I wonder if anyone has any suggestions. I have had a Sam timer which is identical to a Chronos but with Scrabble timing added. It has the oddest behavior. From time to time, it just won’t turn on. I have sent it back twice for repair (which is an adventure in itself). Once again, it worked for a while and then wouldn’t turn on. In packaging it up today to be sent back a third time after several months of not turning on, lo and behold it works.
I can just see it working and traveling to a tournament and finding as a game is about to start, it just won’t turn on. I have other clocks that I could bring as backup, but I’d prefer to use this one.
Everyone has said how bulletproof these clocks are. Does anyone have any idea as to what might be going on?
It sounds as if there may be a short or something in the wiring.
I would still send it back and describe in detail to them in a note what you are experiencing. By the fact that it won’t work and then unexpectedly turns on is something they can look into. If they don’t know that and you send it back, they might wonder what your problem is, sending in a perfectly working clock for repair.
I have sent clocks back for repair before and found them to be quite good and inexpensive at fixing the problem.
If you don’t use the clock for Scrabble, tell them that as well.
I generally find that repair of inexpensive electronic items with a intermittent problem is not profitable. If it’s less than $150 and not under a warranty which will replace it with a new unit I purchase a new one. BTW I like the Sietek Pro clock better. Bob
The cost to the company that makes the Chronos clock for repair is really minimal. I paid $15 and they didn’t charge me anything for them to ship the clock back to me.
I understand you like a certain model better than the Chronos. That doesn’t mean that everyone will like that clock better.
Have you checked the terminals of the battery? I had a point where my Chronos died after a battery change and it turned out to be the battery popped out. (Not saying your battery popped out, but could it be the spring or junction is a little loose? I had an original Game Time clock that had a problem with the battery springs.) Another thing you can do is gently wiggle the battery wires leading to the board - maybe it’s a broken lead.
And, FWIW, while the Saitek Pro is a good clock, you couldn’t pay me enough to part with my Chronos. (Well, OK, you could… about $225 for two Chronos’. Well again, no you couldn’t, as my Chronos has been with me about fifteen years and I don’t to intend to ever part with it. )
Was the unit returned to you the first time the same as the original? I’d note the Serial Number - on my Chronos if you step through all menu options the last two include “SN” or “S/N” which displays a unit-unique serial number. Make a note of it so if they return it to you again you know if they replaced or shipped back. (I might request a replacement if it is still under warranty…)
My apologies, I should not have added the part of my clock preference. My point was that intermittent problems in electronic devices are very difficult if not impossible to find and fix.
Well, since my original post, I’ve turned the clock on and off several times each day and it has worked perfectly. Beyond strange. Looks like it may have fixed itself.
Richard
I kind of chuckle every time I hear the name “SamTimer.” I remember Sami Kantimathi trying to sell me one at my first Scrabble tournament in Atlantic City a few years ago. He wanted close to $300 for it then (It’s down to $139 now.) He was kinda relentless even though I had informed him I was happy with my $40 Excalibur which handles Scrabble quite nicely. He then reminded me that I could run over it with my car. I am clumsy, but I have yet to run over my Excalibur… much less do it the eight times required to see the actual value…
Well, I sent it back for a third time after Sam promised me a new clock. That was 6 months ago and I haven’t heard from him since. I also notice that in the most recent US Chess catalog included with the latest Chess Life, the Chronos isn’t even listed among the clocks for sale. So this is turning out to be a real mystery. Is Chronos out of business?
Anyway, I liked the touch sensors so much I bought one of the new ZMF-II clocks (black with green display). It is easy to set and I have played one 30 minute game with it and I’m not bothered by the peculiar way it counts down the delay. There are some other peculiarities however that might be show stoppers for some. In multiple time controls, it is impossible not to use a move counter. After every clock press in “tournament” mode, the move count flashes up for a couple of seconds which could be disconcerting if one has only a few seconds left to make time control. Finally, delay or increment once set is active for every time period, making the latest FIDE nonsense of adding 30 seconds only in the last sudden death period impossible to set on this clock. That’s probably not a problem for most of us. It does add the increment prior to the first move which I think is correct. Only the DGTs seem to do that right as well.
Just venting. I have found that during an actual game, the clock is something I only look at occasionally. My focus is on the board and calculating candidate moves. I play too fast anyway, so seldom get into time trouble and I think it is only in short of time situations where the clock looms large. So I think that any clock that I know how to set will do just fine.
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