digital chess clocks..........

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!!!!!!!!

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

Shelby, thank you the the great reviews.  Just to answer the price question USCF/HOS & WSC constantly have had constant 15% off sales the last 2 months with WSC including free shipping on the clock, USCF shipping varied from free to a charge of about $12.00. About a year ago I bought mine from WSC for 20% & free shipping as they had a deal for chess.com members. They have a group you can join on here and then they can send out specials just to the chess.com members which they do from time to time. You can also do the same. 

At the time I bought the full size chronos I had no idea ZMart would come out with the PRO model. I did not like the display on the Fun model or whatever it is called. The Led's were just too bright. I beleive now they have LCD that is Led backlite but not sure but the display is much improved.

I have been following your chess clock since it is been in development like many on here have. I also noticed reputable chess places are starting to carry your clock, Chesshouse.com for one.

The digital garde turnier always fastinated me the way it looked like a mechenical clok but digital, seems they no longer make them. Guess I like the old school look.  But your V-Tek is a very good looking modern chess clock. I know you put the utmost thought when developing it.  The display from what I can see from the pictures look superb. 

Yes I have read the repair times of the chronos on here can be very long. When I am ready for another digital I will look again at the Z Pro and the V-tek.

Again thank you for your review of the 3 clocks, it was very concise, fair, and honest.

Based on this review, the VTek300 is essentially useless for chess.

When you look at the you tube videos and read other reviews I don't see that it is useless for chess.  I even think you can update the programable chip inside if it does need to be tweeked. The only other one I know capable of that was the digtal garde tunier that is no longer made and was about the same price $149.99.  Suppose with a cable you can access an upgradable downlaod from his site and if can fix any nuance by software upgrades for free? 

I would like to see what Shelby says about the review and especially this comment, you are relying on one review and that the person is 100% correct. <<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!>>

Clocks are actually not permitted to beep at all under either FIDE or US Chess rules.

Please see the FIDE Handbook, Rule C.02.5, which says, in relevant part, that clocks "...should run as silently as possible...".  This means no beeps, period.

Also, please see US Chess Rule 16B2a, which says, in relevant part, that "[d]igital clocks must be set to produce no sound.".

I've worked at a number of reasonably high-level competitions (London Chess Classic, World Open, Millionaire Chess Open, Gibraltar Masters, etc.).  Those were the rules in place for all sections (including those sections of the World Open and MCO where US Chess rules are enforced).

I suspect this is why the VTEK 300 hid its beeping function.  In fact, it would help if more clock makers did exactly that, because any clock that does emit a beep is operating against the rules.

TY eastside for pointing that out, I know your credentials from the USCF board. One question that was a argument so to speak a couple years ago was that garde stopped making their digital turneir garde clock becuase they couldn't get it FIDE approved because it "could" be updated through a cable. I have no idea if this is true or not. Someone said the chip inside the digital clock cannot be made to change, in other words it can not be reprogrammed though an external source.  If that is the case I have to ask is the V-Tek updatable via cable?  Or is this updatabe part have no bearing tot he FIDE approval of the chess clock?  Will be interested in your answer.  Not tring to stir any argument it's just that this point has never been clarified as far as I know. 

wiscmike - I can't speak with first-hand knowledge about FIDE's clock approval standards.  However, IA Carol Jarecki does serve in that capacity with FIDE.  Based on my conversations with her, I don't think the question of whether a clock can be remotely updated impacts whether FIDE will approve a clock.

More importantly, a clock doesn't have to be FIDE approved to be used in FIDE events.  While we were both working in London a few years ago, I asked IA Albert Vasse (co-founder of DGT) if the DGT North American clock would ever get FIDE approval (like the DGT 2010, DGT XL, etc.).  Albert told me that DGT wasn't interested in paying another fee to FIDE for a clock whose only difference from the approved DGT 2010 was the addition of US delay, as opposed to Bronstein.  I know of at least two major US organizers (Maryland Chess Association; North American Chess Association) that provide DGT NA clocks for all their games, including any that are FIDE rated.  

Now, all that said, I do not believe the VTEK 300 is programmable via cable.  However, there are clocks that interface via cable, and even wirelessly.  DGT has long offered a wired option with its DGT XL, and there is now a wireless option with the DGT 3000.  I got my first up-close look at the wireless interface at the Pan Am Games in December.  It's pretty slick - but each setup (clock/board/pieces) costs about $1000.

On HOS last clearance they had a Classic Glossy set on sale for $59.00+$12.73 shipping FedEx (shipping may vary vs. your location). I waited for a freind to get and inspect his set and then ordered a set in black & natural for myself.  I will now rate the different aspects what people are usually most interested in:

VALUE $59 10/10

Packing...excellently wrapped in a tissue paper to prevent scratching 9/10

Workmanship....I did not see the slighest flaw....10/10

Shipping...speed of arrival and processing order....you could not mail it out any faster...........10/10

I would recommend this set to anyone, for $59 I feel it is truly a bargain. 

The "Classic" series pieces at HOS for $59 is a good deal.  I used to own this set (4 inch King, black and natural, ebonized boxwood, but not glossy) and was very pleased with it.  I purchased it from HOS and paid more than $59 for it, several years ago, and considered it to be nice set, and a good value!  I sold it eventually only to buy a much more expensive set.

Shelby, glad to see now that CHESS4LESS is carrying the V-TEK.  Looks like it will be a success in sales. It already has all the features for sure and ease of use. 

If you consider the DGT clocks make sure to check out the DGT 2010 series (the one with the blue buttons!!). It's still in production and FIDE legal. If you don't have a live board it's a best buy.

DGT 3000 and DGT XL are also good options but more expensive than the DGT 2010 and the only advantage of these clocks are the possibility to use them with live boards.

In Holland 99% of the chess clubs have DGT clocks and they are very easy to use and adjust to your favorite time control.