Dollar Bill Acceptors in older games?

SilverDuck

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I have a KI2 machine out on location with a dollar acceptor. The business owner asked about getting a different game, and requested OutRun, Continental Circuit, Final Lap, or a similar upright driver. Those games do not normally have a dollar acceptor. Is it possible to add one to a game that didn't come with one? Can you just wire the dollar acceptor in place of one of the coin mechs? If not, how do you know which games will accept a dollar acceptor?

Thanks
 
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I would imagine with enough skill and ingenuity you could put a dollar bill acceptor on anything. You would need to get a bill head (Mars is most common), buy or build wiring harness(es), wire it up to 110v AC (not a problem, as you have that in the cabinet already), mount it in the cabinet (not too big a deal if you're ok with woodwork), and tie the pulse line into the coin switch to give the game credits.

My question to you is why would you want to do that? Out Run, Continental Circuit, etc. is OLD school...why would I put a dollar in it? Don't get me wrong, I love my video games as much as the next guy, but the average consumer has a hard enough time putting physical cash (i.e. bills) into a NEW video, never mind something that's 25 years old. Plus, am I going to have time to play 4 games? Or are you charging premium pricing (50 cents) per game?

If you have any other options for equipment, may I suggest an upright Megatouch? Comes with a bill acceptor on it, and the option of having 50 +/- games usually is a godsend for the location. Plus, it's a smaller footprint, easier to move, and most people don't mind throwing a bill into a Megatouch. I think it's more subconcious, as you're used to doing it in the bars (or wherever) already. As an added bonus as well, there are usually games for any age group there, as well as multi-player games.
 
I built a couple new multigame cocktails for a local operator using Arcadeshop's repro Midway cocktail. The operator wanted bill acceptors in them so he wouldn't have to worry about customers not having quarters, nor would he have to put a change machine on location.

Got a couple Series 2000 acceptors, used a skill saw to make the cutouts just to the left of the coin door (so the monitor wouldn't hit it when the top was closed), and bolted it into place. I made my own connector with 4 wires - 2 to connect to the 120AC for power, and 2 that connected to both the ground and Coin 1 wire on one of the coin switches.

Set the dip switches on the acceptor for 4 plays for a dollar, and it worked just fine.

Except that there is now a hole cut into the front of the cab, but since it wasn't an original cab, nor my machine, I'm not too worried about it.

BTW - I measured the acceptor's entry plate area, made a template using some thin cardboard, then traced it onto the wood where I wanted it. Drilled a big pilot hole in the center, then used my handheld jigsaw to cut the hole from there...
 
BTW - some games (like Mortal Kombatt II) had a bill acceptor that was built into the coin door, and the bills dropped down into the coin box rather than going into a stacker. If you can get one of those and swap it in, it'll make life much simpler...
 
A bill acceptor could be added to just about any machine. There are mounting kits/plates to allow you mounting in wood cabinets or metal doors.

If you don't have physical room to mount one in the machine or in the coin door, they make outboard "bolt-to-the-side-of-the-cabinet" metal bill acceptor boxes which lock and have easy access to the bill acceptor for servicing.

Electrically, you'll need power wires for the voltage requirements of the particular bill acceptor you have. Many are 115 volts AC, but others may be 12VDC, 24VDC, or 24VAC. Then you'll need two wires which are the relay switch contact output from the bill acceptor. There's a normally open and a common switch contact. These wire straight across an existing coin switch set of terminals in your machine. Now set the dip switches on the bill acceptor for 4 pulses per dollar.

Happ Controls sells the bill acceptor mounting kits and outboard metal boxes as well as tip-down bill acceptor doors.
 
Shawnbo42 - The reason I need to do this is simple, for money. This machine will be in a car audio store, and the shop owner is too busy to crawl out from under the car he is working on to hand someone change. He made it clear that if the game has no dollar acceptor, not to bring it.

Mod: My KI2 has the dollar acceptor you are speaking of. That machine is on that location now. The show owner said that since he has a car shop, he'd like a car game.

Ken: Thanks, that is the info I was looking for.
 
Shawnbo42 - The reason I need to do this is simple, for money. This machine will be in a car audio store, and the shop owner is too busy to crawl out from under the car he is working on to hand someone change. He made it clear that if the game has no dollar acceptor, not to bring it.

Mod: My KI2 has the dollar acceptor you are speaking of. That machine is on that location now. The show owner said that since he has a car shop, he'd like a car game.

Ken: Thanks, that is the info I was looking for.

Happ also sells an over/under coin door assy with the validator in the bottom door. If your game has a Happ door you can replace the lower coin door skin and mount the validator in the bottom door. You will need to change the coin box too.

http://www.happ.com/coindoors/4060000.htm

Matt
 
I have a validator door left over from my Golden Tee parts machines I bought. I am leaning towards building a box just for the validator door, so I can move it from game to game, just attaching it to the side of the game. It will look kinda like those Seaga change machines you see bolted to the side of vending machines. Since these games are inside a waiting room of a car shop, I am not too worried about someone taking the entire box and running.
 
Yeah anyone know the best model to use on a standard arcade? Just looking for something that would accept $1.00 Im searching online and I keep coming up with models that work for Jukeboxes and vending machines. Would these work? Whats a fair price? I hate it when I dont really know what Im looking at.
 
any Mars AE24XX series validator will work. New they are kinda pricey though. $350+ I think. There are some other brands that will work too. I have 6 brand new Pryamid validators that came off of Buck Hunters and Guitar Hero's that will work. The ones that came off of the GH's are 12VDC and the ones that came off of the Bucks are 120VAC. LMK if you want any.
 
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