about this product doing things so well.

I presently run an 80's vintage Vivitar process time controller (or some name like that) I wish I had the temp probe for it, but I don't think it adjusts time, just tells you accurately what the temp is.

I have rebuilt the power supply for this, and a number of other vivitar timers, where the zener diode to regulate a voltage burns up. I replace it with an IC voltage regualtor, and replace the electrolytic caps at the same time.

It run three different 6 step timed processes, and you can link them, as I do when I run 6 bath plus washes E-6.

It allows you to program in the drain down warning time that beeps to preceed the end if the step.

It allows automatic advacement to the next step, or manual, where you need to press start each time you want the step to advance, and it displays a time count of the time since the last step has ended until you advance.

For agitaion reminders I have a separate timer built around the ubiquitous 555 chip that beeps every 10/15/30/60, or variable number of seconds.

When the Vivitar thing finally does die I hope a similar type of functionality can be adapted to when I buy one of the RH process master.

 

[RH Designs]

The firmware update to the ProcessMaster II is now available. This addresses the Factorial Mode issue - the mode is now only available on the first step of any process. The v3.9 upgrade takes the form of a replacement microprocessor which you can fit yourself and costs 25.00 GBP inc VAT where applicable and postage. PM me if you want to order and I'll give you full details.

 

[Ross Chambers]

Now if only there was an animated cat that wagged its tail every second (or compensated second) included in the display. Much better to fill those measured minutes in the dark.

regards - Ross

 

[RH Designs]

Maybe if we ever change to a graphic LCD display we could include one .

 

[MPandolfo]

Hi Richard,

Love the Processmaster, I'm completely spoiled by it.
Mine is v3.6.

Does the V3.9 upgrade address the similar issue of temperature compensation applied to each step of the process ?

In a similar way, only the first step needs that kind of compensation, but I'm getting temperature-compensated stop and fix steps. As I usually remove the temperature probe after the developing (admit it, although useful, having the probe in the tank is a P.I.T.A.), the probe gets cold and the duration of subsequent baths is unnecessarily extended.

If that "problem" was also fixed, I'm in.

Regards,

Marcelo

 

[RH Designs]

Hi Marcelo

No, we haven't changed the temperature compensation, I don't personally find the probe a nuisance in the tank so it never occurred to me! I use a Paterson tank and have fitted the probe to the tank lid using a cable gland (which we sell) and haven't found it to be a problem.

 

[Ross Chambers]

I drilled holes in the side of my 8x10" developer tray for 5x7" negs and placed two nylon nuts and bolts fairly close to each other so as to capture the cable of the temperature sensor. It stays in place quite happily. One thing I have learned (from my materials supplier) is to consider DYI ideas as well as off the shelf--if you can find one--solutions.

Regards - Ross

 

[Ross Chambers]

BTW my daughter gave me the BBC series "The Genius of Photography" (that's not me, alas) on DVD for my birthday. One of the modern photographic commentators is shown with a series of large timers, one each above a series of trays/tanks. They are calibrated from zero to sixty seconds. He needs to be in touch with RH.

Regards - Ross

 

[MPandolfo]

After I purchased my ProcessMaster I changed to Paterson tanks because they are easier to use with the probe and agitation by rotation (no lid).
Before that I used and loved Jobo tanks (and still do) but agitation by inversion with the probe through the lid (yes, I used the gland) is very uncomfortable for me.

In this matter I'm pretty old-fashioned, just miss the days when developing tanks used to be wireless...