DGT 2500: the new official FIDE chess clock

I saw this on the FIDE website:

https://doc.fide.com/docs/DOC/1st_FIDE_Council_Meeting_2023_List_of_Decisions.pdf

"To conditionally approve use of the DGT 2500 clock, pending confirmation of
the Technical Commission that the lever system has been improved and the noise has been
reduced."

Are there some DGT 2500 clocks out on the market with these issues or were these fixed before the DGT 2500 came out on the market? If there are some DGT 2500 clocks out on the market with these issues, is there anyway to know if you are going to get one without these issues if you buy one online?

Thanks, Micahsmith. I do consider you the expert when it comes to evaluating every aspect of the chess clock. I was hoping you would chime in on this clock.

Thanks. I haven't gotten a DGT 2500 yet (may get one at the National Open store next month, Shelby told me he will have them there) but from what I can tell, it looks to be a very good clock for a number of reasons, including the following:

1) It does US delay the best way by showing the delay countdown in digits that are big enough to easily see while still showing the main time while showing the delay countdown. Some clocks just have something like the colons or the word "delay" flash at you each second during the delay countdown (like the DGT NA), show the delay countdown in digits that are really small and hard to easily see (like the DGT 3000), or cover up the base time while showing the delay countdown. All of these things make it hard to know how much time you have left for your move if you are in serious time pressure.

2) It does increment the best way by automatically giving the increment time for move one when you set the clock for a time control with increment (For example, for G/90;inc30, it gives each player 1:30:30, not 1:30:00, before move one.). A lot of people don't know that under FIDE and US Chess rules, you get the increment time for move one and if the clock doesn't automatically give the increment time for move one when you set the clock for a time control with increment, they won't know to manually add the increment time for move 1 to the base time when setting the clock to get the increment time for move one.

3) Correct me if I'm wrong but It looks like it allows the subsequent time control to be added to the clock right when you reach the prescribed number of moves in the current time control (my preference), regardless of if the time control includes increment, delay, or neither. I think all the other DGT Clocks that do multiple time controls only allow this for time controls with increment.

One thing that I think would have made the clock even better would have been if it allowed the number of moves made to be shown on the screen at all times. It looks like you have to press a button on the clock to see the number of moves made and the number of moves made is no longer shown once you stop pressing that button.

I've used the clock in weekly tournaments for months now, and I can say it's great! It has better visibility than anyone else's clock in the club, and the delay countdown is nice (we play G/90 d/5).

The lever feels great and I'd hardly say it's loud... the 3000 isn't exactly silent anyway. There are much louder clocks out there that I see in use (unsure about fide, but uscf seems to accept any kind of clock, I've seen people use ones with the button sound feedback on even).

Just purchased DHT 2500 to replace my antique analog, that still works. I wanted more exact time setting ability- the 2500 does that- but starting it is all wrong! 
Should start with a press of blacks clicker, not some other control. The 2500 looses time fiddling with the start button on bottom. No consistency with play functions. White min. Should start counting down when black clicker is hit, as it does during every other move of the game. Analogs all do this. Is there a digital solution or is the 2500 a failed attempt.

All of the DGT clocks do this, including the DGT 3000. That's why the start button starts the clock, and you set the lever for which side is white before pressing start.

The reason is because the lever is ALWAYS in a push down position due to its design. While there is actually a setting for "Neutral" (you can see it if you turn on the clock into "Test mode"), it's too difficult to maintain it there, plus bumping the clock will cause one of the sides to engage since it's a magnet engage on the lever edges. The old analogs are completely different. Designing a neutral position as a detent would have made the lever action extremely clunky and unreliable (what would happen if someone partially pushed the clock so it engaged the neutral detent?).

The Chronos pushbutton (and sensor) clocks are not lever based, so you start them (as well as the ZMF clocks) by Black pushing his side's button/sensor.

Well, thanks for info. It would be easy to have timer started by lever push. No excuse for altering game play because clock won’t work right. Back to my old analog. Works well, sounds & looks better too.

You realize the clock is FIDE authorized and used in all of their tournaments, including the world championship right? (They use the DGT 3000). They don't use analogs anymore.

Maybe you should email FIDE and DGT and complain about how much their clocks lever system sucks. Maybe they'll listen to your opinion

Analogs are fine for regular casual play at certain clubs and at home, but no tournament allows analogs anymore, as they all use delay or increment settings.

Annoying in what way?

All tournaments use delay or increment, including for blitz tournaments.

Obviously Chronos is the best but they aren't in stock, and the GX has issues that the longbody version does not have (inability to change move counter after a game has started, etc).

And the ZMF-II clocks often don't register if you move your hand too slow when touching the sensor, even more so if your hands are cold (a problem the Chronos clocks do NOT have).

I picked up the DGT 2500 here and must say the design is a big upgrade compared to the DGT 3000.

The DGT 3000 came out almost 10 full years ago. So that's not surprising.

The design of all of the older DGT models is getting updated with the basic design of the 2500. The 3000 itself will follow later (not confirmed but it's rather obvious).

The only flaw I've found in the 2500 is the inconsistency of the "base" magnet strength, as well as the quite substantial change in strength when a magnet is left fully closed on one side for some time (attract strength slowly increases when fully latched onto iron/steel, meaning release tension is much stronger, then very slowly drops back at release to original strength). This may be a 'feature' of rare earth magnets, but I haven't seen the lighter magnets in the 2010, NA, that other cheap lever DGT clock sometimes used by chess clubs, or the premier 3000 do anything like this.

I just bought the 3000 and I see in this comparison video the 2500 has much bigger numbers and uncluttered interface https://youtu.be/-BQt2YQDUQs?si=xVwpKTwUzrVVlPJH

I do like the wood grain effect on the 3000 though, looks like a more serious device.

Re 2500 inability to use lever to start game. It’s a programming error, not a tournament rule or mechanical issue. This is what DHT says:

Your point being what? I mean if you know so much about digital chess clocks, why don't you apply for a job with DGT and tell them how to make a clock properly?

It's their clock. They can code it however they want, and I haven't seen any strong titled players complaining about it. Don't like it? Vote with your wallet (btw all lever clocks function this way) or stick to your analog, but get left in the past when you actually join a tournament that requires delay or increment.

I kinda want an analogue clock just because all the chess movies and tv shows set in the 20th century uses them. But have to draw the line somewhere, can't let this hobby turn into an expensive pile of stuff I'll never use.

All correct , DGT makes a clock violating game flow, so we change the game to fit the clock. Note confusion internally c odd timing rules. I’ll use the DGT if needed but 70y/o analog still ticking. Better sound hitting buttons too. The world is going complex & plastic, just wish the 2500 had one more, simple function.

Besides the extra button to start game, one magnet is consistently stronger and produces a much louder sound when pressed. This gives an advantage to whoever has that side. I replaced the 2500 with an analog clock for most games. Far more consistent & sounds better too.