Phototherm discontinuing film development product line

pentaxuser

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calebarchie said:
The discontinuation was announced a bit over a month ago now, this recent update is very good news.

C
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I am puzzled. I have read the announcement in the link and it certainly sounds very final and very bleak so what is the recent update and why is it very good news? Thanks

pentaxuser
 
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alanrockwood

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pentaxuser said:
I am puzzled. I have read the announcement in the link and it certainly sounds very final and very bleak so what is the recent update and why is it very good news? Thanks

pentaxuser
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I think the upbeat part is that someone will be continuing to support Phototherm instruments.
 

pentaxuser

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alanrockwood said:
I think the upbeat part is that someone will be continuing to support Phototherm instruments.
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Thanks I suppose it depends on whether, in the light of a very bleak announcement, you classify what I assume to be a one person support as qualifying as very good news. If I were a Ford customer and Ford stopped making all vehicles but gave the name of one person who will continue to service them I an not sure that's very good news

pentaxuser
 

Michael Firstlight

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Bummer. I guess I should be grateful; I had Peter rebuild an SK8 I bought. He gutted it and turned it into essentially a brand new Super Sidekick 8 earlier this past Spring. I have virtually all of the accessories, including two 4-roll and two 8-roll tanks, spindles, 4x5 inserts. Guess I better look at the remaining part stock for any items I might need to replace down the road :-(

Mike
 
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alanrockwood

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So, is it possible then to upgrade a Sidekick to a Super Sidekick?
 

EdSawyer

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probably, it's just the programming that is different really. I have an SSK-4 and enjoy it a lot, it is too bad if support and parts are going away. :-/
 

Michael Firstlight

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alanrockwood said:
So, is it possible then to upgrade a Sidekick to a Super Sidekick?
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Yes, that's exactly what I had done. Jerry did my full rebuild. Mine required far more than reprogramming or new chip (some older Super Sidekicks needed only a new firmware chip). An upgrade of an Sidekick to a Super Sidekick is far more extensive. Mine was a total overhaul - a complete gutting and rebuild that cost me about $1500, but I ended up with essentially a brand new Super Sidekick 8 at the latest level with brand new guts. About the only things left from the original are the chassis and cover, and even the cover was relabeled an Super Sidekick afterwards. The only thing that would give away that it used to me an standard Sidekick 8 is the serial tag. Up to last year, new Super Sidekick 4's were $6500, and PhotoTherm had stopped making the Super Sidekick 8's altogether - So between the $900 I spent to buy the standard Sidekick 8 with two four reel drums and two eight reel drums off eBay, plus the rebuild cost, it was a once in a lifetime bargain.
 
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