[Frameworks] "New" lomo tank filling with 16mm film

[Ugo Bo]

Hallo everybody

I've been happily using a 50ft Lomo tank for years, mine is the "old"
model (UPB-1 - version 1). Now a friends of mine bought the "new"
model (UPB-1A or version 2) and I'm teaching him how to use it.

As some of you probably now, the "new" one has a lower body than the
"old" one (70mm against 78mm, here's the difference explained:
https://sites.google.com/site/olexserviceskinor/processing-of-a-cine-film-in-home-laboratory/spiral-processing-tanks/upb-1-upb-1a-spiral-tanks?authuser=0).

In the past I processed only super8 also with a "new" model, and it
worked fine, but now, processing 16mm, I realized that a problem
arises: the "new" one leaves a very tiny room for liquid to pass, so
it takes a very long time to fill the tank, a problem that I never
experienced with my "old" one. Long filling time makes developement
uneven.

When processing 2 x 16mm the problem is even worse: the gap is really
thin, liquid takes ages to enter, and is also impossible to move the
spiral up and down (my way of agitation).

I thought of filling the tank first with liquid, and then dropping the
spiral in the dark in the liquid, but is quite an hassle.

Did you have the same issue? And what's your trick?

Best
Livio