Coin Door Switch Help

[AzureKnight]

I have a Happ coin door.  The original mechanics were for quarters.  I followed a few of the coin door hack threads here to modify them to allow any token to pass through.  I got that working fine but now I seem to have an issue with the switches.

Here is a photo



The tokens will pass all the way through the mechanics and hit the wire for the switch.  However they wouldn't trigger the switch every time.  I thought it wasn't moving the switch far enough so I tried bending the wire up some.  That helped a bit but not fully.

I can now push on the wire from the right side of the mechanics and get it to register a credit without the wire going all the way through.  So I know now that it isn't a matter of moving the switch far enough.

It seems to be an issue with how long the token moves the lever to the left before the wire returns to the right.  I'm not sure how to better explain it.  I guess I could say it seems to be related to the timing of the switch completing the circuit and breaking it again.  It if happens too fast or too slow it doesn't register. 

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

[yotsuya]

Sometimes the coins fall through too quickly.

[AzureKnight]

Sometimes the coins fall through too quickly.

Yeah, I guessed it was something along those lines.  What can be done?

[yotsuya]

Sometimes the coins fall through too quickly.

Yeah, I guessed it was something along those lines.  What can be done?

That's a good question. 

[AzureKnight]

Sometimes the coins fall through too quickly.

Yeah, I guessed it was something along those lines.  What can be done?

That's a good question. 

Thanks I'm rather fond of it myself 

Out of curiosity, do they sell different switches for quarters vs tokens?  Or is this a result of the modifications I did to the mechanics not slowing the token down enough/too much?

[yotsuya]

Sometimes the coins fall through too quickly.

Yeah, I guessed it was something along those lines.  What can be done?

That's a good question. 

Thanks I'm rather fond of it myself 

Out of curiosity, do they sell different switches for quarters vs tokens?  Or is this a result of the modifications I did to the mechanics not slowing the token down enough/too much?

Probably the mods. Did you take out that little swivel arm that catches the coin/token?

[Thenasty]

What size was the COIN used ? In my mod (Nasty-All in One Coin Mech, YEARS n YEARS ago-Still use it to this day) , if I use a dime, penny or nickel, sometimes it does not trigger a credit. Any other coins that's bigger in size, no problem (You can shove any coin size as long it fits the coin entry (accepts golden dollar sizes too).


Dug up the thread (2004)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,19200.msg153270.html#msg153270

[Vigo]

My Happ have the switches that are parallel to the coin, so I don't know what advice I can give, but I am wondering where on the wire you are bending? I am thinking that maybe if you bent it a little at the neck, rather than the natural bend, might work a little better.

Also, maybe even bend it a little more than the slot allows, make it so the switch is hairline "about to trip" when in its resting position. I am assuming that the coin comes down so quickly, that the force is more causing the wire to vibrate, and the energy is dissipated out by the wire before triggering the switch. Maybe even having the wire sit against the edge of the slot might even kill that vibration a bit.

Then again, I might be totally wrong. I admittedly am talking out of ---my bottom--- on this one.

[AzureKnight]

Here is a photo of the bend I put in the wire.  This "lengthened" it and helped a bit.  If I bend it any more it get's stuck.

What size was the COIN used ? In my mod (Nasty-All in One Coin Mech, YEARS n YEARS ago-Still use it to this day) , if I use a dime, penny or nickel, sometimes it does not trigger a credit. Any other coins that's bigger in size, no problem (You can shove any coin size as long it fits the coin entry (accepts golden dollar sizes too).


Dug up the thread (2004)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,19200.msg153270.html#msg153270

The coins were standard size tokens (.984?).  I actually did the mod to the coin doors a year or two ago.  I've been anxiously collecting parts for four years for this build.  So when the coin doors showed up I modified them right away.  Thenasty, I believe yours was one of the mods I followed but it didn't quite fit the mechanics I was looking at.  I know I couldn't find one guide that fit so I merged a couple of them.  I have a bucket of parts I can go back and review what I pulled out.

I removed the cradle.  I removed the magnet.  Inside there was a plastic deflector that I had to bend a little.

[yotsuya]

Here is a photo of the bend I put in the wire.  This "lengthened" it and helped a bit.  If I bend it any more it get's stuck.

What size was the COIN used ? In my mod (Nasty-All in One Coin Mech, YEARS n YEARS ago-Still use it to this day) , if I use a dime, penny or nickel, sometimes it does not trigger a credit. Any other coins that's bigger in size, no problem (You can shove any coin size as long it fits the coin entry (accepts golden dollar sizes too).


Dug up the thread (2004)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,19200.msg153270.html#msg153270

The coins were standard size tokens (.984?).  I actually did the mod to the coin doors a year or two ago.  I've been anxiously collecting parts for four years for this build.  So when the coin doors showed up I modified them right away.  Thenasty, I believe yours was one of the mods I followed but it didn't quite fit the mechanics I was looking at.  I know I couldn't find one guide that fit so I merged a couple of them.  I have a bucket of parts I can go back and review what I pulled out.

I removed the cradle.  I removed the magnet.  Inside there was a plastic deflector that I had to bend a little.

The cradle helps slow it down. That's probably why it's too fast. On some, that cradle is adjustable.

[AzureKnight]

I thought I would post a follow up on this.  It still isn't working 

I tried it with quarters as that is what the mechs were originally for, the switch wouldn't trigger.  So it would appear that whatever I did to the mechs has made it so that the coin won't trigger the switch.  That or I got 4 bad switches and that seems really unlikely to me.

I opened one of the switches to play with it a bit and everything looks fine.  I just don't understand it.  I will post an image of the insides of the switch later tonight.  There are two magnets and as the wire is pushed down the magnets pull together and close the connection to send the signal that the switch has been triggered.   When a coin goes through I can hear the magnets close the circuit....no credit.  When I move the switch by hand I can trigger one 90% of the time.

What could cause the connection to close but not register as a credit?  Does MAME wait for the circuit to close and then reopen in a certain timeframe? 
Could it be doing it too fast or too slow?
Could the magnets be pulling it together but not actually closing the circuit?  IE it looks like it is closed but it isn't?  I think I'll experiment with this a bit more when I get the time...

[ChanceKJ]

TL/DR...

In order to let my happ/iL mechs to use both american quarters and my FLYNN's tokens I removed #2 from each of them. That's all.

I used the below graphic to help me. No other modification was needed.

[AzureKnight]

Thanks Chance...I'll put some parts back in and try that method.  Honestly my problem isn't the mechs it is the switches, but at this point I'll try anything.

The coins hit the switches but don't register, when I manually move the switches they do register a credit.  I can here the switch trip when a coin goes through so I know it is moving it far enough.

[ChanceKJ]

That's just strange.  All the switches huh? Is there a drastic size difference in the tokens from the quarters?

[AzureKnight]

There are a few tokens but most of them are in the .985 range.  The funny thing is I tried quarters now too and they don't work either.  So I'm wondering if the switches are picky and need to be hit at a certain speed, my modification of the coin door has eliminated that.  I'm going to try to fully reassemble one and see if it works for quarters next, that or just try to make myself a new switch from a standard microswitch...unbelievably frustrating, things were going so well for me too.

[Thenasty]

I think you should try another switch.

[keilmillerjr]

Lot's of frustration when you could buy a new happ .984" Token Metal Coin Mech for 21$ a pop.

Twisted Quarter has good customer service and shipping prices. They offer this product for $22.95: COIN MECH **METAL ** FOR 0.984 TOKEN AND $ 0.25 U.S

These items are not expensive. My suggestion is to stop wasting time ---smurfing--- with your units and just buy new ones.

[yotsuya]

Lot's of frustration when you could buy a new happ .984" Token Metal Coin Mech for 21$ a pop.

Twisted Quarter has good customer service and shipping prices. They offer this product for $22.95: COIN MECH **METAL ** FOR 0.984 TOKEN AND $ 0.25 U.S

These items are not expensive. My suggestion is to stop wasting time ---smurfing--- with your units and just buy new ones.

I buy those "Tokens and Quarter" mechs from TQ when I need them. Best investment ever (if you insist on tokens and quarters for your game room, like I do). 

[AzureKnight]

I think you should try another switch.

I have four of them wired up, they all are doing this....

Lot's of frustration when you could buy a new happ .984" Token Metal Coin Mech for 21$ a pop.

Twisted Quarter has good customer service and shipping prices. They offer this product for $22.95: COIN MECH **METAL ** FOR 0.984 TOKEN AND $ 0.25 U.S

These items are not expensive. My suggestion is to stop wasting time ---smurfing--- with your units and just buy new ones.

Yeah, I know, but this close to Christmas (shopping for 30+ family members is brutal) I just don't have $100 for 4 of them shipped to spare.  Also, at this point I'm not convinced that would fix my problem, the coin mechs pass the coins through just fine, the switches aren't firing.  Do the coin mechs come with new switches too?  I'd be really  if I dropped another $100 and it didn't fix the problem.

Maybe next month when I have some more cash I'll order one and see if it works.

[yotsuya]

I think you should try another switch.

I have four of them wired up, they all are doing this....

Lot's of frustration when you could buy a new happ .984" Token Metal Coin Mech for 21$ a pop.

Twisted Quarter has good customer service and shipping prices. They offer this product for $22.95: COIN MECH **METAL ** FOR 0.984 TOKEN AND $ 0.25 U.S

These items are not expensive. My suggestion is to stop wasting time ---smurfing--- with your units and just buy new ones.

Yeah, I know, but this close to Christmas (shopping for 30+ family members is brutal) I just don't have $100 for 4 of them shipped to spare.  Also, at this point I'm not convinced that would fix my problem, the coin mechs pass the coins through just fine, the switches aren't firing.  Do the coin mechs come with new switches too?  I'd be really  if I dropped another $100 and it didn't fix the problem.

Maybe next month when I have some more cash I'll order one and see if it works.

No, they don't.

Do you have any mechs lying around you didn't modify? You could swap one. I have tons of mechs if you want to pay for shipping on one for testing purposes.

[AzureKnight]

Lot's of frustration when you could buy a new happ .984" Token Metal Coin Mech for 21$ a pop.

Twisted Quarter has good customer service and shipping prices. They offer this product for $22.95: COIN MECH **METAL ** FOR 0.984 TOKEN AND $ 0.25 U.S

These items are not expensive. My suggestion is to stop wasting time ---smurfing--- with your units and just buy new ones.

I buy those "Tokens and Quarter" mechs from TQ when I need them. Best investment ever (if you insist on tokens and quarters for your game room, like I do). 

That is the one I will buy if I buy one...but I also have to be honest.  I've put quite a few hours into messing with these things...now it is a matter of principle.  I can't let the coin door win 

[AzureKnight]

Do you have any mechs lying around you didn't modify? You could swap one. I have tons of mechs if you want to pay for shipping on one for testing purposes.

No I modified all four that I have.  At this point several of them are in different states of modification as I've been playing a lot.  I'm going to put one fully back together and try a quarter in it.

The offer to ship one is very kind, I imagine if I hit that point I'll just try buying a token/quarter mech to test.

[ChanceKJ]

Have to admit, I was about to buy all new mechs myself, but then realized I just had to remove that metal part at #2 and it takes both my FLYNNS tokens, and us/Can quarters, but rejects anything else. 

[yotsuya]

Do you have any mechs lying around you didn't modify? You could swap one. I have tons of mechs if you want to pay for shipping on one for testing purposes.

No I modified all four that I have.  At this point several of them are in different states of modification as I've been playing a lot.  I'm going to put one fully back together and try a quarter in it.

The offer to ship one is very kind, I imagine if I hit that point I'll just try buying a token/quarter mech to test.

Sounds good, if you need one, just drop me a line. 

[Thenasty]

try removing/wire connection and get your voltage/ohm meter to test it (I read about your other problem 'IPAC Haunted).

[AzureKnight]

Similar to my "haunted Ipac thread" I'm posting here for anyone searching for help in the future:

It turns out I am an idiot.  I wired the switches on my coin door the same way I wired all the other microswitches.  I did not take the time to look at them closely and the two prongs are reversed.  So I just wired to the prong closer to the ground and it turns out that was the NC prong instead of the NO one.  So all four of my coin door switches were firing away endlessly.  So when I would drop in a coin it would break and reconnect this would work for some games, not for others and for a few would throw and actual "Coin Error".

[ChanceKJ]

I'm gonna take some of the blame on missing this one too. I have a similar series door/Mech and I should have noticed that from your pictures. I had to come downstairs and take a look for myself. Sure enough, same microswitches, I should have caught that. Haha 

[AzureKnight]

Ironically, it was when I searched the forums here for the "Coin Error" that I found the issue.  I knew that issue existed in a few games but I considered it a less important problem to troubleshoot.  When I finally gave up on the other issues and started looking into that one it fixed a bunch of problems I was having.

Who would have thought  sure not I!