Digital Chess Clocks...

I am posting this as a response to wiscmike.  He currently has me banned because I pointed out that he was incorrectly complaining about The House of Staunton and their service as he bought a Chess set on clearance and they no longer had replacement pieces that matched the grain and color of the set he had.  But, that's another story.

I have looked at and played with the Zmart Pro.  I also currently own and use 3 Chronos clocks, 2 Chronos II and one Chronos GX.  I also just purchased a second V-Tek 300 clock making it 2 of these that I own and use.  I did sell my Chronos II touch and my last DGT clock to purchase this one.

Mike is wrong in that the Zmart Pro is an attempt to copy the Chronos clocks.  The Zmart Pro is an upgrade of the ZMF-II clock.  It has a metal body instead of the plastic one.  The Pro also has an LCD display instead of the LED and a much larger size to the display.

The programming of the Zmart Pro is very, very similar to that of the ZMF-II.  There are some differences, mostly in that there now is a choice of how the delay countdown is displayed.

The clock sets and operates almost identical to the ZMF-II.  And a number of people have complained about that.

The display has the largest numerals in the market, perhaps too large.  It also only shows one thing at a time on the display.  The delay countdown only shows when the clock time is not present to see.

The body is aluminum like the Chronos and V-Tek 300, so there is durability in that.

Sales of this clock has not been stellar.  Some of the reasons I have heard from a few retailers that I know include the display being too large, making the clock look more like a child's toy or a clock for someone that is visually handicapped.  The limited information that can be displayed at any one time also is a detractor.  With the Chronos being just a bit more expensive, people see no reason to buy this Zmart Pro.

Mike also seems flawed in his pricing information that he gives.  While last Labor Day had Wholesale Chess with a big sale, giving the Chronos II for about $92 and the Chronos GX for something like $82, those prices are certainly hard to come by at this time.

The premier Chess set producer, House of Staunton, has these clocks listed at Zmart Pro - $100, DGT 3000 - $110, Chronos GX - $110, and Chronos II - $120.  Of course there is the "always" discount of at least 10% here, but that certainly does not bring the price, including shipping to "well under $100".

Wholesale Chess has these clocks priced at, Zmart Pro - $98, DGT 3000 - $100, Chronos GX - $105, and Chronos II - $115.  Once again saying that all these clocks can be had for well under $100 including shipping is a real stretch at best.

Having used and owned all the above mentioned clocks, except I have never owned a Zmart Pro but used one, I can say without a doubt that you do get what you pay for.

The V-Tek 300 is indeed the best of all these clocks.  And yes it's definitely worth $40 more than the Chronos II.  

The V-Tek 300 is the easiest to set and has the largest number of settings and time control variables.  The body is aluminum and the buttons and controls are all durable and stable.

The display is, without a doubt, the best.  The DGT 3000 has poor contrast compared to the others, while it does have lots of information on the display simultaneously.  The Chronos has old technology but still has good contrast.

Mike, you haven't even tried out the V-Tek 300 to complain about the cost.  Do you own a Chronos?  Do you own a DGT 3000?  

If someone is planning on spending in the $100 range for a Chess clock, spending a few more dollars, $40 - $50, is well worth having the best quality available instead of something less.

The following review has a number of flaws and errors.  I have increased the font size a bit for easier reading and will comment on the content as it goes:

Hi Shelby,
I have had about three weeks of daily use with your new chess clock, VTek300.

Did you really play Chess with this clock every day for about three weeks? 

While there are several things I liked about your clock, I found there to be MANY limitations.
For one, I absolutely HATE the fact that you need to go to the "master" settings to change out what the clock will function in. I was under the impression that you were able to have 20 customized favorites. The truth is you do not truly have 20 customized favorites.  You have to constantly adjust your "master" settings to make your favorite work the way you need it.
To put this into perspective for people who have not used this clock, if you decided to set 5 different favorites as follows:
Fav 1 - G/10 Increment 30 -  No Buzzer 
Fav 2- G/25  Bronstein 5 - With Buzzer, Freeze Off
Fav 3- 40/90 20/30 G/30 Increment 30 starting from move 41 - No buzzer, Freeze On
Fav 4 - G/30 Delay 5 - No Freeze 
Fav 5 - G/45 Increment 25

Do you really play with Bronstein instead of Delay?  Most people I know use either the Delay or Increment.  Bronstein is seldom used.

And as noted in another post by a NTD who also is a FIDE arbiter, the "Buzzer" is against the rules in all games.

How many tournaments use 3 time controls anymore?  I have looked and very few do.

When in the United States we generally use the USCF settings.  If you want to use the FIDE settings, then all you need do is go into the Preferences and Play Mode and make ONE change to either USCF or FIDE.  There is no need to individually set the Freeze, Beep or other aspects.

Of course if you do want to set the individual things, you can use the Custom part of that Mode.

In practice and real play, the combination of Time Controls you have listed are not used in the same area or at anything like the same time.

The fact is that this clock is easy to set.  I have used mine for something like 3 months, sure not daily but quite a bit nonetheless.  My clock lives in the USCF mode, because the rated and even unrated events I play in all use the USCF rules and settings.  

They made this clock very easy to set.  They also kind of hid the options that would make a time setting illegal, like playing the beep.  If you want all these little details, you will make the setting more complex and difficult.

You would expect that every time you turned your clock on and selected any of these favorites, they should operate in the way they were originally set. NO, it does not work like this!
If I were to play back to back games starting with Fav 2 then Fav 3, all the settings for Fav 2 will now carry on to Fav 3. What this means is Fav 3 will have Buzzer enabled, Freeze Off and when when move 41 is made, no increment, but instead you will have 30 second Bronstein... Can you imagine this scenario playing out in a tournament where the players or arbitor realize the clock isn't set with Increment but Bronstein? 

Answered above.

Another thing about your clock that I am baffled about is the size. This clock towers over my Zmart and DGT3000 making them look like strawweights. This clock does not have a great "feel" to it while playing blitz. Tournament yes, blitz no.

So, you're complaining that this clock makes the other 2 look puny?!?  Well, maybe this clock IS more substantial and the other 2 are puny.  Think about it.

I have used my V-Tek 300 for all types of games, including Blitz.  I have indeed compared it to the DGT 3000 and ZMF-II as well as both the Chronos GX and Chronos II.  And I have had friends and Chess playing colleagues use them all as well, giving me their opinion of all the clocks.

No one has ever said the V-Tek 300 does not have a great feel to it for Blitz or any kind of Chess.  In fact its feel is almost identical to the Chronos II and similar to the Chronos GX.  And when given the choice of what clock to use for Blitz, everyone chose the V-Tek 300 and Cnronos II over the Zmart clock with touch sensors and DGT 3000 clock with its rocker arm buttons.  Sorry my friend, but this assessment of yours is off.

This is a little off subject but you might want to check for the bug when you have play mode set to FIDE mode. Say you have  time control of 90 minutes with 30 second increment. The initial time should not be 1 hour 31 minutes! Now try and adjust this time under the TD settings to have 1 hour 30 min 30 sec, it will not allow you to. After you have made a -30 second adjustment in TD settings it brings you back to 1 hour 31 minutes...
I'd expect a clock worth $150+ to be programmable in every dimension. That is either player can have different initial starting times, delays, increments, etc.  This isn't the case with this chess clock. 

I believe the above 2 problems have been addressed since the Beta versions came out.  Shelby would have that information.

While my ZMart and DGT3000 chess clocks only have four user settings, I am able to adjust almost every dimension of these clocks and have it saved and retrieved when needed. Again, I do not need to go in and adjust the settings EVERY FREAKING TIME!

Once again, the settings don't need to be adjusted EVERY FREAKING TIME!

And now, since you apparently own all 3 brands and models of clocks, you can use the one you like best for each type of time control.

I personally use my Chronos II clocks for Blitz and casual play.  I use the Chronos GX clock for when I want a smaller footprint clock.  And I use either of my 2 V-Tek 300 clocks (my second one just arrived earlier this week) for time controls over G/20, d/5.  For instance I am going to use my new clock with the writing on the front for our Monday evening, USCF rated, G/30, d/5 event in a couple of days.  I'll use the original Beta version that is all black with no lettering for my slower games when I use a very nice wood board and set.  It is more aesthetic without the lettering, for me.

wiscmike also seems to either have forgotten or has chosen to ignore something else, also.  They decided to NOT have a cable connect port on the V-Tek 300 before they produced even the Beta versions.  So there is no way to plug into this clock at all.  If there is a program update or upgrade then the clock must be sent in to the manufacturer to have this done.

I'm sorry to tell the detractors, but this V-Tek 300 is indeed all that it was promoted to be.  It is a great clock that is easy to set and use.

The only thing people, like wiscmike, can actually complain about is that it is too expensive.  Well, it isn't too expensive if you are going to use the clock to actually play Chess with.  It is worth it.  The DGT 3000 and Chronos clocks are indeed worth the more money than those in that $50 range.  And this V-Tek 300 is indeed worth the more money compared to those.  The Chronos II currently lists for $115 - $120.  The V-Tek 300 lists for $149.  The features and quality of the V-Tek 300 make this clock objectively worth the extra $29 - $34.

And realize this clock is still really new on the market.  I expect there to be sales down the line bringing that cost down as with all the other clocks.

Hi Eyechess,

The following review has a number of flaws and errors.  I have increased the font size a bit for easier reading and will comment on the content as it goes:

Flaws and errors? Sorry, I don't think my review has any flaws and errors. My friend, it is my honest observation of how the clock functions

Did you really play Chess with this clock every day for about three weeks?

No I did not play chess every day for three weeks with this chess clock. However, I did sit down with the clock every day for the last three weeks to learn how it operates. I do that with any gadget i'm gifted or have purchased. I work in the engineer field and it's kinda what I do, design and test

Do you really play with Bronstein instead of Delay?  Most people I know use either the Delay or Increment.  Bronstein is seldom used.

You are right, Bronstein is seldomly used. But I know several friends, myself included, who prefer using Bronstein on certain days. If someone wanted this as their favorite, I don't see why it can't be saved among other favorites where fischer increment is used

And as noted in another post by a NTD who also is a FIDE arbiter, the "Buzzer" is against the rules in all games.

Yes I understand NTD's comments. I was simply using the 5 different favorites as an example. The settings for the Buzzer and Freeze for Fav 2 and Fav 3 could have been reversed and it would still do the same thing

How many tournaments use 3 time controls anymore?  I have looked and very few do.

Again, this was just an example I used. I have used three time controls on several occasions during friendly matches. With 20 different favorites, I don't see why you wouldn't want to experiment with different time controls in your play 

When in the United States we generally use the USCF settings.  If you want to use the FIDE settings, then all you need do is go into the Preferences and Play Mode and make ONE change to either USCF or FIDE.  There is no need to individually set the Freeze, Beep or other aspects.

Yes I understand you can go to Preferences and change out between FIDE, USCF and Custom Modes. I was under the impression you could have 20 different favorites saved with any of these preferences selected. For example,  Fav 1 w/FIDE mode, Fav 2 w/USCF mode and Fav 3 w/Custom modes. The truth is you aren't able to do this as the clock is only set to work in one way

I'm sorry to tell the detractors, but this V-Tek 300 is indeed all that it was promoted to be.  It is a great clock that is easy to set and use.

I think consumers should know what they are going to be purchasing. I have only stated my observations

The fact is that this clock is easy to set.  I have used mine for something like 3 months, sure not daily but quite a bit nonetheless.  My clock lives in the USCF mode, because the rated and even unrated events I play in all use the USCF rules and settings.

My DGT3000 is easy to set as well, but it does not come with the $150+ price tag. I don't think this clock is worth what Shelby or you have made it out to be   

So, you're complaining that this clock makes the other 2 look puny?!?  Well, maybe this clock IS more substantial and the other 2 are puny.  Think about it.
I have used my V-Tek 300 for all types of games, including Blitz.  I have indeed compared it to the DGT 3000 and ZMF-II as well as both the Chronos GX and Chronos II.  And I have had friends and Chess playing colleagues use them all as well, giving me their opinion of all the clocks.
No one has ever said the V-Tek 300 does not have a great feel to it for Blitz or any kind of Chess.  In fact its feel is almost identical to the Chronos II and similar to the Chronos GX.  And when given the choice of what clock to use for Blitz, everyone chose the V-Tek 300 and Cnronos II over the Zmart clock with touch sensors and DGT 3000 clock with its rocker arm buttons.  Sorry my friend, but this assessment of yours is off.

Yes the Vtek300 makes the DGT3000 and ZMF look puny. The distance between the top of the Vtek chassis to my DGT is significant. I have already had two friends mention they did not like the "feel" of the Vtek300 during Blitz. They did not like how you had to reach higher, albeit ~1",  to depress the switches. The rocker arms on the DGT 3000 feel great during Blitz. Very little effort is needed to depress the lever.

I believe the above 2 problems have been addressed since the Beta versions came out.  Shelby would have that information.

It was gifted to me from a friend for Christmas. It is not or should've not been the beta test model. I do not really care about this bug as I do not intend to use play mode with FIDE mode. If they fixed it that is great.

I'm sorry to tell the detractors, but this V-Tek 300 is indeed all that it was promoted to be.  It is a great clock that is easy to set and use.
The only thing people, like wiscmike, can actually complain about is that it is too expensive.  Well, it isn't too expensive if you are going to use the clock to actually play Chess with.  It is worth it.  The DGT 3000 and Chronos clocks are indeed worth the more money than those in that $50 range.  And this V-Tek 300 is indeed worth the more money compared to those.  The Chronos II currently lists for $115 - $120.  The V-Tek 300 lists for $149.  The features and quality of the V-Tek 300 make this clock objectively worth the extra $29 - $34.
And realize this clock is still really new on the market.  I expect there to be sales down the line bringing that cost down as with all the other clocks.

Wiscmike does have a point about this clock being too expensive. There are other clocks on the market that will provide the same/similar functionality as the VTEK300 at a fraction of the cost.

The price tag that Shelby has valued this chess clock is in my honest opinion, too high. Even if the clock were priced at $100, I would still feel there are just too many limitations to warrant that price.

Hey. I understand what you say.  

This is the way they have their programming set up.  All the presets will have the USCF functions when it is in that mode, and all the presets will have the FIDE funcions when in that play mode.

I understand your desire to have the play mode saved with the individual preset.  Maybe they can change that.

Do you have or play with a Chronos?  This V-Tek 300 is very similar in design and attributes to it.  The bodies are both aluminum.  The three buttons are identical in design and manufacture and also in identical places on the clock.  The V-Tek does stand higher then the Chronos.  And the display size is a bit bigger to allow for a second line.

I used to own both the ZMF-II and DGT 3000 clocks.  They definitely have a smaller footprint than either the Chronos II or V-Tek.  And both have plastic bodies, not that there's anything wrong with that.

After playing Blitz with the V-Tek and the lower sitting Chronos, and yes even the DGT 3000 and Zmart clocks, we have not noticed a problem with the height of the V-Tek being too high for comfort or convenience.  In fact we really haven't noticed any real difference that would bother us.  Sure, there is a short time to adjust to the individual clock in height and button feel, but after playing a few games, they all end up being the same.  Sure, the touch sensor is really different but we got used to that as well.

I don't disagree with you that the price also should be lower.  But I think the Chronos and DGT 3000 clocks should also be cheaper.

The DGT 3000, the Zmart Pro, Chronos and V-Tek are all in the $100 or more range.  

I personally don't like the DGT 3000 because the display has less contrast and the numerals are dimmer.  Sure that's not a deal breaker, but it is a characteristic that is poorer than the Chronos, Zmart Pro and V-Tek clocks with their darker, more pronounced LCD numerals.  Also the DGT 3000 has all the information showing all the time on the display, making it look awfully busy.  Once again this is not necessarily a deal breaker, but a negative.  And when playing blitz it is annoying to always have to pick up the clock to reach the power button on the bottom to reset the clock for the next game.  And the rocker arms are fine if you are staying at the board for the whole game.  It is harder, not impossible, to see who is on the move compared to the LED indicators of the other clocks.

The Zmart Pro has a nice looking display, but its programming is almost identical to the ZMF-II.  And in both models you can only see the delay countdown when the main time is not on the display.  I personally don't see that great of an improvement to make this clock worth the difference in price to the ZMF-II.  And a lot of people aren't that hot about the touch sensors, and prefer buttons.

The Chronos has been, objectively the best clock on the market for a lot of years.  And that's really its problem.  The technology and programming are old, back to the 1990's.  The programming is such that setting the clock is difficult until you realize your saved preset option.  Then you can save 3 or 4 of the time controls you really want to use.  Changing the details of those is really easy as well.  So, objectively speaking, the Chronos is worth more than the others because it is better.

Now, the V-Tek 300 is really, really new.  They took the best of the Chronos and kept that.  They made the programming easier.  The technology, both hardware and software is newer.  Although, the buttons are identical as mentioned above.  So, objectively speaking the V-Tek 300 is worth more than the Chronos.  How much more is it worth?  Well, none of the companies asked me my opinion on what they should charge.  I think the Zmart Pro is worth about $85 - $90.  The DGT 3000 is worth $90 - $95.  The Chronos GX is worth $95 - $99.  The Chronos II is worth $100 - $109.  And in this vein, the V-Tek is worth $112 - $124.  But, once again, they haven't asked me my opinion.

Also, I agree that it would be nice for each preset to save everything and aspect about that time control setting.  I don't know if it's practical to do though.  Note that only the Chronos has the Beep and Halt function locally at the preset setting.  But to set the Chronos is both complex and somewhat mysterious.  Having this new clock easier to set perhaps makes it so you cannot save the specifics we have talked about with each and every preset, differently.

I am going to respond to these 2 diatribes once and only once.  I apologize to those reading this as this is not an equipment discussion.  However I am going to respond to the rantings and obviously highly emotionally charged comments below by wiscmike:

Just wanted to say that I am being accused IN THIS THREAD for disparaging the V-Tek clock.  As you can see by my posts on this thread the posts on the other thread are not truthful.  Also you can buy the chronos on many occasions throughotu the years for 10 to 20% off with free shipping. The trhead was started to discredit me.

Well, this thread was not started to discredit anyone.  It was started to make the actual truth and facts known about Chess clocks, especially the V-Tek 300 and its comparison to others currently on the market.  The facts remain that it is and will continue to be very difficult to find Chronos II clocks available to purchase for "Well under $100" as wiscmike states.  Note I did say wiscmike was wrong.  I never said he was a person that should be discredited.  I will allow wiscmike himself to write and post the evidence of his credibility and knowledge and, yes, saneness.

 I will never take you of off ignore, and you do not have the facts on the Collector set I bought off of HOS.

Thank you for that.  Not posting in the threads you start certainly is not a hardship.  And seeing that you so readily misread, misinterpret, and just plain are wrong on your assessment of a number of things, does not bother me at all that you are blocking me.

You will never have the facts because I was the customer and I am the ONLY one who knows 100% what transpired between myself and HOS who is also the USCF. The day I got the set I inspected it and saw the HUGE crack in the King. Yes HOS tried their best to match up the grain but it was so far off it stood out. When I received it they were still selling the set. It was NOT advertised as an imperfect set but a clearance set which was NOT returable but was suppose to be perfect, meaning without FLAWS. Can not make it any clearer than that.

Well, Mikey, you have given the FACTS about that purchase experience recently and last year on this very forum, enough to make a casual judgment.

I never said you got the last set they had of that style.  I said that it appeared you got the last one of those sets', now read carefully, graining and color.  I don't think I can make it any clearer than that.

I bet if you would have asked them, and PERHAPS (meaning maybe but not for sure) they may have even suggested, that they would replace the set with the cracked piece for another they still had in inventory.  I do recall you saying you did not want that because you did like the grain and color of the set you received, but I could be wrong about that.  Nonetheless I bet money that they would have replaced or refunded that set with the cracked piece if you would have pursued it.

Getting back to the clock. If you can read ENGLISH all I asked for in the thread was to compare the Z Pro vs chronos which are in the same price class because I haven't read any comparison between the two. I also stated the V-Tek was about $50 higher which outs it in a different price/class range. I also went on to say it very may well be worth the extra money so I asked for opinions.

Why make up crap about me?  

Once again, Mikey, I never made anything up about you, let alone crap.  I did say you were wrong (Don't you just hate it when someone tells you you are wrong?) about the V-Tek 300 having a cable port.  And you were wrong about that.

I also said you portrayed the cost disparities of the V-Tek 300 to the others inaccurately.  The reality is that, and once again read this carefully, even with a 10% - 20% discount, it is difficult, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, to get a Chronos clock for your "well under $100".  I also pointed out, which you fail to acknowledge, that the V-Tek 300 is a really, really new clock.  It is not available in all the usual retail outlets yet.  And I bet dollars to donuts that there will be sales on those clocks down the line.

Calm down, take a deep breath, relax.

BTW the Colletor set even being on sale was NOT cheap at all at the time i purchased it. I did not want to edit anything I posted in this thread so I can't be accused of altering my statements.  And I  give credit as credit is do no matter. 

Let's see, that last full retail price for the Collector Series set that you bought on Clearance was $600.  The Clearance price that you paid was $250.  You see I do have a memory as I bought the Clearance Marshall set for $225.

You say you have bought sets from Official Staunton and their prices aren't necessarily cheap.  Are you saying that $250 for a $600 set is EXPENSIVE?  That is substantially less than 50% of the retail price.

So Mikey, you're getting all lathered up for no good reason.  Of course if you want to be angry with me, go ahead.  And by the way, if you want to call me by my "ee" nickname it's alright to do so.  It's Ronnie.  Go ahead if it makes you feel better.  You see Mikey, I dont have you blocked so you can actually respond on this thread to your heart's content.

At his point it is best just to post my original statement as is. I do feel you really twisted the facts. 

<<Has anyone operated a ZMart Pro chess clock for long enough to do a review maybe vs the chrons and even the Visual-Tek 300?   Although the first two are about the same price easily obtained with shipping for under $100 the later is $150 which is 50% higher than the selling price of the first two.  So I don't really conside the Visual-Tek in the same class but for that price would have to be in a class of it's own.  It may be worth all the money if it is proved to be worth $50 more.  

I have not seen a review on the Z Mart Pro though since they have seem to now have imitated the Chronos. 

Not that I will have any money left to buy anything after this stock market crash!!!!!!!!>>

The above is the word for word copied and pasted.

The imitation staement is a compliment and nothing else. Never said the V-Tek was over priced. And yes a few times during the year you can get the chronos for under 100 with free shipping which is than well over $50 less than the V-Tek. All I said and I will say it again is that the price difference puts it in a separate clss. Like  mercedes and a Chevy...you get it?  

And Shelby even responded to my orginal post and the guy doesn't dislike me because he knows all I was asking for were good reviews of all 3 clocks that I stated.

I also like the people working at HOS and you still have no idea what transpired between me the customer and HOS. And yes the set was without refund as they advertise EVERY set on clerance like this even though they say they are not imperfect. That is something they will have to address because I feel you can't have "all sales final" and advertise them as perfect if they are not. And if you can argue with that statement you should have went into politics instead. 

And also I find it so rude you make an inference that I am not a stable person with the comments in your first statement of the your thread. 

Also I can't beleive I am wasting my retired time on this thread. 

You know, if I spent $250 on a set, even on clearance, and there was a crack in any piece upon arrival, I most certainly be be on the phone, immediately, talking with the manager saying I wanted a replacement set or refund.

I never said anyone disliked you, Mikey.  Heck, I don't even dislike you.

All I said was that I would make no comments to discredit you and would allow you and your writings to show you for what you are.  If you find that rude, then I am sorry, for you.

Also The ChessHouse was carrying the V-Tek before the Holiday season. I no longer see it listed  Maybe you know?  Maybe they are sold out? Not being sarcastic either, seems to be a mystery. 

To my knowledge, USCF/House of Staunton has never had an inventory of the V-Tek yet.

Raphael of the Chess House was the first US retailer to have an inventory of these clocks to sell.  And I believe the inventory was there about a week or so before Christmas.  Maybe Raphael has run out of that first inventory.  I believe he has planned on inventorying this clock for awhile.

I just checked and The Chess House has the V-Tek 300 in stock and ready to ship.

Sorry I just edited the post since HOS did not say they carried it, I really thought i saw it there too but my mistake.  If The ChessHouse has it they should make it easier to find, I went to their list of digital chess clocks but did not find it, Maybe it's me.  I am sure if I could not see it they will fix it in a matter of minutes.

Also, I have never said the V-Tek 300 was a perfect clock.  I did say it is currently the best clock on the market, and that is true.

ChessandDrums complained about not being able to save some things in the presets of the V-Tek.  Of course you cannot save those things in the Zmart clocks or DGT 3000 either.  Yes, you can save those things, beep and freeze, on the Chronos per preset.  Of course this is why I still own 3 Chronos clocks and will continue to use them.

Now, the Chronos is not perfect either.  It is difficult to set, especially initially.  I see the lack of the other clocks not being able to save those global settings per preset as a trade-off to make the clock setting more easy and intuitive, unlike the Chronos.

I do not personally want or ust the Beep and Freeze/Halt functions, ever.  So on the Chronos I simply keep those off when setting the presets.

For me and my Chess game timing needs, the V-Tek 300 is the easiest and best quality clock to use.  The Chronos clocks are at a second place, with the DGT 3000 at third and Zmart Pro fourth.  And the nice reality is the prices reflect my opinion, with the best being the costliest and the least costliest being the furthest down on the preferred list, for me.

Sure, I would like the cost of the V-Tek to be lower and feel it should be.  But, once again, they haven't asked me about my thoughts on this.

Now it shows all the time on The ChessHouse as soon as you click on chess clocks, oh well wonders never cease.  They still are showing my all beauty the digital garde turneir chess clock, breaks my heart I wish they would wipe that out of their pictures since it has been not availabe since I joined this forum.  Just liek thatgarde digital because of the case I guess, a blend of old and new. Just looks classy to me but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

I just was on that page and the V-Tek is at the bottom of the category.  You'll need to scroll down.  I did.

I never said anything bad about the V-Tek man. Wow lets stop this back & forth. I still think the garde digital turnier was a very classy chess clock and they stopped making them. I emailed many times no answer.  Have no idea why they stopped. I know at The Chess House they told me the new price when they got them in again would be $179 no longer $149 but that was over a year ago and no clock. It is not listed on the garde web site either under chess clocks. Now $179 is too steep for it even if I like the way it looks.  

It now shows up right on top. Maybe I had a stale cached page that popped up when I clicked my favorites.  Funny things happen sometimes. 

I like the way it looks and like the display myself. Someone once told me if it did have a programmable chip and a port you could use for an upgrade someone with savy could alter it and this would be no good and looked down by the FIDE and USCF more than likely. That is too bad because you can install a programable chip and there would be no end to the updates one could get once they bought the clock as lone as the electronics held up. 

Yeah, I like the looks of that Garde Turnier as well as the BHB Digital.  But I can't, for the life of me, warrant the high price of either for what you get.  I do not like the mechanistic, boxy look of all the other digitals.  The Garde and BHB do look more classic.

But I have to keep reminding myself that it is just a chess clock, that I only really look at before the game to set it up, and then only the display during the game.

Yes I just saw the BHB digital but I think its a mistake they didn't enclose it in a wooden case like the garde. But the garde is no more as far as I could tell. If someone does have them they might be discovered from old stock tucked away. Maybe someone who speaks German could call garde and find out for sure what  the story is on it once and for all.

Problem is with that clock now (garde) Shelby they haven't made it in at least 2 years. Most clocks will be used now with no warranty. Don't want it that bad. :-)  Honestly the next clock maybe the one you designed.

Maybe you can answer me this question.  Is the reason the clock isn't upgradable by a cable because of the tampering that could go on with the clock since some people will do anything to cheat as we have been reading in our magazines? Seems this would be a great way of getting fixes and bugs out if a person can log into a web site with password and permission and download the latest program.  I do believe he Garde digital Turnier had that capability and someone stated on here a couple years ago that it was not allowed in FIDE events. I have no idea if that was true or not. 

Since you are reading this is the $6.95 auto vinyl USA board not the same quality as it once was a couple years ago?  Or does it vary from batch to batch. Again I only say this because this is what I was told trough a vendor.  I do own the aluminum vinyl and the grren/gold vinyl what were much more expensive ($12.95) than its $6.95 cousin. Asking you because I am told all the vendors including the one I bought the $12.95 boards from buy them from you the wholesaler with the connections. 

Thank You Shelby, I thought that was the reason fr no cable connect but wasn't totally sure now I am. 

Now if I find out about the mystery of the vinyl USA boards I will have more useless information erased from my brain.