I don't own a chronos clock, so I can't say. If the chronos clork is so confusing, I would recommend getting another brand. Surely some digital clocks are easier to set once you've read the directions.
You're right about some of the other digital clocks being easier to set but here's a little demonstration of what the others have been saying about setting a chronos.
you're right about the chronos being difficult to set.
I would choose the Chrono's clock as well as my choice. It would be a long road to get the USCF to make it the only digital clock that would be accepted to use at Chess tournaments.
The Chronos was developed as a Scrabble Clock called the Sam Timer. When it was marketed to Chess players the Scrabble function was disabled. If you buy the Sam Timer version you will get all the chess modes plus the Scrabble mode. www.samtimer.com
The 48 page manual and the price tag scares me from buying a Chronos especialy as little as I get the opportuity to play OTB. I do think the touch sensors are cool though.
That being said I bought a used Duel Timer off ebay for only 7 dollars. It only has a 4 page manual and is very easy to set. Has quiet buttons (but not touch sensors) has nearly 30 pre-programed modes for chess, scrabble, and Go. It is extremly easy to set for just about any time controll you want. With delay or incrament. Always shows the both minutes and seconds remaining. (The Saitek only does this with less than 20 minutes. Anoying!) It also matches my HOS champioship set well.
I also have the Excalibur and the Saitek pro, the the DT is much easier to set tha those 2. And doesn't have a lot of distracting info on the dispaly screen like the Excalibur.
I have "Garde" - just like on the picture, and don't use it ...
I had a lawyer call once to use my chess clock. The judge wanted to keep track of the arguments on both sides. Might try to rent it out.
The following vid covers the usage of Chronos a little better, I think than the chesshouse guy in the vid above. Watch how simple it can be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMKdDBe7hnw
I had to laugh after watching that Youtube video about how to set the Chronos. I'm sure it's no harder than the cheat codes people use on video games once you get used to it. It just looks a little ridiculous.
There is still something to be said for mechanical simplicity.
Mechanical simplicity certainly is nice, but tournaments almost consistently have delays or increments, and almost always have more than one time control, say 40 in 120/ g60 or such. You can set a digital to do all of that, if you have a good one. Analogs are nearly obsolete. Believe me, I wish it weren't so, as I'm an older guy. We must adapt, though.
In Australia my chess club has all DGT (various models) and at an OTB tournament I played in at Easter, again, all DGT, again various models.
I think I miss the older analogue clocks, but haven't seen or heard of one which can handle the modern time controls.
I like the look of the ZMF-II but reports of it flashing at times ... nope, none of that, thank you very much. Maybe they'll change the programming?
For very casual use (and not blitz!) there's always a smart phone. :-)
I have 3 clocks, two analog and a Chronos. One of the analog clocks broke when an over-zealous player over-wound the clock on one side making sure it would run for the whole game. We had to borrow another clock.
The second analog clock is a venerable BHB. Still runs, but all of the tournaments I've played in over the past year require (or request) either a "delay" or an "add-on" format.
So I bought a Chronos with click buttons. It will handle both types of games - delay or add-on - where some of the digital clocks will only set for delay. It isn't quite the same and it does make a difference.
If you use a digital (Chronos or other) simply set it at home before you leave and save it to user mode "0". It will be ready when you simply turn it on. Anyone able to mentally analyze complex chessboard positions should have no trouble learning to set a Chronos or any other digital clock.
My Chronos has nothing "disabled" and can be set for the Go and Scrabble modes as well as normal chess modes. You simply have to RTFM to know which LED code belongs to which mode.
I see a lot of DGT clocks, and of course they have the system that links the clock to the board as seen on many of the upper level championship matches and tournaments.
How are the DGT clocks?
Plastic. Non-intuitive to set up, but I've learned by observation (dunno where the manuals are).
I like the design of the lever on the top instead of buttons; OTOH it seems to encourage people to "bang" them. My club complains of having 30+ broken, and I'll bet for most of those it's not the electronics. (But that is speculation.)
In use: fine. Easy to read LCD, and the toggling lever on top makes it obvious whose move it is from either side of the clock and at a distance.
PIctures and specifications:
http://www.dgtprojects.com/site/index.php/products/clocks/13-dgt-2010
I see a lot of DGT clocks, and of course they have the system that links the clock to the board as seen on many of the upper level championship matches and tournaments.
Only their top level model of clock. I've only seen one together with a DGT board. Their regular clocks can't be linked to anything.
i think the best value for digital clock is the dgt north american, good buttons, display, easy to use, have had over a year and no problems.
About $10 cheaper here in Oz than the 2010 model, and for the time controls my club uses equally acceptable. So our most recent purchases have been of that model, and yes, they seem fine.
We have a bunch of "2000"s that seem to be going strong. A little more fiddly to set up as I recall, but when in doubt hand it to the nearest kid and it's sorted in <30s. :-)
I think it's a matter of whether you want one for personal use, or are buying a batch for a club. If you use them for a club, then you could specify the timing for the games or tournaments and make sure the clocks you buy can perform the delay or add-on desired. If no delay or add-on is desired, then any clock will suffice.
A personal clock should be able to adapt to any reasonable timing dictated by the USCF or FIDE which could include either delay or add-on.
@Shadowknight
How annoying is the blink mode? It does it for how long and when? Someone earlier posted that it was a deal breaker for them, but you obviously like yours....
That clock just might be the way to go. I like the touch switch that is like the chronos. Surely the blinks could be turned off, if the user wanted them gone. Price is attractive!
Digital clocks suck and they have not improved chess. Their only "merit" is adding delay to moves, which is a speed chess feature that has crept into classical controls, to the detriment of the sport. Come to think of it, speed chess was better off without delay as well.
Once upon a time, you got a set amount of time to make a set amount of moves. Now with delay you get endgame whapping that doesn't make anyone a better player. If you need more time, play a longer time control.
Digital clocks are also all universally difficult to set. After you've struggled to understand your Chronos manual, try getting your scholastic players to set the bloody thing. You'll spend hours on clock instruction where you'd be better off teaching tactics. Or better yet, just be prepared to wander around the tournament room setting clocks, and have fun with someone didn't set their secondary control properly, and you have to make a ruling.
I've tried them all and owned many, and I'm not impressed. The Chronos is built like a battleship but it's heavy, butt-ugly, and expensive. Other brands all ape the Chronos, with varying levels of craftsmanship...but they all stink. There is nothing like a good analog clock. The USCF made an excellent one for many years, and now players who bring them to tournaments are treated like lepers.
Finally, the pure visual of an analog clockface is easier to understand and takes less time to translate in your mind.
DOWN WITH DIGITAL CLOCKS.
I actually found the Chronos to be quite easy to program without any instructions - you just keep on hitting (figuratively that is) the 2 buttons until it does what you want it to, and in fact I've found it to be much more intuitive and user-friendly than my crappy Saitek digital clock - I sure wish I had invested the extra $50 in a Chronos instead!