G8 Game timer

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Capt. Don & Sharon

Welcome to Dream Green, award winning games

MECH WARRIOR HOUSE RULES

Mode 1: One Player
Mode 2: 45 Minutes
Mode 4: 5 Minutes
Mode 8: Select A or B and save
Mode 0 Start Play

Mech Warrior is manufactured by WizKids

Review by John J. Chew, III

Director, Toronto SCRABBLE(R) Club (National SCRABBLE(R) Association Club #3)

 The "G8 GameTimer" is a welcome addition to the range of timers available for serious Scrabble players. Priced at USD 34.95 in single quantity or down to USD 20.00 in large volume, it brings the price of electronic timing down to an affordable level for schools, clubs, tournament players and directors. It's a versatile device that can be set up to time all sorts of different games with up to eight players, turn time limits, game time limits and other more esoteric features.

What's the catch? There are a couple. Because the timer is not specifically designed for Scrabble, you have a little work to do when you first set it up, and the configuration controls are a little confusing. Also, because the timer is designed for games with up to eight players, the display shows the current player's time in large digits above the other player's time in small digits, which takes getting used to. If you have trouble adapting to new technology, this timer is not for you.

On the other hand, the timer is beautifully compact (about the size of two Franklins), has a hard protective case, runs off a watch battery and has a slot for a spare battery so that you can replace batteries without interrupting a game, and lets you easily save game times if your game is interrupted. My wife Kristen and I are happy with the evaluation copy we received, and will use it with our travel set on our regular Scrabble outings at our local cafe.

Use the following values for Scrabble play:

Mode setting 1: 2 players

Mode setting 2: 1:25:00 game time per player

Mode setting 3: default (no individual game time handicaps)

Mode setting 4: 51:03 turn time per player

Mode setting 5: default (no individual turn time handicaps)

Mode setting 6: 0 (no total game time limit)

Mode setting 7: does not matter (warning tones for running out of time)

Mode setting 8: save the above settings as either A or B or both

Mode setting 9: 0 (no delay between turns)

Using 1:25:00 of game time per player allows the clock to keep running after the regulation 25 minutes elapse, and to display how far into overtime you've gone. The 51:03 turn time limit lets you use the elapsed turn time indicator to estimate the expiry of 'hold time': after three seconds, you have probably finished saying 'hold' and the turn time drops to 50; after another sixty seconds, the turn time drops to 49 and your opponent will know it's safe to draw provisional tiles. 

John Chew

1-There's only one clock display? How can it time up to 8 players?
The display only displays the present player and the previous player's times and a player number to show whose turn it is. This is actually a very sophisticated timer. For instance if you pause a game and adjust any settings in any of the modes and then return to the game Mode 0, the timer will automatically reset itself to the last player. If you save a game in progress and then a week later recall that game the G8 will automatically reposition itself to start with who ever was the last player and remember how much time that player had left for that turn before you paused the game and saved it. All warning options, delay settings and all players times (total time for all turns and turn times, etc.) can be saved in either memory A or B for later recall by pressing a single key once. There is a port for a remote start/stop key. Although we have not started making these you can use a 2 wire plug, such as found on the output end of any transformer (AC to DC 3v, 9v etc. ) and wire up to 8 momentary switches in parallel to this. This way all players would have there own start/stop key.

2-Is it always h:mm:ss format, or does it switch from showing # of mins to mm:ss or any other 'changes' in display?
No. The display only shows the characters of the actual time. For example 4 minutes and 35 seconds remaining for a player's total time is not displayed as 0:04:35 but only as 4:35. No unnecessary information is displayed. There are several options for displaying data that can be selected during a game without having to even pause your game, for instance if you are not interested in a total time for all your turns, just press the "-" key and the individual turn time is displayed in the large digits. At any time you can also select between displaying increasing or decreasing time by pressing the "CLOCK" key.

3-Is it considered a 'standard' clock by USCF (Chess) and NSA (Scrabble) guidelines?
Please refer to the reviews section.

4-Race Game timing setup
I need a timer that counts down from 30 seconds and resets to 30 when pressing the button. I want to use it for a race game where each player has 30 seconds to complete a move. When the player is done, the timer needs to be easy to reset for the next player. It would also be nice if the last 5 seconds beeped as a warning.

Sure it does this. Set mode 1 for the number of players. Remember that even if you don't require a total time for all your turns Mode 2 must be set. In this case set mode 2 to nine hours and mode 4 to 30 seconds. Then set a warning of up to nine seconds in mode 7.

Save your settings in either memory A or B in Mode 8 and that's it. Never set another thing. Every time you play just recall the appropriate memory, go to mode 0 and keep pressing the big blue start/stop key for each player. Also since you are only interested in monitoring the 30 second turn time, press the "-" key when in mode 0 to display the 30 second count down in the large digits.

Also remember that even if a game has started, the G8 can be paused, and any of the settings of any mode can be adjusted.

Games Journal Review (Jan 02)

Fen Yan: Mik Svellov brought this timer (GGA - G8 Game Timer) to my attention on the Yahoo mailing list for Das Motorsportspiel. I purchased one and it will be ideal for Das Motorsportspiel where timing is the key part of the game. Useful for my races are the large readout, time limit setting between 30 to 20 seconds, variable warning beep setting, and one-touch reset. For me, it's worth it. I think other Motorsportspiel fans will plan to use even more features of the timer, such as individual turn times and overall turn times (refueling).

As you said, a great countdown timer.

Review atBrett & Board

G8 - Game chess clock for up to 8 players

The perfect gift for the gamer who has everything!

Very useful for longwinded games such as Tikal or Java

- and perfect for all games where timing is of the essence,

like Richochet Robot or Das Motorsportsspiel!

The G8 Game Timer
--by Wayne Saunders
See The Big Game Hunter

One could easily make a list of basic equipment that every dedicated gamer ought to own as accessories to his game collection: counters, dice, Plexiglas for covering paper boards or games printed in books, resealable hobby bags for organizing pieces in their game boxes, and timers.

1) Of course, when players just want to end a game after a certain amount of time has elapsed, they have always found an alarm clock or watch alarm to be sufficient.

2) Sand timers come with a lot of party games, but they're invaluable for moving along any game that might otherwise bog down from the presence of one or two cautious players. (I would be among them.) Sand timers are handy for limiting a player's turn to one, two, or three minutes, or a general round of play to maybe five or ten minutes. But in the former case, each person really needs his own; otherwise, the sand usually has to be run into one of the two glass bulbs before the timer can be passed to the next player. (Only a few games make a partially-run sand timer part of the rules and strategy of a player's turn.) Expert players could presumably handicap their play by using timers that last longer than those of their less experienced opponents, though few games provide either suggestions for this option or the equipment for carrying it out.

3) On the other hand, many games, especially those being played as part of a tournament, give players more flexibility by limiting only the amount of time each player can use for the totality of his moves. For this purpose, a standard-issue analog "chess clock" has been the preferred instrument since before the turn of the last century, when large chess tournaments began to require time management, and special timepieces were developed almost by necessity. When a player finishes his turn, he simply pushes down on the button on his side of a small case containing two clocks, stopping the clock on his side of the case and starting the one on his opponent's side. A bell rings or a flag drops when one player runs out of time. Digital equipment is starting to replace analog, but may cost $100 or more and still be limited to only two players.

Thus my delight when a low-cost ($33) unit recently appeared on the market that can do all the above and then some. The G8 Game Timer, designed by aeronautics student Don Green and marketed by his educational games company Dream Green, is a marvel of design. Though only 3 1/2" by 4 3/4" by 3/4" with its matching Noxema-bottle-colored cover in place, it can limit the turn times and/or the total times of up to eight players, as well as the combined time of all the players for the whole game. Different players can receive their own customized turn or total times for handicapping purposes. A delay time can even be programmed into the mix so that a player whose turn has just begun can gather his thoughts or so that a trivia card can be read before a round of guessing begins. The countdown alarm for the end of a player's turn or game time can be adjusted for length and type (beeps and/or flashing light). And though several statistics appear at the same time on the large LCD screen, the emphasis can be put alternatively on the present player's game time remaining, his game time accumulated, or his turn time remaining. (The previous player's game time remaining or accumulated always appears in small numbers at the bottom of the screen.) Game times that don't just run out are ended by hitting the big blue rubberized button in the center of the console. Six smaller yellow buttons around the edges are for making the initial settings and, if desired, saving those settings or unfinished games in either of two memory banks. The designer's self-confessed attention to detail has prompted him to include a summary of the programming routines in the sliding cover, a reset button, a port for accepting a remote access key, and an extra battery slot for installing a new battery while the old one retains the memory already programmed and saved. Materials and workmanship are warranted for one year.

The beauty of the unit is that, once it's programmed for the game at hand, it manages the pace of play with nothing more than a periodic tap to the center button. Its sheer usefulness was evident when it was used as the official timer of the 2001 Las Vegas International Scrabble Championship. The only possible downside is the trickiness of the programming procedures. The instructions that come with the G8, though they are not terribly lengthy, are maybe too terse (and assuming) for the layperson who has no more computer skills than I do. Though Don has been generous with technical and emotional support by phone and e-mail, I still find the G8 occasionally locked in an uncommunicative and even mocking mode reminiscent of my VCR and a handful of other recalcitrant hardware. But I am getting better. The machine is already doing most everything I really need it to, and I have already begun to think of it as a permanent guest at my gaming table.

Available from Dream Green, Weirton WV 26062. www.dreamgreen.org

G8 GameTimer Review by Games Magazine Page 72, February '03

by John J. McCallion

Left yawning by long lulls between turns? Aggravated by ambitious analysts? Here's the answer for folks who have been too polite to reprimand slow opponents during multiplayer strategy games.

Time limits of up to 10 hours can be set for one to eight players, with variable settings for individual players to facilitate handicaps. You can also specify a maximum time per turn, and activate warnings as the end of a time limit nears. The large numbers on the timer clearly indicate a player's remaining time.

The G8 game timer is, in many ways, more useful than the standard chess clock. It's truly the ideal antidote to those frustrating competitors who take too long to complete their turns in complex strategy games.

Be prepared to invest some time learning the mechanism's many options - a small price to pay for the ample reward of the extra games you'll get to play in an evening.

High rez image (1.2 mb)

Battery

General Setup Information
Mode 1 - Set the number of players. (Required)
Mode 2 - Set the total time limit for each player to complete all their turns
Mode 3 - Adjust one or more of the player times set in Mode 2
Mode 4- Set a maximum turn time that applies to all players.
Mode 5 - Adjust the individual player maximum turn time set in Mode 4 to handicap players
Mode 6 - Set a maximum time to complete an entire game.
Mode 7 - Selecting sound and light warning options.
Mode 8 - Memory locations A and B.
Mode 9 - Delay time
Mode 0 - The game mode.

To turn the power on or off press the ON/OFF key for 3 seconds. If nothing happens, the battery may need replacing. The G8 can be tested by inserting a paper clip into the RESET / TEST hole in the back of the case. A test routine is executed and after 10 minutes the G8 will turn off. DO NOT TEST WHILE PLAYING AS ALL GAME MEMORY INFORMATION IS DELETED, including information in memory A and B. To improve the viewing angle lean the G8 against a book using the ridge on the back to prevent slipping. The remote start / stop switch is sold separately.

Battery
The G8 has one 3 Volt (CR2032) battery installed at the time of shipment. I recommend that you purchase and install a second battery. The display area will dim when the battery needs to be replaced. Just remove and replace each battery one at a time to preserve memory information. CAUTION - be very careful to not short the 3 inner negative battery contacts with the 2 postive contacts when installing the battery as it will cause all your settings and game times to be deleted. It won't harm the timer. You will notice that a white plastic circle seperates the contacts and reduces this possible problem.

Setup
The G8 has two areas of operation: setup and play. During setup, (Modes 1-9) users enter information required to run the G8 during a game. During play (Mode 0) the G8 executes turns for each player based on the information entered in the setup. In all modes, a key press is confirmed by a single LED flash and or Beep as selected in Mode 7. The G8 is designed with 3 blocks of memory. All the initial settings you make are saved in block "C". During a game the data in this block is altered. 2 Other memory blocks "A and B" are used to save initial settings or a game in progress for later use.

A - Press the MODE key to switch between modes.

B - The + and - keys increase and decrease the selected hour, minute, and second digits or press at the same time to zero the selected digit.

C - Press the CLOCK key to confirm each.


Mode 1 - Set the number of players. (Required)
The MODE key is pressed until a "1" is displayed above the word MODE on the LCD. Press the + or - key to select the desired number of players, displayed above the word PLAYER. Players can be added and deleted during a game.

Mode 2 - This mode sets the same total time limit for each player to complete all their turns, up to 9 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. After a player has nearly used up all their combined turn times the G8 will indicate this by flashing the LED and emitting a sound as set in Mode 7. A time must be set in this mode for the G8 to operate. If this time is not important to you just set 9 hours. This mode cannot be adjusted once a game has begun.

The hours digit will flash inviting the user to enter or modify the hours. See Setup B & C to modify the hours, minutes and seconds.

Mode 3 - Adjust one or more of the player times set in Mode 2 for handicap purposes or to correct an error made in game play. Press the PAUSE key to select the desired player and see Setup B & C to modify.

Mode 4- Set a maximum turn time that applies to all players. (up to 99 minutes) The G8 will flash the LED and emit a sound as set in Mode 7 and the words TURN TIME will flash when this time limit is approached. See Setup B & C to modify. To display turn time in the large digits press the "-" key while in Mode 0 and again to switch back. This mode is optional and if left at zero a turn limit will not apply. This mode cannot be adjusted once a game has begun.

Mode 5 - Adjust the individual player maximum turn time set in Mode 4 to handicap players. Press the PAUSE key to switch between players. See Setup B & C to modify the time.

Mode 6 - Set a maximum time to complete an entire game. This optional setting keeps track of the total time used by all players, excluding pause time, and a warning as set in Mode 7 plus the word STOP flashes as this time limit approaches. Play can be continued after this time limit by pressing the START/STOP key. This can be done for instance to allow all players to have an equal number of turns. This time limit can be reset during a game.

Mode 7 - Selecting sound and light warning options.
Press the PAUSE key to select between light and sound warning options. These are displayed as L or S. • L - Light only • S - Sound only • LS - Light and Sound • If no option is displayed, neither the LED nor the sound will function during the last seconds of a turn or game.

Press the + and - keys to change the number of seconds for the warning from 1 to 9. Adjust the sound volume in Mode 0.

Mode 8 - Memory locations A and B.
Save all your startup settings and/or mid-game times for later use. The delay setting, the selected warning options and the next player to play is also saved. To save a game in progress press PAUSE to stop the timer. Select Mode 8, Player 1 is displayed with the word MEMORY A. If nothing has been saved then only the appropriate zeros are displayed. Press the (+) key to alternate between memory A and memory B. Pressing the PAUSE key scrolls through the players. Press the CLOCK key to transfer the game memory data ( block C ) to the memory A or B position, whichever is selected. Any existing data in the selected memory will be over written. The word Memory disappears leaving just the A or B to indicate that the information has been transferred to the selected memory. To view data in game memory ( block C ) select Mode 0 and scroll through it by pressing the PAUSE key.

To start a game using settings stored in memory A or B, select A or B and press the START/STOP key. When playing a game the letter A or B will show if the game is started with data from either memory. This is just to help you select the memory you desire if you still don't finish your game and wish to re-save your game.

Mode 9 - Delay time (up to 59 seconds)
Set a time delay that occurs before turns in Mode 0. Chess players might like 5 seconds, but often it is easier to allow the maximum of 59 seconds before the next players time starts counting down since you don't have to wait for the entire delay period to finish. When a delay is counting down in Mode 0, indicated by a flashing colon (:) between the hour and minute digits, you can start the next player immediately by just pressing the start/stop key.
The end of the delay is indicated by a single LED flash or Beep as set in Mode 7. See Setup B & C to modify the time.

 
Mode 0 - The game mode.
SEQUENTIAL TURN BASED TIMING
Press the START/STOP key to stop a player's turn and start the next player after the delay time set in Mode 9. After the last player's turn, the G8 cycles back to the first player. If a player's set turn time or game time expires, the G8 will pause until the START/STOP key is pressed again, at which time the next player's turn is begun.

NON - SEQUENTIAL TURN BASED TIMING
• Press the PAUSE key to select the player to start. Press the START/STOP key to start the selected players turn. When that player is finished his/her turn press the PAUSE key to stop that players turn and press it again as required to select the next player to play. Press the START/STOP key to start that players turn.

• Use the CLOCK key to display increasing or decreasing Mode 3 time for both the active and previous player.

• The PAUSE key pauses the G8 when first pressed and switches between players for subsequent presses.

• The - key is used to switch between displaying turn time and the total time for all your turns in the large digits.

• If the G8 is paused, pressing the + and - keys together sets the selected player's game time to zero and they are omitted from the cycle. Pressing the + key cycles through the 3 volume levels.

• To modify a player's total game time remaining, for example, if the player has made an error, the PAUSE key is pressed to pause. Press the MODE key to select mode 3. Press the PAUSE key to select the appropriate player's time to adjust and adjust as in Setup B and C. Press the MODE key to return to mode 0 and the G8 will be ready to start with the last active player. Changes to individual turn times only take affect on the next turn. The START/STOP key is pressed once to start the player's turn.

The display automatically turns off to save power after ten minutes if either a turn or game time has elapsed and no further activity has occurred, or the PAUSE key has been pressed in mode 0. Press any key to reactivate. It is a good idea to adhere to chess rules that state; "A player must stop his clock with the same hand as that with which he made his move. It is forbidden for a player to keep his finger on the button or to 'hover' over it."

It is very easy and inexpensive to make your own. The parts are available at Radio Shack.

Their part number for the 1/8 th inch mono head phone type plug is 274-287, cost is $1.99.
This is the part to insert in the bottom of the G8. You also need to get
a momentary switch, I am not sure what the part
number is but as long as it is a momentary type with only 2 legs it should
work, since our circuit is only 3 volts and minimal amps. It probably shall cost you
less than $2.50. You can wire as many of the switches to the plug as you
like, as long as they are wired in parallel. I recommend you use
multi-strand copper wire as it is more flexible and stronger. The wire
can be as thin as telephone cord, but I do recommend
that you limit the length to a couple of feet or so.

A last point. Turn off the G8 before plugging in.
Remember that even with the remote switch the main blue button and all
other features work normally.

I hope this helps. Thanks for buying a timer. If you
need any further assistance just e-mail.

Happy gaming
Don Green

Turn on the G8 timer.
Select MODE 1: Press the + button to select 7 players 

MODE 2: Enter 30 second. This is the maximum time allowed per turn to place the first 3 pieces for both players.

MODE 3: Press PAUSE until player 7 is selected. Adjust to 5 minutes. This 5 minutes is the free play time. At the end of 5 minutes each player is only allowed to capture 5 times.

MODE 4: N/A

MODE 5: N/A

MODE 6: N/A

MODE 7: N/A

MODE 8: Press the clock button to save into memory for next time you play.

MODE 9: N/A

MODE 0: Press the large blue button to start the timer before the first player places a piece on the board. As soon as a player places one of their first 3 pieces on the board press the blue button again. To make play really fair the player who starts second should be allowed to play at the end of the 5 minute free play period before players are restricted to only 5 captures each.