Coin return question

[Avrus]

So I installed my Canadian coin mechs into my coin door.  40-6000-00 mech 42-3115-00

Held the door upright, and popped a coin in it, but it just passes straight through.  I'm fairly certain the mech is installed correctly, it wasn't exactly rocket science.  Unscrew the hinge drop the mech into the slot, put the hinge back overtop and use the thumb screw to screw it back down.

Am I perhaps missing a part from my mech?  Or does the coin switch mechanism need to be hooked up for the coin return to work?

[bluevolume]

I'm not familiar with your exact coin acceptor, but there definitely are some that require power for operation.  My pinball is setup this way.  The idea is to just spit the quarters back out if the machine is not powered up, or if the maximum credits have already been entered.

[Avrus]

I'm not familiar with your exact coin acceptor, but there definitely are some that require power for operation.  My pinball is setup this way.  The idea is to just spit the quarters back out if the machine is not powered up, or if the maximum credits have already been entered.

It looked like every other mech and door on Happ's site.  I'm just wondering if the Coin 1 and 2 actually have to be wired into the Mini-Pac before the coin return function works.  I thought it was magnetic.   

[Avrus]

Based on the number of views and lack of replies apparently it's not a widely asked question.   

[Zebidee]

I think we are having trouble understanding the problem, therefore noone really knows what to say.

Have you connected it to anything?  Try posting some photos and giving details of what you have actually connected!

Switches don't work "magically".  Normally a microswitch needs to be attached to the coin mech, and this needs to be attached to a keyboard (with wires    )  interface 

[superbigjay]

Avrus,

Did you test them before if they worked?

- remove the coin mech from the door.
- hold it in your hand like they would be when installed (coin entrance on top.)
- drop a canadian quarter in it.  It should come out from the bottom/back exit
- drop a 10cent/5cent/penny in it.  It should come out from the bottom/front exit

Once you know the mech works, check if your coin door has the required switch.
that switch is usually some sort of small wire that the quarter will activate
when coming from the "valide" chute.

that switch should then be connected to the coin input of your keyboard encoder.

Tell me if this is clear of not (I'm french, so english is my second language  )

If you need, I can take picture of the switch...


Hope this helps
Jay 

[Avrus]

Avrus,

Did you test them before if they worked?

- remove the coin mech from the door.
- hold it in your hand like they would be when installed (coin entrance on top.)
- drop a canadian quarter in it.  It should come out from the bottom/back exit
- drop a 10cent/5cent/penny in it.  It should come out from the bottom/front exit

Once you know the mech works, check if your coin door has the required switch.
that switch is usually some sort of small wire that the quarter will activate
when coming from the "valide" chute.

that switch should then be connected to the coin input of your keyboard encoder.

Tell me if this is clear of not (I'm french, so english is my second language  )

If you need, I can take picture of the switch...


Hope this helps
Jay 

It's okay, I'm Canadian so theoretically French is my second language.  Theoretically.   I'm thinking about conjugating a church ... if you know what I mean.

Well the mech operates correctly, insofar that the quarter drops through, flips the switch.  Perhaps I'm just a little show but ...

If the coin simply drops through, activates the switch and drops into the coin box, what's the point of the coin return buttons if the coin isn't being held in the mech? 

Or to put it more simply, how does the coin return button return your coin if it's sitting in the coin box?

[bfauska]

On the style of coin mech that I think you are describing, the coin is not held in waiting before you are credited.  As soon as a coin that fits properly is inserted you get the credit in the game and loose that coin to the coin box immediately.  The only time that the coin return button is used is when a coin that is too big (or magnetic in US mechs) is inserted, instead of dropping straight out to the return slot it sits and waits to be dumped.  I think that what you were expecting is more like a vending machine style coin acceptor.

I have mechs that act the way I am describing and look like this one from Happ, I also have one from Universal that acts the same way.

[superbigjay]

Hello Avrus,

I think I understand now what you were asking...
bfauska basically nail it down...


I also have similar coin mech...

In my case, I modified my US coin mech to accept CANADIAN mech.
I thought it was a good deal at the time, but now, since the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US one, I'm thinking to reverting to US coins 

here's my coin mech:


These coin mech have 2 "protections" to sort the good from bad quarters.
- size/shape:
   If the coin is too small, it isn't "guided" properly and doesn't make it to the coin chute. 
   Instead, it drops in the coin return chute. (10c, 5c, 1c)
   If the coin is too big, it get stuck in the mech.  Then you have to press the coin eject/return button
   to "open" the mech and activate the small blade that will push the piece into the reject chute. (1$)
- magnetic
   Now, for  the magnet...
   In case of Canadian quarter, they're a bit lighter than the US ones.  So the magnet was used to
   catch the "CAN" quarter, preventing it to go in the coin box.  Pressing the coin return opens the
   mech a bit and there some sort of blade that "unstick" the quarter from the magnet.
   I haven't played with a real canadian mech, but I guess you'd get a similar behavior
   if you try those "electrical boxes round pieces" that you remove to pass wire.
   So the magnet is used to catch the right size "fake quarter"

In one of my mech, I completely remove the magnets and it works.
However, this one now accept coins purely on size.  So both CAN/US coin works with it
(that's the one on the right side).  In fact, this mech would even accept those "electrical"
false coins.

In the other one (left side), the magnetic mech is more complexe.  Not only it is used
to catch too light coin, it is also used to deviate the right one just enough to make it
fall in the valid coin slot.
   too light = get catch by the magnet (ex: false electrical coin, lighter than CAN)
   too heavy = not enough deviation and falls in the reject slot (US, heavier than CAN)
   correct weight = deviate just enough to fall in the slot on the magnet side and get accepted (CAN)
So for that one, I had to adjust the distance between the magnet the the metal surface to reduce the magnetic field just enough to "pull" CAN quarters in the valid slot.  This one rejects the US quarter...

In this link, I explain how I modified them to accept CAN coins : US to CAN coin mech mod (post#10).

If the coin simply drops through, activates the switch and drops into the coin box, what's the point of the coin return buttons if the coin isn't being held in the mech? 

Or to put it more simply, how does the coin return button return your coin if it's sitting in the coin box?

So to answer your question, inserting
1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents should fall directly in the coin return, not in the coin box.
Quarters should fall directly in the coin box and activate the coin switch while it "exits" the coin mech
Loony should get stuck in the mech, and you'll need to press the reject to make it fall in the coin return.
Token depends on weight and how your mech is built (either stuck, good or bad)

I hope this answer all your questions

Jay 

[Avrus]

Thanks very much guys for taking the time to answer my question.

I think I've just been overthinking the coin return thing.