Adding a DBV to a pacman machine?

[myridian]

I have a original 1980's Pacman upright arcade machine thats on location within a school's bookstore. I am exploring the possibility of wiring a dollar bill accecptor up to it so kids can have the option of playing with quarters or dollar bills.

I've talked to the techs at my local video game parts place and they informed me that actually wiring it up so when a dollar bill is inserted 4 credits register on the machine, however, the difficult part is going to be finding a coin door that would both accomodate a DBV and fit in the pacman cabnet without having to modify the existing cash door hole or drilling a larger entry in the cabinet.

The current door has two coin mechs, but I really only need one. If possible I'd like to find a door that has a DBA slot and one or two coin mechs, and that will fit in the existing cash dor cutout of the cabinet.

Anyone ever add a DBV to a pacman cabinet? Where can I find such a door that would accomodate? Thanks!

[SirPeale]

Good luck with that.  You *might* get lucky, but more than likely you'll end up buying a junk door on eBay and fixing it up to put the DBA in there.

Of course, you could just not do that.  Pac-Man was never meant to have a DBA.  Technically possible?  Sure.  But it would be an abomination.

[Ken Layton]

There were some Midway doors on the old laser games like NFL Football that had a Rowe "OBA" model bill acceptor in it.

You could buy a "gaming/lottery" style bill acceptor and cut a hole in the front wood for it.

Happ Controls sells a side mount bill acceptor box that bolts to the side of the cabinet.

[RayB]

It's in a store. Is the store not willing to break a buck if someone doesn't have quarters?

[ChadTower]

A LOT of small stores won't do that.  I used to work sub shops and stuff... it is always bad to open the register drawer if it's not needed AND you have to carefully manage the amount of coins you have so you don't run out.

[cabe]

Depending on horw much you trusted the cashiers you could leave a jar of quarters under the counter for them to make change from, putting the bills in a locked box with a slot in the top mebby?

[myridian]

The machine is located in the bookstore of a high school. I don't believe there has been a problem with the cashier supplying quarters to the kids, however, I figure if they get change for a dollar, only one or two quarters would probably be used to play. The other two might not be spent. If they put in a dollar bill into the machine, they have to spend the whole dollar.

Alternatively, I could set the machine at one play credit per quarter or, as an incentive to spend the whole dollar, 5 credits per dollar.

I spoke with people at Betson and they said it could be done with any door, but we would probably have to drill out a larger door into the cabinet (which I dont want to do).  Mounting something to the side of the machine also is not an option.

Really the only way I see this happening is if I can find a dbv capable door that will fit in the existing hole in the cabinet.

[Ken Layton]

Oh God----you put the machine in a high school? That's just asking to have it broken into. If you put a bill validator on it that's even more incentive for the kids to break into the machine. When I worked for Capitol Amusement we were putting games in schools and colleges. I was constantly going to these locations every day to fix the machines because they were getting broken into EVERY DAY! Finally my boss said enough was enough. From then on he refused all school and college accounts. These locations were supposedly "closely supervised". Naturally when I arrived to fix the machines it was always, "we didn't see anything happen" or "our kids would never do that". We were spending more to fix the machines than they were taking in.

[myridian]

Oh God----you put the machine in a high school? That's just asking to have it broken into. If you put a bill validator on it that's even more incentive for the kids to break into the machine. When I worked for Capitol Amusement we were putting games in schools and colleges. I was constantly going to these locations every day to fix the machines because they were getting broken into EVERY DAY! Finally my boss said enough was enough. From then on he refused all school and college accounts. These locations were supposedly "closely supervised". Naturally when I arrived to fix the machines it was always, "we didn't see anything happen" or "our kids would never do that". We were spending more to fix the machines than they were taking in.

I am peronsal friends with the teacher who runs the bookstore there, being one of hsis students only 4 years ago there myself. The store is monitored by a camera as well. The machine has been on location for nearly a year without problems of it being vandelised.

[RayB]

Cameras Ken.    One of the big changes in the last decade+ is lots more little security cameras everywhere.

[SirPeale]

All right, the best thing I can think of to do would be to get another door and modify it.  If you want, I can look into doing it for you.  Doesn't seem like it would be that big of a deal.  It'll have coin on one side, and DBA on the other.  True custom deluxe.  Just need to find a DBA that'll fit into that footprint.  I think that's doable as well.

[myridian]

All right, the best thing I can think of to do would be to get another door and modify it.  If you want, I can look into doing it for you.  Doesn't seem like it would be that big of a deal.  It'll have coin on one side, and DBA on the other.  True custom deluxe.  Just need to find a DBA that'll fit into that footprint.  I think that's doable as well.

Look into if you want to. If you can come up with something, I'd be interested in it. Just get me a price. I have a series 2000 validator that I pulled out of one of my pepsi machine that I was told should work with the machine.

[myridian]

Any progress on this? Thanks!

[SirPeale]

Any progress on this? Thanks!

I can't find a validator to fit the door.  All we have are Mars.  Still seeing what I can dig up.

If you have another solution, go with it.

[Ken Layton]

Here's a couple of pictures of a bill acceptor conversion of a Midway coin door.