Hi all,

I am looking for some wirst watch with timer which beeps in intervals as i set (for agitation). Could you some recommend ?

martin

-- Martin Kapostas (martin.kapostas@asdo.com), June 05, 2001

Answers

Martin, Some consumer electronic stores sell "talking timers", which count from a set time (hours: minutes: seconds) down to zero at minute intervals and then up to ten minutes after the desired time has been reached. I bought one at a store called Tandy Electronics here in Australia (about $10). It is a Radio Shack brand, and have found it to be invaluable. I also use a musician's metronome to count the seconds between the minute intervals (this also gets used when I'm printing, as a timer when dodging and burning).

-- Graeme Hird (goldeneyephoto@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

The Robic SC-707 is a very versatile stop watch which includes the ability for a beep at various intervals (can set 5 different sequential intervals which can repeat if desired). I sometimes use it for complex timing of multiple tungsten lights. Their website is: http://www.ompusa.com/robic/advanced.htm

-- Larry Huppert (lnh62NOSPAM@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

Apropos of nothing much.
My first 'process timer', for dish developing colour prints in total darkness, was a tape recording of my own voice telling me to "immerse the print.....now", etc. A surefire cure for anyone who thinks they like the sound of their own voice.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), June 05, 2001.

I originally bought my Timex digital watch to keep track of timing when doing interval training on the track. I quickly found, however, that it worked pretty well for darkroom stuff, since you can set it to beep any any interval you want. Only problem is that it beeps for about 10 seconds, which can get sort of irritating. If you hit the lap button, though, you can make it stop after a beep or two.

-- David Munson (orthoptera@juno.com), June 05, 2001.

In the age of computers and CD writers it's easy. Record the US Naval Observatory Master clock off the internet. Gather up some of your favorite tunes on CD. Start up the program included on most PCs like JukeBox player or some other sound mixer. Have the USNO annoncer in the background while listening to the music, fade out the music and bring up the announcer at 30 second intervals or whatever you need for agitation, record the whole 'show' onto another CD. You can play the result on a portable player in the darkroom while developing. Works perfectly. You also remix with new songs every so often if you get bored.

-- Dave Schneider (dschneider@arjaynet.com), June 05, 2001.

I use a dimmable green led alarm clock.. for processing by inspection. I agitate at the changing of the mins for 10 secs.

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001.

The CD is good. The tape I tried but it changed as the batteries ran down. I didn't do the big set up, but if I use Rod Stewart's greatest hits starting on "the first cut is the deepest" I can get through a tray processing of FP4 with a touch too long in the fix. Took alot of rooting through the CD's to find it though -- Prentenders don't seem to work though. Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), June 05, 2001.

I use a child's toy called "Tick-Tock". It'll count up or down. You start it and it ticks once a second (but not loud enough to be annoying) and - as luck would have it - every thirty seconds a voice announces how much time has gone by. Perfect for film developing! Looks like a little robot, doesn't cost much ($10-$15?) and it works like a charm. Has a dim red light that glows faintly when it's on, so I face it away from me.

If it came from Calumet instead of TOYS 'R US it would be $149 and everyone would have one in their darkroom.

Cheers!

-- Mark Parsons (polar@thegrid.net), June 05, 2001.

I find the play time of Led Zeplin's "Stairway To Heaven" is just about right for FP4 developed in ID11 undilluted stock. Try "Archille's Last Stand" or the live version of "Free Bird" for HP5 with 1:1 ID11. For those dillute developers, "Alice's Resturant" results in perfect negs every time. Paul Simon's "Kodachrome" works for the fix step. Schmaltz pop like Brittany Spears or NSYNCH gives poor results, ditto disco.

DC

-- Dick Clark (newhope@4dv.net), June 05, 2001.

Back in the seventies, we used Pete Andrews method with "agitate, now". Problem was, the neighbors thought that subversives were living next door...

-- Steve Clark (agno3@eesc.com), June 05, 2001.

Yeah, pop will just give you crummy negs. If you want grain and/or high contrast, go with grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, & Sonic Youth seem best). If you're shooting landscapes, Aaron Copland seems to work nicely. If you're doing something avante-garde, both Weezer and Modest Mouse give pretty good results. My personal favorite, though, is pushing TMax 3200 with the Immigrant Song on repeat....

-- David Munson (orthoptera@juno.com), June 05, 2001.

I made a cassette tape, I sat down with a tape recorder and my watch and I started off with, Stand by for 2 minute water bath. I then start monitoring my watch, I give markers every 15 secs "coming up on 30 seconds, 30 seconds" and so on for 25 minutes. I use this system for pyro-development of 8X10 negatives, and 35mm tanks, it has work well for me for several years. Every now and again I check it with my watch to verify the battery status.

-- Dave Benfer (davedb@hotmail.com), June 10, 2001.

I use the Nike Triax 26 watch. It sells for around $100, has a countdown timer that chirps twice and then starts again (great for agitation intervals) and a chronograph. Plus, it has a button to light up the display when you're in the dark and, imho, doesn't look half bad (unike most multi-feature digital watches, which seem to scream "GEEK").

-- Richard Lingg (richard_lingg@aporter.com), June 11, 2001.