Alternatives to coin doors/mechs etc?

[blueoakleyz]

Coin doors + coin mechs are quite expensive, did anyone ever come up with alternatives? My idea was buying one of those coin-mech microswitches (the ones with the wire sticking out as the activator) and just attacking like a piece of paper to it or something and when a coin is pushed through a slot on the door it hits the piece of paper, weighs it down, activates the switch, drops the coin and back goes the wire

[grueinthebox]

So basically you want to have a coin door with no mechanism, where you drop the coin through the slot, have it hit against something to set off a switch, then fall away into oblivion?

I'd suggest one of the following:

1) Don't have a coin door at all, just use a button to "coin up", or

2) Check out eBay.  There seem to be a lot of used coin doors with mechanisms there, many of which are fairly cheap.  Alternately, you might post on one of the rec.games.video.arcade newsgroups (and/or the trading board here) - someone's bound to have a coin door with mechanisms they'll sell you cheap.

[blueoakleyz]

ya that was the idea
or at least until I can get a coin mech or door SOMEDAY but just having a button isn't the same ya know?

[Puds]

im in the same boat as you, I built a four player cabinet using an xbox instead of a pc and I'm not about to drop 150 bucks for a happs 4 player coin door.  Nor are there any on ebay.  I believe you were on the right track simply using a microswitch.  I have some left over from an x-arcade joystick that completely sucks so i'll just use the parts.  The microswitch has a prong sticking out that the joystick actuator would normally press up against (thus pushing the microswitch button)  So with all that being said I plan to extend the metal flap that overlaps the microswitch button and perhaps even give it some extra weight.  I plan on using tokens that I got for a really great deal off a dude on ebay who mints his own tokens that are exactly the same size as a quarter
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3948&item=6126386799&tc=photo
I suppose the plan for making it all work is to have a coin path made out of some sort of aluminum or even plastic, then just make sure the coin has enough momentum to push the flap connected to the microswitch.  Then of course making sure that the coin instantly rolls off the platform and into a coin bucket.  Im sure you had the same ideas as me, and i'll keep an eye out for a nice piece of metal that would work as a nice coin path.  I figured I would try going into my junk drawer in the basement and see if any of those little pieces might inspire me.  Next plan after that is to go to the local hardware store and see if they've got any pieces that might work.  Let me know if you come up with anything,
-Pat

[blueoakleyz]

Yup you had exactly the same idea I had
Maybe some light aluminum made into a slot like thing (think of a miniature napkin holder) that the coin drops into, while staying vertical then just rolling out as it dips forward, like the drinkin bird, goes up, drops it's load then comes back up

[blueoakleyz]

here we go

[Bgnome]

4-player coin doors will pop up sometimes on ebay.  thats how i got mine for $26.  this is due to the fact that people dont expect them to be there and thus dont try too hard to look for them.

anyhow, there is a link in the faq to a 4-player coin door for $50 although i can't say whether it is still available or not.

finding those particular microswitches would be the hardest part i think.  given the amount of time and money you are going to spend rigging them up, you would probably be better off getting a second hand coin door cheap from ebay.

[blueoakleyz]

They're only a few bucks on happs so it's not hard finding them.
I suppose when the time came to it I could just get the coin mech right? I don't have to get the whole coin door...

[paigeoliver]

You people aren't looking hard enough, geeze. Coin doors can often be had for $10 or even free, WITH the mechs and all.

[Soulcon]

This guy had a great idea and its what I am implamenting in my current cab. I have even done some changes to it to where you have to use something other then a coin. You can use just about anything to set off a switch even wooden nickles .

http://www.webbpage.net/jukebox/const.htm

-Soul

[paigeoliver]

Does he have that so the edge of the coin triggers the leaf switch as it is pushed into the slot?

This guy had a great idea and its what I am implamenting in my current cab. I have even done some changes to it to where you have to use something other then a coin. You can use just about anything to set off a switch even wooden nickles .

http://www.webbpage.net/jukebox/const.htm

-Soul

[Soulcon]

I am not to sure how he did his I just guessed. How I did it was I made flap at the drop off point from the coin slot. So basically when the coin falls it hits a little flap I made out of Tin so it had a nice "Ting when it hit it. Once the coin hits it it flips down makes contact with an extended metal tab completeing the circuit. Then it rolls into an old coffee can filled with a bunch of pennies to make a better caching sound.

-Soul

[Thenasty]

if you want to accept any tokens/coins and never have to worry about changing to a different COin Mech, get this or make one of the Ultimate All in One Coin Mech

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=19200

[MonitorGuru]

Hot glue a leaf switch behind the red reject plunger. Wire these to the same connections as the coin microswitches.

Tada--instant credit bypass without any harmful damage to the door or cabinet.

I've done it for many friends who collect machines and don't want to damage them but still have the look and functionality of coins and the credit bypass functionality.

Mechs are cheap.. $5 to $10 each.  Doors are cheap, if you're willing to quickly sand them and give them a quick coat of spray paint to touch up.  Shipping is the killer.

yes, new freshly powdercoated ones are pricey but old ones are not.

[Stingray]

When I first built my cab I just made some chutes from aluminum that directed the coin to the switch in the coin door. Took all of about two minutes to make.

Before long I bought proper mechs though. Part of the arcade experience is the sound that a token/ coin makes when it falls through a real mech.

-S

[Soulcon]

You could always wire it up to when ever a coin hits the switch it plays a audio file of a coin going through a coin mech. Just turn it up to full volume and make them think they have just pleased the coin mech gods

-Soul

[Mameotron]

Happs DOES make cheaper alternatives.  I addressed this in another thread.

This may not be what you want, but it's pretty cheap.  This is from Happs, it's a coin mechanism - NOT a full door, and has no box to catch the coins.  Basically, if you attach this to the front of your cab you can drop quarters in it to play.  It does not include a door, so if the front of your cab doesn't have a door built into it you can't open it up.

It is a cheap alternative, they are only $24.00 each.  They also take up very little room.  That's why I bought 2 of them for my cab, I was willing to sacrifice the door & catch box for the small space it needed to go into.

Happs part number 40-0023-00P.  It comes with the standard US 25 cent mechanism.  Make sure this will suit your needs before you buy them, they aren't a standard arcade coin door.

The picture is on the other thread.  Search for "coin door" posts by mameotron.

[blueoakleyz]

what should i do for the 4-player games that require a specific slot though?

[Mameotron]

Well, really you'd probably want 4 of these, each wired to their own coin buttons.  But then you're at $100 already, so it would probably be best to look for a used coin door on ebay.
The advantage of buying these is that you could get one now, and add them slowly as you get some more cash.  It may not be the best solution, but it is an alternative.

[Soulcon]

Or get a two door and wire it so both of these options could work.

1. Normal coin insertion would trigger 1 and 2 players

2. Have a leaf switch installed with hot glue so if coin door depressed instead of returning the coin it would hit the leaf switch. Adding player 3 and player 4.

so to play 4 player you insert how ever many coins to add up the credits. Then you will hit player 1 and 2 then hit coin return for player one then player 2 in turn due to leaf switchs adding in player 3 and player 4.

It sounds confusing just because I can't type worth a crap what floats through my brain .

-Soul

[Tilzs]

Ya know, if you look on ebay. The coin mech aren't really that much. I think the bigger problem here is finding a 4 player coin door for a good price if that is what you are looking for since they are more rare. 2 player coin door you should be able to pick up for free or really cheap.

If you are really in a pinch, just put a 2 player coin door in your cab. I'll be willing to bet that most of the time you won't need coin slot 3/4. You can always wire your coin door so that if you hold down shift button on your keyboard endocer and insert coin you get player 3/4 credit instead of 1/2.