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push button bay meter

J

Jimmy Buffett

Active member
I have a bay meter that usually works fine but sometimes will turn on everything at once and sometimes nothing will turn on. I can unlug the board and it will usually work fine for a while. It's a Jim Coleman meter. Can it be replaced with anything else or will I need a new JC board? Are the boards repairable? Any suggestions?
Thanks
J
 
Jimmy Buffett said:
I have a bay meter that usually works fine but sometimes will turn on everything at once and sometimes nothing will turn on. I can unlug the board and it will usually work fine for a while. It's a Jim Coleman meter. Can it be replaced with anything else or will I need a new JC board? Are the boards repairable? Any suggestions?
Thanks
J
Click to expand...

Jimmy,

We don't have the JC push button but we have tested & are almost 100% done with converting some Specialty Equipment Touch Pads to 13 push buttons. I would think that any distribution board would work from any distributor. Of course you would have to deal with the space requirements & possibly mounting & wire length fitting issues etc. The distribution board is not needed with rotary switches from our observations. We have had zero trouble with our distribution boards.

MJ
 
I bought a wash with JC equipment. I promptly removed the touch pads, and replaced with a rotary switch. I had enough of those push buttons after 2 months. They locked up, got stuck, or just did whatever they wanted. A rotary switch will last forever (almost).
 
washnvac said:
I bought a wash with JC equipment. I promptly removed the touch pads, and replaced with a rotary switch. I had enough of those push buttons after 2 months. They locked up, got stuck, or just did whatever they wanted. A rotary switch will last forever (almost).
Click to expand...

I am not sure but I think a distinction needs to be made between separated durable push momentary buttons vs an all selections in one touchpad.
 
I bought six Magic Wand touch coin boxes over seven years ago and only replaced one control box.I also replaced the decals once and I need to do again.No problems at all with the touch pads .I never want to fool with rotary switches again!
 
The push button board from Magic Wand is unique in that there are no moving parts to it. The surface(under the decal) is solid metal that has pressure sensitive thingys built into it. No membranes to leak or moving parts to wear out. You can smack it with a ball pean hammer and not really damage it.
 
Water in membrane itself???

mac said:
The push button board from Magic Wand is unique in that there are no moving parts to it. The surface(under the decal) is solid metal that has pressure sensitive thingys built into it. No membranes to leak or moving parts to wear out. You can smack it with a ball pean hammer and not really damage it.
Click to expand...

Mac,

From your experience does the water actually get into the membranes --- because we had to our whole removable faceplate with timer etc from time to time to dry whatever out. I am suspicious that it was the membranes but never absolutely isolated the exact wet area causing the problem. I am pretty sure our conversion to momentary push buttons will work. Since I could use Specialty's LEDs with their reliable distribution boards I got by with the same quality switches as some of the newer boxes but without the expense because of of non lighted versions.

MJ
 
MJ, as the buttons with membranes wear they can leak. Also seen kids or mad customers poke a hole in them and voila, it's out of order. The story on the Magic Wand ones is that it was developed by a company that makes push button touchpads that are used in prisons, where the residents look to destroy things to pass the time.
 
Etowah
I had a similiar problem with one meter and had to reprogram the board. My distributor walked me thru that on the phone and it has worked fine since. My JC keypads have been working fine for 5 years (except for having to reprogram the one), even after being submerged in a flood in 2006. I wrote the directions down, but they are at the wash. I am very sick and will not be there for a little while. My sons are looking after the wash, but they know nothing about the bay meters.
 
I have magic wand push button meter box and one button (foam brush) stopped working. I will appreciate any suggestions or help.
Thanks.
 
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