Vacuum Acceptor Upgrade/ Dollar Coin Solution

[RockyMountain]

I am looking to upgrade my vacuums to accept not only quarters, but dollar coins and tokens. Below is a picture of my current set up. What are my options? What's the most cost effective, but reliable setup?

 

[Randy]

No Picture, so I?m going at this blind. You?ve only got a couple of choices. The IDX MA-800/KR-800 or a Slugbuster III coin acceptor, there all good coin acceptors and the most cost effective. I prefer the service at Slugbuster the best. You?ll have to install a 24 volt transformer if you don?t already have 24 volts there. Since your redoing everything you might as well install a relay to isolate the timer from the motors.

 

[RockyMountain]

Picture again

Okay, let's try the picture again.



http://forum.autocareforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=196&stc=1&d=1236309212

 

[MEP001]

It's a simple upgrade - our plain vacs had the same original setup. I added a transformer and hooked the timer up to run on 24V, removed the red jumper wire and just ran the hot through the timer's relay, then connected the coin acceptor. Later I added mercury relays to take the load off the timer and protect it from burning up. I used IDX MA800's and have no problems at all with them in over five years.

 

[mjwalsh]

Multi Coin acceptors at below 20 degrees temps?

Mep said that the MA800s have been working out for over 5 years I wonder if the lower temps we have in North Dakota would affect them. Anybody see any issues with their multi coin acceptors at lower temps? It is surprising how many people use the vacs even below zero in the great outdoors.

 

[JIMT]

We use Microcoin QL with no problems. We have some Slugbuster II that coins jam in them and you have to take out a bunch of screws to clean them out.
JIMT

 

[Bubbles Galore]

So is this the same general idea I can use for switching over my magic mist?

 

[MEP001]

So is this the same general idea I can use for switching over my magic mist?

You should already have a 24V transformer, so it should be simpler. If it's all 110V, then it would be basically the same depending on the timer you have. The difference may be that your current timer is 110V only, in which case you would either have to replace the timer or wire only the acceptor to an add-on transformer and leave the rest as is. The Adams (IDX AT-411E) in the picture is dual voltage.

 

[RockyMountain]

Mercury Relay

It's a simple upgrade - our plain vacs had the same original setup. I added a transformer and hooked the timer up to run on 24V, removed the red jumper wire and just ran the hot through the timer's relay, then connected the coin acceptor. Later I added mercury relays to take the load off the timer and protect it from burning up. I used IDX MA800's and have no problems at all with them in over five years.

Thanks and I know this is from an old thread, but...
What does a mercury relay look like and how do you hook them up to the timer? I now have the transformers. Did you just mount them to the back of the case? Did you drill holes to hold the transformers in place?

 

[JIMT]

Rocky
Go to grainger.com 1M35A120AC and you will see the picture.
JIMT

 

[Ohio Wash]

2 years ago I did the same conversion. Kleen Rite has a Timer that includes a transformer so you just need to buy this and a Slugbuster. I also had to buy a new face plate. Best $250 I ever spent. Never a Jam or issue with the coin reader. Before, I had coin jams on a regular basis.

 

[MEP001]

I used the relays from Kleen-Rite and made a small bracket to mount them under the dome. Drilling small holes in stainless steel isn't all that hard, you just have to use a cobalt bit and drill with a lot of pressure and at a slow speed to keep from heating up the material. Wiring them isn't complicated - timer output goes into the relay, 110V goes through it.

 

[mjwalsh]

RockyMountain hi,

The things that I don't like about Mercury Relays is that they have to be mounted horizontally or upright & also I have never seen a din rail mounted one. There are some good "force or positive guided relays" that hopefully would also be an option & not worry about sticking. I would post part numbers but I am going by what an electronic engineer suggested to me when we happened to be visiting & comparing notes. For a horizontal mount it is hard to imagine anything more "fail safe" than the Mercury Relay because it seems like "when energized" it just moves fluid instead of actual contacts that can potentially stick.

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW Slugbusters now come with an easy open feature to clear jams.