Coin Door thoughts - to wire up or not?

[leapinlew]

On the fence on whether you should wire up your coin door or not? I've had Mame cabinets for years and putting quarters in my cabinet was fun the first dozen times or so but after the novelty wore off it was all about the games. Everyone now opts to use the coin buttons. I'm glad I have the coin door, but in my house it's not worth it to use quarters.

I'll still use coin doors, but only for aesthetics. Whats your experience?

[yotsuya]

Mine are wired, but I use 'Any Coin' mechs, so people can drop in quarters, nickels, tokens, and whatnot. The novelty hasn't worn off.

[Dechene]

I've switched to coin buttons now as well.

The coin slot is nice to look at, but it slows me down too much when I'm in an epic Metal Slug session and want to add a quick $10 to the game to keep playing!

[yotsuya]

I will add that the iPac's shift function makes it easy to use tokens or not. I like using tokens for nostalgic reasons, but it's easy to credit up a coin muncher without using coins.

[Nephasth]

I have modified my quarter mechs to accept most coins. I will also install switches behind the reject buttons. To add credits, tokens can be dropped in or the reject button can be pushed.

[mgb]

I'm wiring mine but also putting microswitches behind the reject buttons, which I'll probably use more.

[gabe]

Mine is wired. Here's why:

• It's a cool party trick - it impresses my friends
• I'm a nerd who gets his jollies from recreating the arcade experience as accurately as possible
• When playing for score, I truly believe that using a quarter is lucky
• Why not? No one forces me to use it, but it's nice to have the option. I can always use a shift key, or set the game to 'free-play'

[upprc04]

For the people who said they have their coin doors setup to accept any coin, what modifications did you make for this?  I saw there use to be some "Any Coin" mechs for sale, but it sounds like there is no more available.  I have some quarter coin mechs and would like to modify them to accept anything. 

Any tutorials on how to do this or examples?

[pinballwizard79]

I use my coin door & love it

[Nephasth]

For the people who said they have their coin doors setup to accept any coin, what modifications did you make for this?  I saw there use to be some "Any Coin" mechs for sale, but it sounds like there is no more available.  I have some quarter coin mechs and would like to modify them to accept anything. 

Any tutorials on how to do this or examples?

I used this for some hints, but had to figure most of it out on my own by watching a token going through the mech. The modifications I made are irreversable.

[Mikezilla]

I have modified my quarter mechs to accept most coins. I will also install switches behind the reject buttons. To add credits, tokens can be dropped in or the reject button can be pushed.

Dude that is what I want to do but I didnt know if it could be done.

[gabe]

Does everyone here have a large collection of wooden nickels?

Why not just use quarters?

[eds1275]

I wired up the coin rejects alongside the coin slot... pay or push to play. I like the novelty of it, but dropping a quarter/token etc can get a little old if you're by yourself.

[upprc04]

Does everyone here have a large collection of wooden nickels?

Why not just use quarters?

Not very many real arcades around or reason to have a handful of quarters around to use.  It would be nice to be able to use any change and use it as a piggy bank.

[Nephasth]

I have modified my quarter mechs to accept most coins. I will also install switches behind the reject buttons. To add credits, tokens can be dropped in or the reject button can be pushed.

Dude that is what I want to do but I didnt know if it could be done.

As far as the switches behind the reject button, it's pretty much exactly like the pic eds1275 posted. As far as modding the quarter mechs, a few internal parts need to be removed or bent, or filed down, and one piece near the bottom either needs to be cut out (if plastic) or bent straight (if metal).

[ids]

Does everyone here have a large collection of wooden nickels?

Why not just use quarters?

Not very many real arcades around or reason to have a handful of quarters around to use.  It would be nice to be able to use any change and use it as a piggy bank.

Agree on both fronts to varying degrees - but I also have a large jar full of quarters.  Weighs a ton, cannot imagine how much money is in there.  I know I've dropped in ~8-10 quarters at a time and they just vanish.  The novelty of using them wears off at times, but wiring them is not a big job either.  I like the appearance, the fact that they do work, and the fact that they reject anything that isn't a Canadian quarter.  Sometime it'd be nice to grab any old coin I can find and drop it in, but the rejection thing is more authentic or...i duno, I like it more.  If you have a working door, you may as well wire it up, imho.  I also added coin counters, the numbers showing are a real shocker too.  I give my kids heck for the hours in front of their consoles....best not show them a real count of what dad is up to 

[Ginsu Victim]

Mine can either accept quarters or use the switches I've rigged up behind the rejects, just like eds1275 did.

[BobA]

Adds another level of realism but bartop and coin doors do not get along.  Small coin mechs do not give the feel and look of a coin door.

[compute]

For some reason I had been considering this an either/or proposition.  I like the idea of using coins, although I want to rig my arcade to run on tokens (or do any-coin mod).  At the same time, on my cabs I find myself just opening the door and tripping the coin switch anyway.  It seems like doing both would be the way to go in this case.  Thanks for the discussion, guys!

[bradx]

i have a hidden switch under the CP for credits and the coin door is wired up.  couple years now and i still use it as a bank to hold all my quarters.

[nordemoniac]

I've wired up a CH-924. It can accept 4 types of coins. To bad that two of the four coin-types we have didn't work. (The two has holes in them).
Anyways, it's now configured to accept .984 tokens + coins equal to $2 and $4. These two coins give 10 and 20 credits.

It's nice, because when you have friends over, you put aside the tokens, and you will able to get some payment back on the project. Of course it's not legal, but friends wants to contribute!

[Jack Burton]

I wired up my coin door but nobody ever really used it.  All my friends are tech-savvy gamer types so they preferred using the credit button. 

If I ever built a cab again I'd probably just skip the whole concept of a coin door and acceptor.  A nice square LED lit button that says CREDIT on it would suffice. 

[eds1275]

As far as modding the quarter mechs, a few internal parts need to be removed or bent, or filed down, and one piece near the bottom either needs to be cut out (if plastic) or bent straight (if metal).

Or, if you are like me and have mechs that are missing some pieces, just make some paper chutes to direct the coins in the right direction.

My take on this is if you have a coin door, I think people kind of expect it to work. It doesn't really require much in terms of getting it to work either in time or money [assuming you already have the coin door].

[Necro]

There's someone over at KLOV (thought he was here as well) selling 'universal' metal mechs that take anything.  I think it's like 10-15 each...

[upprc04]

There's someone over at KLOV (thought he was here as well) selling 'universal' metal mechs that take anything.  I think it's like 10-15 each...

link? and can someone "sponsor" me or whatever so I can post over there?

[yotsuya]

Arcadenut here sold them, but I checked the link and they're sold out. Too bad, too, because they're awesome. I bought 4 of them myself.

[upprc04]

Arcadenut here sold them, but I checked the link and they're sold out. Too bad, too, because they're awesome. I bought 4 of them myself.

I asked him if he was planning on making more or had any in stock a while ago too.  I'm still in the planning stage for my next machine, so I maybe I'll give the paper chute idea a shot and decide if I like having them wired up and do the reject button trick to coin up.

[yotsuya]

Did he say if he was going to have any more made? I'd pick a few more up myself.

[upprc04]

Did he say if he was going to have any more made? I'd pick a few more up myself.

He said he didn't know when he was going to get more in stock.  Wasn't around or missed when he had the first batch, so I don't know how well it went.

[yotsuya]

I think I bought the first pair from him, and I picked them up in person. He had a fair amount made, but between here and KLOV, I'm not surprised they're all gone. They're an awesome device- no jams anymore, takes quarters, nickels, tokens- I even have some Japanese coins that I use.

[Necro]

I'd love to grab them too - my assumption I didn't need/want them was dead wrong. 

However, there basically just a straight chute for the coins, from what I remember, so the paper thing or doing something with some sheet metal from the hardware store should be able to at least replicate the functionality.

[yotsuya]

I'd love to grab them too - my assumption I didn't need/want them was dead wrong. 

However, there basically just a straight chute for the coins, from what I remember, so the paper thing or doing something with some sheet metal from the hardware store should be able to at least replicate the functionality.

To be sure, they do a little more than that. They're engineers to slow the coin down as they drop. He showed me some prototypes he had made that were basically straight chutes, but the coins fell too fast to register a credit. They're a pretty nice design. The coin dropping a few levels makes a pretty realistic mech sound.

[Martijn]

Coin accept and push to reject wireupp  

like i did here



and here


 

Doing this removes 2 ugly unwanted buttons on the cp in my oppinion

[Jdurg]

Does everyone here have a large collection of wooden nickels?

Why not just use quarters?

Not very many real arcades around or reason to have a handful of quarters around to use.  It would be nice to be able to use any change and use it as a piggy bank.

Back in '07, when my brain thought the house I just bought was much bigger than it really was, I was going to be building my arcade cab with a fully functional coin door.  I went on E-Bay and got a REALLY beat up one with the coin-mechs in there for only $20.  Just had to replace some parts in the mechs that had rusted beyond repair, and get a new counter as the one that was on there was messed up.  After a few days of hammering and pounding the dents out of the door, then stripping the paint and rusted areas off with steel wool, I was finally able to prime the thing and paint it black.  (Used Rustoleum Hammered Black pain to maintain a nice texture on the thing).  Home Depot provided me with the locks I needed for the door, and after completely disassembling the mechs, cleaning all the parts, and replacing the ones that had to be replaced, it was working like brand new.  I think I spent a total of around $50 or $60 on the door and all the parts needed to replace what was broken, but it looks like it's brand new. 

It was around this point that I realized there would be no way at all for me to build an arcade cabinet and have it actually fit inside my house.    So the fully restored coin door has been sitting in my home office upstairs and acting as a really sweet piggy bank.  Any time I've gotten a quarter in change, it has gone into the coin door.  Something just puts a smile on my face when I put the quarter in the slot, hear it clink through the mech, then drop into the bucket underneath and plop onto the other quarters.  A while back, I decided to see how much money I had collected in there.  After dumping out all the quarters and counting them up and putting them in rolls, I had over $100 in quarters!  This is definitely a cool thing to have as a piggy bank in your cab.  You can put a switch behind the reject button so that if you want you can insert a coin for credits, or push the reject button to get a credit.  Or, just leave the key to the door in the lock and let people dig in to grab quarters for use if needed.

I'm still keeping my restored coin door to use as an awesome piggy bank, and just in case I decide to build a cocktail cabinet as that is something I could probably put together and build inside the house here and not have to worry about finding a place for it to fit.

[OverRide]

I have both. A shift key + whatever button is on the CP for those times you need credits quick! Other times I just use coins, much more fun and no explanation required for visitors wanting to play.

[yaksplat]

+1 for a fully functional coin door and a shift button.

My kids will never see the shift button in use

[Necro]

Did he say if he was going to have any more made? I'd pick a few more up myself.

He said he didn't know when he was going to get more in stock.  Wasn't around or missed when he had the first batch, so I don't know how well it went.

This is the metal one from KLOV right?  That was $15?  He responded to your email?  I asked about how large of an order was needed to get another batch done but...no response. :/

[upprc04]

Did he say if he was going to have any more made? I'd pick a few more up myself.

He said he didn't know when he was going to get more in stock.  Wasn't around or missed when he had the first batch, so I don't know how well it went.

This is the metal one from KLOV right?  That was $15?  He responded to your email?  I asked about how large of an order was needed to get another batch done but...no response. :/

I PMed Arcadenut who was selling them here (not sure if he was selling on KLOV also).  I never followed up to see how large of an order is needed.  And by how well it went, I meant for him.  Like if it was worth his time and money to make or have them made.  You can  try to PM him to see if he'd be interested in making another batch.  I would be interested in getting a couple most likely.