Value of Jobo ATL 2+?

[Tim Stapp]

I picked this up with a 6063 drum as part of a darkroom equipment purchase. Turn it on, fan runs and nothing happens. I would like to have a Jobo, but wonder about putting any money into it vs. something newer. Would I be better off to part it out, scrap it and sell the drum, scrap it and keep the drum, scrap it all...? My wife wants it gone.

 

[Doc W]

I bought a used ATL-3 a couple of years ago. It is still working ok and I have quite a few spare parts, but if it died, I don't know how far I would go in trying to get it fixed. I am not particularly handy with stuff like this so I am afraid I would have to junk it for parts and get something newer, like a CPP. The two main reasons I bought it were 1) temperature control and 2) processing 8x10 film. If you are processing 8x10, you will have to use Expert Drums and they don't fit on the smaller machines.

If I were you, I would first talk to someone who has a bit of expertise in electronics etc., and can look at the diagrams in the manual. It might be something very simple. If that doesn't work out, you might talk to Omer at Catlabs. If he can't advise you on what is wrong with it, he will certainly have something to replace it.

 

[jamespierce]

Our darkroom family has a broad range of Jobo machines including two not quite working ATL3s... The trouble is these machines are all pretty old now, there are very few parts available and the automatic machines looses all it's value if you have to babysit it to be sure it's working... We have an ATL1000 which sees a fair bit of use for colour where the full automation has more benefit. For black and white we all just use CPP units with expert drums. Less to go wrong, and when they do fixes are fairly simple (like one unit which now has a $10 pond pump for water circulation installed)

 

[RauschenOderKorn]

The "one-digit" ATLs are rather old now, and spares (at least in Germany) are rare. Few people know how to maintain them, even fewer people have the parts. So if you want a Jobo, a newer model might be a better idea.

Scrapping it might be uncalled for, but selling for parts should be possible. And the Drum: keep it, if you have the space. It will fit to the CPA2/3 / CPP2/3 , so it might make you happy in the future.

And never forget the wisdom of the elder: If the wife is happy, then you are happy