Based on 4 ratings. Author: Excalibur Electronics ISBN: Tags |
Excalibur Game Time IIWhen you want a time limit on your game, this is a superb choice for a game clock. I find the Excalibur Game Time 2 to be sturdy, a good size (portable, yet large enough to see on a crowded table), easy to read, well designed and engineered, well documented, and suitable for Canadian or Japanese byo-yomi. I prefer it to the other game timers I've used, and I highly recommend it. The clock case is made of an attractive smooth black plastic. The display is LCD with a contrast control, but no backlight. The main numbers showing time remaining are large (about .75 inches / 2 cm tall), and the screen is at an angle from vertical, so the display is easy for the players and others (for example, a tournament director) to read. (These two features make it superior to some other game clocks I've used.) Other status information is displayed with smaller symbols. You can choose sudden death, Canadian overtime, or Japanese byo-yomi. Fischer time is implemented (but it's called "FIDE bonus time" and denoted by the "ACCUM" on the display screen). Eight common Go time limits are pre-programmed. Battery life is fine, claimed to be ~500 hours (4 AAs). The controls are well designed. The power switch is on the bottom (so can't be shut off accidentally). The oversized play buttons (approx. 2.5 cm / 1 inch) are easy to depress accurately in the frenzy of byo-yomi, and marked so a glance tells whether they're fully depressed and whose turn it is. A high-pitched tone can be configured to sound before a time control ends. The GT2 is a sophisticated device with many parameters, which leads to the only inconvenience I've encountered with it: I have to read the directions before using it (unlike a mechanical chess clock, for example). This is not a serious problem, and would go away if I used it more often. The manual is clearly written (downloadable manual in PDF), and the bottom is labeled with a reference chart and brief instructions. If you keep the batteries in, it remembers any custom settings you've programmed (though the factory pre-sets usually suffice). I have read comments from Chess players that the plungers tend to break under heavy use. I have not used mine enough to see this, but I imagine if one pounds excessively on the clock, it could break. Approximate dimensions: Yellow Mountain Imports lists it for $29.99 (2007-09-18) Comments & Reviewsvery good - Written by zinger on 2007-04-04 09:53:14
 Just got this recently. So far it seems to be an excellent clock. The clock itself is reasonably small (i.e. easy to carry around) but still the display and plungers are big. The vast array of time options and easy to configure custom settings make this an easy choice. Even the price is good. The only downside I can see so far is that the plungers caps appear a bit frail - they are loosely attached and made of fairly thin plastic. This suggests that they could break if subjected to hard rapping, perhaps as in blitz chess where many players hit the clock with a captured piece. I don't forsee this ever being a problem playing Go. Everything I need, and more - Written by alejo on 2007-01-26 05:04:37
I just received this product yesterday and have been using it the whole day. It features 91 different presets, which, most of them I won't use, going from blitz chess games to 2 hours ones. It's got 5 Go presets, the shortest one being 30 m 10s Japanese and 30m with 30/5min (30 stones in 5 minutes Canadian). It also enables you to have 5 user defined presets, japanese or canadian, and it is really easy to use and setup. I'd read about sound problems, but I don't think it makes more noise than me placing the stones... So, it's just perfect... Every must have feature is there - Written by rafadc on 2007-01-03 20:50:45
There are several go modes and still some programmable so I mask it as a must have for a go club. Also it has a lot of modes for other games but I never used it. Worth Every Penny - Written by kiseki on 2006-09-02 02:36:41
This is a fabulous addition to my go collection, and I have really enjoyed using it. It did not take very long to figure out, and it is very easy to use and reset in a tounament setting. Anyone can be taught to reset it in seconds, and the options are endless. It has the most common time settings preset into it, and 5 user settings. I love it. Similar to "Excalibur Game Time II"Jungsuk (Joseki) in Our Time: 3-4 Point Jungsuk YMI Go Game Roll Up Magnetic Travel Set Let's Play Go! A Simple Introduction to the Game of Go Go as Communication: The Educational and Therapeutic Value of the Game of Go |
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