Rowe BC-9 Changer Info Thread

Mitsurugi-w

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I started this thread because it seems there is little info on thiese forums about the older Rowe models and specifically the BC-9 which I purchased for $40 about a month ago. I was unable to located a (affordable) manual so most of my troubleshooting has been with comparisons to newer models, trial and error, and common sense. Still there are many in this hobby wanting to repair their equipment who may not be technically inclined and could use some guidance. I will add more info as I go along on restoring my machine to usable condition.

There is a lot of great info about all Rowe changer models at:

http://www.eastcoastamusements.com/coin-op-service/bruno-s-page/

It is a bit hard to read at times if you are not familiar with the units described. I would like to take some of the maintenance and repair tasks described in those articles and put pictures with them.

So my first post, which I will do after work tonight, will be about modding the unit with a lighted pushbutton to dispense coins but still be able to indicate errors properly.

I ask anyone with knowledge to help with posting info here. Many tutorials will work for different models. If anyone knows how to service the original bill validators and could make a small tutorial that would be great as it is the info I need now as well!

Thanks in advance!

eal8qu.jpg

My down and dirty $40 BC-9a
 
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First info post will be adding an illuminated pushbutton as a $1.00 test vend button. The purpose of this type of button would be to dispense tokens from the changer without actually having to use money. Now I've seen a few different ways to add a button on other models. Some people have used the reject button for this mod. The advantage is that you won't need to remove the error lights from the upper right of the machine to add an additional button. I tried the reject button mod first but I couldn't make it work work without removing the validator function. Maybe someone else knows how to make it work and can chime in.

If you want to add a pushbutton but don't need it to illuminate then you can simply run to Radioshack and pick up these:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062543

Remove either of the amber lenses (save in a safe place in case you want to turn it back stock) and simply replace it with this button. The lens sits in an 8mm hole. This button is 1/4" (about 6mm) and fits well. Then you just need to run two lengths of wire to the back of the $1.00 test vend button under the test/fuse panel. Just attach one each to the two leads connected to the current test button. Solder the other ends of the wires to the two terminals on the back of the switch. now every time you push the button you should receive four quarters or tokens!

Ok, that's cool. But like me, you really want to have some sort of illuminated pushbutton so as not to lose the error light functionality. I couldn't find a 8mm lighted pushbutton but I was able to find a 12mm on ebay. There are others available at online merchants but as I have not tested them I can only recommend the one I use in this tutorial. I'm ordering some others to test so I may be adding more options later.

I ordered this button off of ebay:
33uz95i.jpg

It is a Dialco 913-1552 Red Light Switch

Close up of the switch:
oqa88p.jpg


As you can see these switches have four terminals. Two for the pushbutton switch function and two for the light function:
156qulf.jpg


More on wiring this up in a minute.

If you use this button you will need to enlarge the hole slightly. It is 8mm originally but you will need to enlarge it to about 11mm. Its ok though because if you enlarge it JUST enough for the button to fit then if you ever want to convert back to stock the amber lens will still cover the entire hole. I used a dremel routing bit to enlarge the hole a little bit at a time until the button fit. It is a 12mm button but it does fit in an 11mm hole. There may be switches that don't require enlarging the hole. If anyone finds a good one let us know.

Here is a pic of the button mounted:
6fnv69.jpg


Wiring in the next post...
 
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So now that you've mounted the new illuminated push button you have the old lamp housing kinda floating around back there. You*could* remove it but in the interest of potentially switching the machine back to stock then why not try this?

Unscrew the back of the other amber lens and then screw the unused lamp housing right on top of the other one and screw it back down. Clear as mud? Here's a picture to help understand:

10ml8hw.jpg

Now its all snug and out of the way!

Now let's wire it up! The push button function is easy to wire. Simply run two wires from the terminals on the back of the original $1.00 test vend button and run them to the corresponding terminals on the new button. In the case of the button used in these pictures they are the gold terminals. It doesn't matter which wire goes to which push button terminal.

Next up is wiring the light function. These terminals are easy to identify because they are labeled + and -. If you don't wire these properly then it will not light up! Make sure to wire the + terminal to ground. Then wire the - terminal to the wire for the corresponding error code. I simply used small lengths of wire and soldered them directly to the lamp housing that we replaced with the button. Here are two pictures to help visualize the wiring. Sorry I only had one color wire left :)

e5pv8n.jpg


f2xoh.jpg


Now you should have a fully working test vend button! Turn it on and test it out. You should get the test vend when you push and release the button. Now remove the hopper and let the empty hopper error come up. The light in the new button should light up as well.

Note that wiring it in this fashion renders the original dollar vend button inoperable. No big deal since now you can just push this new button for the test vend.

Here's what it looks like all lit up!

wvaa1u.jpg


2vnkuad.jpg
 
I see a LOT of changers in the wild that have been modified to not allow change to be inserted. I've seen anything from hot glue filling the slot, screws blocking the slot, and even the slot welded shut. My particular machine had a different mod done to the coin mech itself. All change would get rejected, even quarters, and when I pulled the mech I saw why.

All of the rockers had been removed! This caused all change to be passed through the mech and harmlessly rejected. I found one of the rockers in the back of the machine and since I wanted the machine to accept quarters I used it to replace the quarter rocker on the mech.

2h4kver.jpg


23sw6pv.jpg


Notice the two other missing rockers for dimes and nickels. Do with this info what you will! ;)
 
BC-9A manual is available from this authorized Rowe distributor:

http://www.vendorsequipment.com/foundations/store/shopdetail.asp?params=VE2036^Rowe-BC-9A-Change-Vending-Machine-Manual

Rowe still makes bill changers and they sell the manuals through their network of authorized distributors. Yes, even the old manuals are still under copyright and Rowe makes money selling them. They are the Gottlieb of coin/bill changers and vigorously enforce their copyrights.

You can buy hardcopy Rowe changer manuals from Eastcoast Amusements too. Eastcoast manufactures replacement Rowe changer & bill acceptor parts for some that Rowe has discontinued.
 
eal8qu.jpg

My down and dirty $40 BC-9a

Thats strange as I have a BC-9A1 (maybe the 1 is the difference?) and it looks different...

tokenmachine.jpg


BC-9A1.png


Do you have any pictures of the Hopper lights wired up?

Right now none of the Hopper lights are wired up, and I'm looking for information on how they are wired up. I figured they would be wired up similar to other models, but none of the manuals I have show how to wire them up.

The way they appear to have been wired up, doesn't make any sense to me as it would have both wires going to the casing of the lamp. I would expect one to go to the case, the other to tip of it.

BC-9A1+Hopper+Lights.png
 
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