Newest Addition to My Gameroom - The Cash-In-Hand Story

[yotsuya]

Hey guys-

Like many of you, I grew up in the 80s. My arcade experiences revolve around tokens and quarters and change. That's why my two cabs both accept coins and don't have credit buttons. To me, there's nothing like dropping in the coin and then playing the game. Free play, while a nice concept, isn't the way we did it back then.

So, in order to have a fun, functional gaming area, I have a large jar of tokens I've collected. Although this works just fine, I've always toyed with the idea of getting some sort of change dispenser. Is it necessary? No. But to me, putting a dollar into the slot and hearing the change drop into the return slot is as much a part of the arcade as the games themselves.

I toyed with the idea of building one, as the cost of change machines on eBay and Craigslist seemed very prohibitive. I could immediately rule out the larger ones, as cost and shipping were too high. The smaller ones were probably what I was looking at, but even at that, the cost they wanted for shipping was about the price of the machine.

So, I just kind of kept my eye open. Around Christmastime, I found a guy on CL who wanted $175 firm for one of the smaller ones. It was more that I wanted to pay, but I couldn't seem to get him down. I thought about giving in, but the listing disappeared before I could make a decision, so I assume he sold it. Even at that, $175 was still $100 bucks lower that what they were listing for on eBay, but I had a budget. I had to just wait.
 
A few weeks ago, a different listing came up for pretty much the same machine. This guy also wanted $175 for his. I decided to take a page out of the PinballJim handbook. I shot him an email, politely telling him that I saw the listing and that I was interested. I told him that if he had trouble unloading these, I had $100 bucks cash in hand that I would be willing to give him for one. I didn't want to sound like I was lowballing him, but rather I was giving him a option if they didn't sell. At worst, he'd ignore the email- at best, I'd get an email from him after a week or two and get my machine. I figure he might try to counter, and as long as he didn't try to go over $120, I'd get my change machine. It was a straight-forward, no-haggle offer.

The next day, he replied and said $100 would be fine. I went and picked up my very own change machine.



I took some tokens to his house to make sure they worked. Sure enough, they did. The guy is a beverage machine route operator. He picked up some used machines and had no need for these, so that's why he was selling them. He was really nice and made sure I got the best one (he had 5 of them for sale). I'm always liked PBJ's Cash-In-Hand posts, but now I see the definite advantage to them.

I'm going to build a nice stand for this. I can't wait to break it out for the next party. No more freeloading!

[Q*Bert_OP]

Dunno if you want a free-play option on the changer or not, but it would be super easy to rig up since that uses a pulse interface DBA.

[yotsuya]

Funny you say that, Q*Bert- I *was* going to post a schematic here along with an idea I had to rig a hidden button to dispense tokens. You have an insight/idea? I'm all ears!

[Q*Bert_OP]

It looks like you have a JCM DBV-10, possibly a 20.

Just splice the pulse line and a ground line to a microswitch. 3 of the 6 wires are ground wires. 1 is the pulse line, and the other 2 likely have 12v going to them. Verify this with a DMM.

[yotsuya]

Q*Bert-

Here's the wiring diagram from the manual.



My thought was that I could splice a button between the Orange (signal) line and the Black (grnd.) lines coming off the bill acceptor. Does that sound correct? Also, do you think I should use diodes on the lines coming from the button to the splice?

Thanks.

[HaRuMaN]

That would look great next to this:



 

[Le Chuck]

What the hell is that ^?

[yotsuya]

That would be pretty awesome. Maybe I can find a soda machine as well.

[yaksplat]

Definately a part of my future game room
 

awesome

[HaRuMaN]

What the hell is that ^?

That's my payphone, that currently resides in my gameroom.

[Le Chuck]

To be all realistic do you have the reciever all filled with gunk?  Is it at least all hooked up?  If you get calls to your payphone that is actually pretty awesome.

[HaRuMaN]

To be all realistic do you have the reciever all filled with gunk?  Is it at least all hooked up?  If you get calls to your payphone that is actually pretty awesome.

No gunk, lol.

It's hooked up, rings, can be used to make or receive calls.  No coins required.

[yotsuya]

Sweet! Did you ever get that sign made? That'll be my next project.

[HaRuMaN]

Sweet! Did you ever get that sign made? That'll be my next project.

No, not yet.  I'm thinking I'm going to cut out a rounded piece of MDF to match the sign, put t-molding around the edge, then hang it on the wall.

[Well Fed Games]

Hoping to use the "cash in hand" method tomorrow with the OP I bought my first (Ms. Pac) cab from last year. I am hoping cash + "all these cabinets have been sitting here for a year not making money..." will be enough to get some deals.

[yotsuya]

Sweet! Did you ever get that sign made? That'll be my next project.

No, not yet.  I'm thinking I'm going to cut out a rounded piece of MDF to match the sign, put t-molding around the edge, then hang it on the wall.

If you want the original file I used to make a cutting template, let me know. I can send you the .jpg.

[yotsuya]

Hoping to use the "cash in hand" method tomorrow with the OP I bought my first (Ms. Pac) cab from last year. I am hoping cash + "all these cabinets have been sitting here for a year not making money..." will be enough to get some deals.

Good luck on that. It's going to be my CL mantra from now on.

[Pinball Wizard]

I have the EXACT same changer. Picked it up at auction for only $40 because the crowd got split and the changer was on the parts table... I haven't had the chance to examine it, but now it looks like you got me setup for the push button method Thanks!

[Q*Bert_OP]

Q*Bert-


My thought was that I could splice a button between the Orange (signal) line and the Black (grnd.) lines coming off the bill acceptor. Does that sound correct? Also, do you think I should use diodes on the lines coming from the button to the splice?

Thanks.

That's correct. The diodes shouldn't be necessary, but I'm not an EE.

I've added a DBA to a coin switch line by wiring the pulse line in parallel with the coin switch, and aside of the rare possibility of someone inserting a coin and a bill pulsing at the same time and not crediting both, there weren't any problems. YMMV

[yotsuya]

I have the EXACT same changer. Picked it up at auction for only $40 because the crowd got split and the changer was on the parts table... I haven't had the chance to examine it, but now it looks like you got me setup for the push button method Thanks!

Sweet! Do you need a copy of the manual? I have it in.pdf format.

Q*Bert- thanks for the tips. Once I build the stand, I'll mess with wiring.

[Pinball Wizard]

I would love to get a copy of the manual! Like I said I haven't had a chance to do anything with it, but I'd rather get it from you now instead of looking for it later

[yotsuya]

PM me your e-mail address and I will send you the PDF.

[Mac Green]

In SD I was gonna pick up a working change machine for 5$ but they lady selling it gave it to a friend 

[HaRuMaN]

Sweet! Did you ever get that sign made? That'll be my next project.

No, not yet.  I'm thinking I'm going to cut out a rounded piece of MDF to match the sign, put t-molding around the edge, then hang it on the wall.

If you want the original file I used to make a cutting template, let me know. I can send you the .jpg.

Yeah, send that to me please.

[yotsuya]

Check your PMs. Sent you a link to the file. Enjoy!

[Gray_Area]

Not to diss your cool efforts here. Just mentioning that I don't miss the paucity of those things. I love cell phones and free play. My favorite days were 'free play' days at said arcade.

[yotsuya]

Gray_Area-

I mainly played videogames at laundrymats, pizza places, and convenience stores. As a kid, I never saw a "free play" setting out in the wild. So, for me, it was an issue with getting the most out of my dollar or so in coins. I love the feeling of putting a coin in the machine and hearing the "credit up" sound. For me, getting and using tokens on my Mame cabs is a no-brainer.

And actually, the change machine will be nice to use as a management tool when my nieces and nephews come over to play. It's easy to hog the machine when it's set to freeplay or if you just have to reach into a jar to get more tokens. Plus, the clatter of tokens/coins dropping into the cup when you put your dollar in is a sweet sound as well. 

[HaRuMaN]

 

[Well Fed Games]

I mainly played videogames at laundrymats, pizza places, and convenience stores. As a kid, I never saw a "free play" setting out in the wild. So, for me, it was an issue with getting the most out of my dollar or so in coins. I love the feeling of putting a coin in the machine and hearing the "credit up" sound. For me, getting and using tokens on my Mame cabs is a no-brainer.

I'm toying with the idea of emulating dreamcast in a cabinet that was previously coin operated, I wrestle with not having it be coin-op as I love the aesthetic of the coin! I'm with you... a change machine is definitely a cool gameroom addition.

[yotsuya]

This made me think of something that happened to me when I was in the 7th grade...

It was the last day of school, May 1986, a half-day. I went to a small Catholic school that only had one class per grade, meaning that there were only probably 25 kids in my class, and we were all going to be 8th graders (the top of the food chain). There was a Peter Piper Pizza down the street with a decent sized gameroom we would go to, and we all decided to go there after school to blow off steam and celebrate. I asked my mom for some money to go. As a kid, we pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck, so the best she could do was two dollars. She figured I could go for a hour or so before my grandmother could pick me up.

I got to school that morning and everyone was pretty excited about going. People were bragging about how their parents gave them twenties to spend. Nautrally, my friends asked me how much I brought. I told them that my mom just handed me some money and I didn't know. After some insistent prodding, I "checked" my wallet and feigned outrage that it was only two dollars. Boy, did I hear about it for the rest of the day.

So yeah- coins and tokens and change machines and the economy of video games will always have a place in my heart. 

[yotsuya]

I may have another 'cash-in-hand' story to share by tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed!

[Gray_Area]

It was the last day of school, May 1986, a half-day....I asked my mom for some money to go. As a kid, we pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck, so the best she could do was two dollars...I got to school that morning and everyone was pretty excited about going. People were bragging about how their parents gave them twenties to spend. Nautrally, my friends asked me how much I brought...I "checked" my wallet and feigned outrage that it was only two dollars. Boy, did I hear about it for the rest of the day.

What neighborhood were you in that other kids were getting handed twenties just for it being the end of school?  We would go to Chuck E. Cheese and had maybe only five dollars (at most) between my brother and me. Maybe why my dad is sitting pretty well right now, though.

Anyways, I understand your sentiment. In my experience, money was more an obstacle than gateway. Although, I guess you could make a case for 'well, now I can put tokens in all day long!', but I've kinda moved past that.

[Turvey]

I may have another 'cash-in-hand' story to share by tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed!

My fingers are getting REALLY sore now! Can I un-cross them please? 

[yotsuya]

Heh. You can. It went through (althought it hasn't been as painless as this pickup was)

Cash-In-Hand II: The Megatouch

[Neostalker]

That is one feature that will complete my arcade room too. A change dispenser. I want to wire mine up for $1 bills and it dispenses like 20 coins. It would be awesome and
feel like you are winning the lottery every time. That way I don't hear my friends complaining about having to pay to play

[yotsuya]

There are some dip switches on the changer I might mess with, but right now it's pretty much $1=4 Quarters.

[yotsuya]

That would look great next to this:



 

Funny thing, I just picked up a pay phone a few weeks ago for $0.

[yotsuya]

Here's a pic - I made the phone sign myself.

[Cobolisdead]

Nice!