BBAA and JD-4 and TJ1

The first time I saw this formula was in the instruction sheet for the old HRT BB series of plates when they were produced in Germany.  So back in the 20th century I dubbed it BBAA, for Birenheide and Blyth Ascorbic Acid, but I might be the only one calling it this.  The original pamphlet did not give it a name.  A colleague of mine, Rick Bruck, calls it HRTd, Holographic Recording Technology developer.  Steve (LoserSmith) Smith calls the diluted version of it TJ-1, which TJ calls JD-4.  (See below.)  The current producers of the BB series of plates, Colour Holographic, have replaced the metol with 1 g of phenidone plus a couple other tweaks in their currently recommended developer for these plates.

BBAA from Holographic Recording Materials, circa 1997:

4 g  Metol
25 g  Ascorbic Acid
70 g  Sodium Carbonate
15 g Sodium Hydroxide
One litre water

Development time:
5 minutes at 20C (68F) for BB series plates.           

 Agitation:  Constant

But the exact same ingredients are used in the JD-4 kit sold by Photographers Formulary, but broken into A and B solutions, so that the JD-4 working strength is half of that of the original BBAA formula.  (The original recipe put all the ingredients in just one litre of H20; so an A/B configuration makes twice as much soup for half the price!)  This developer, used in the cold water JARB developing scheme, works excellently for the ultra-fine grained Soviet-style materials like PFG-03M or GEO-3.

PART A
4 g  Metol
25 g  Ascorbic Acid
One litre water

PART B
70 g  Sodium Carbonate
15 g Sodium Hydroxide
One litre water

Mix equal parts together before use.

Development time: 
45 seconds at 22C (72F) for Harman HoloFX plates.
30 seconds at 18C (65F) for GEO-3 and PFG-03M. 
5 minutes at 20C (68F) for BB series plates.

Agitation:  Constant

Primary recommendation for developing the GEO-3 and PFG-03M materials.  Follow with a rehalogenating/diffusing bleach for no emulsion shrinkage, or 'Chrome bleach for change of replay wavelength in the reflection mode.

This developer, even followed by a rehalogenating bleach, applied to BB series plates gives a significant amount of shrinkage, from red to green, which might be a pleasant color for the application.  Kodak D-8 or a pyrogallol-based developer helps prevent the color from shifting with these materials.

Shelf life:  Part A can last a month in a tightly stoppered bottle; Part B can last indefinitely.  The combined solutions can last at least a day in a covered tray.

Sources:  Holographic Recording Technology brochure, Photographers’ Formulary JD-4 kit, catalog number 04-3040, and Colour Holographics brochure.