Jobo ATL-2300 chemical pumping error

I have recently acquired and plumbed in the ATL-2300 and am getting an
intermittent error, occasionally a this doesn't occur, but more often
than not at least one of the 3 baths of E6 chemicals are not pumped
across into the drum. I am using the front bank of tanks and tanks 1-3.

The machine makes a bleeping sound, by pressing "Start" it then pumps
the chemicals across with no difficulty whatsoever. This problem is
causing streaking on some sheets of film (mostly doing 5x4 E6) and
clearly isn't operating as an Auto machine as I have to be on standby
to go and press the button!

I have checked seals on lids of chemical bottles, smeared thick
Silicone grease around the top of the o-rings on the bottle, replaced
the red seal on each of the tank lids, but still the problem recurs.

FWIW I have tried Autofill options and where I set the chemical volume
manually. This seems to have no effect on the problem.

Those that have experience of these machines please could you advise on
what I should be checking to rectify the problem?

Prior to this I have been using an ATL-1000 which has been fine with
the tanks I am using now.

Baxter wrote:

I have checked seals on lids of chemical bottles, smeared thick
Silicone grease around the top of the o-rings on the bottle, replaced
the red seal on each of the tank lids, but still the problem recurs.

This could be a problem with the electronics, the air pump, or the air
distributor that switches the air supply over to the next bottle.

If the problem occurs, do you still hear the pump running? If there is
silence at the moment when you should be hearing the usual purring of
the pump, I'd check the relay that controls it.

Ralf

--
Ralf R. Radermacher - DL9KCG - Köln/Cologne, Germany
private homepage: http://www.fotoralf.de
manual cameras and photo galleries - updated Jan. 10, 2005
Contarex - Kiev 60 - Horizon 202 - P6 mount lenses

Thankyou Ralf

I haven't used the machine for 10 days since I have been so cross and
frustrated! I seem to remember that a very small bit of fluid is pumped
(hence streaking where this has splashed onto film and given more
development), it gives up the ghost and so pressing the start button to
override relay then gets the rest across.

The frustrating thing is that it hardly ever seems to happen when using
water in the chemical bottles to fault-find and with no film in the
tank. Lulling me into a false sense of security, it then recurs once I
am using E6 chemicals and film......

The fact that it is intermittent would indicate electrical fault of
some sort wouldn't it? If so and being unfamiliar with these Jobo
machines, where is the relay situated? I have found, but not yet
checked the other items. Will endeavour to do this later tonight.

In article .com,
"Baxter" wrote:

Thankyou Ralf

I haven't used the machine for 10 days since I have been so cross and
frustrated! I seem to remember that a very small bit of fluid is pumped
(hence streaking where this has splashed onto film and given more
development), it gives up the ghost and so pressing the start button to
override relay then gets the rest across.

The frustrating thing is that it hardly ever seems to happen when using
water in the chemical bottles to fault-find and with no film in the
tank. Lulling me into a false sense of security, it then recurs once I
am using E6 chemicals and film......

The fact that it is intermittent would indicate electrical fault of
some sort wouldn't it? If so and being unfamiliar with these Jobo
machines, where is the relay situated? I have found, but not yet
checked the other items. Will endeavour to do this later tonight.

Do you have the Atl manual? The reason I ask its probably available
online as a PDF.
--
The things we hate most in life often turn out to be a mirror image
of ourselves. But if your going to hate someone Matt Clara says its
ok to hate him.

Findmedirectly - "infoatgregblankphoto.com"

Greg "Blank" - Lizard King. wrote:

Do you have the Atl manual?

Yes I do. Plus a disk directory with the complete service documentation
downloaded from JOBO USA.

Ralf

--
Ralf R. Radermacher - DL9KCG - Köln/Cologne, Germany
private homepage: http://www.fotoralf.de
manual cameras and photo galleries - updated Jan. 10, 2005
Contarex - Kiev 60 - Horizon 202 - P6 mount lenses

In article ,
(Ralf R. Radermacher) wrote:

Greg "Blank" - Lizard King. wrote:

Do you have the Atl manual?

Yes I do. Plus a disk directory with the complete service documentation
downloaded from JOBO USA.

Ralf

I thought I was asking Baxter.....
--
The things we hate most in life often turn out to be a mirror image
of ourselves. But if your going to hate someone Matt Clara says its
ok to hate him.

Findmedirectly - "infoatgregblankphoto.com"

"Baxter" wrote

least one of the 3 baths of E6 chemicals are not pumped
across into the drum

Is it always the same one?

The machine makes a bleeping sound, by pressing "Start" it then pumps
the chemicals across with no difficulty whatsoever.

I take it the sequence is:

o Start processing

o Processes normally until -

o Time for chemical #n and then the Jobo beeps

o Press "Start" and the Jobo completes the processing

Is this correct?

Does the Jobo have level sensors to detect if it is out of
a chemical?

I confess I do not have an ATL, but I have designed quite
a few automatic blood chemistry analyzers. There is a lot
of overlap between clinical chemistry and photography.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
Fstop timer - http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm