ACW4 Display Options / Ideas??

[AdamA]

No secret that the ACW4 screen is hard to read...impossible in the direct sunlight.

Any suggestions? I have tried a smoke colored plastic under the faceplate, helps a little. Cover ideas?

I am considering the external display, but $1,850 + list price is a little steep. I don't need it to be separately programmable and have found a few 24v displays online, but am not sure I could make them work.

Ideas??

Thanks for any help...Adam

 

[Mitch]

ACW Display

I put a stainless flip-up weathershield designed for changer validator openings over mine with short screws. The small amount of shade it created solved the problem that I was having with direct sunlight, and it is the correct size. It is a Hamiton part, and I could get you the number tomorrow. Mitch

 

[AdamA]

That would be great!

BTW, I have custom ACW faceplates if you are interested in the computer files.

See:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Adam.Bend/ACWPicS/photo#5241250736808063346

I can email pic as well.

Adam

 

[jprb]

Adam,
Nice faceplate. Where did you have it made? What was cost?

Thanks,
JPRB

 

[Mitch]

cover

Adam, The part number is 60-0067 Hamilton. I like the face plate. Is it lexan? I used 1/8 or 3/16 inch screws to mount the weathershield, just tapping into the lexan.

 

[AdamA]

I have the computer files for the faceplate. It is vinyl, stick on, printed by my local sign shop. Hamilton sent me the AutoCAD files, after much prodding. I converted them and made this faceplate. I can change whatever I want and my sign shop prints them two wide for $50. You could put clear or smoke colored plastic over it. (I out a smoke colored piece of thin plastic under the vinyl and over the display. from a report cover @ OfficeMax. Helped a little re the readability of the display).

You would need Dreamweaver or similar software, but sign shops have it and can make the changes. I will share the files, but may need a few days to find them...that last my last laptop.

 

[soapy]

I have taken the area where the read out is and cut out the plastic and put in real glass. It makes it easier to read. I have also sent in the controller and had new digital signs put in because they go dim after a few years. Hamilton may have the displays now so you can change them out yourself. I can not remember if they do or not. Randy the Hamilton expert of the forum is on a little holiday for a while but should be back soon.

 

[Randy]

Soapy my Alaska cruise out of Seattle was great!!
The blue plastic lens on the inside of the door that turns black or dark brown in time is a UV filter that protects the display from the harmful UV sunlight that punks out the display. When you remove it it will be brighter for little while than it will punk out pretty fast. The plastic filter also helps protect the Controller display from rain water seeping in and damaging the display.
The Brick mount scrolling display is Part #61-0594C and the list price is $1850.00. If you want a scrolling display mounted in a Tilting stainless steel case it?s Part #61-0590C and the list price of that one is $2795.00. The Scrolling display gives you 4 lines with 40 characters per line, a space is counted as a character. Before you order a scrolling display make sure your controller is capable of running the display. You want to have an ?E? in the model number of the controller, such as v4.23CE. I don?t know of anyone who has successfully replaced the door mounted fluorescent display with another type display.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Tell the bosses at hamilton, its the ( 1980's) -- those displays are now obsolete, how do they even find them. That is why i threw away an acw4 and never even considered another one , that and those poor validators, In the early 90s they were stringing more hamilton validators than even existed. And the other security issues were too numerous to mention. While hamilton did nothing to fix them . Have they heard of LCD readouts, they get brighter in sunlight

 

[MEP001]

Have they heard of LCD readouts, they get brighter in sunlight

Actually a lot of LCD displays "black out" from the heat of sunlight and aren't much better than the fluorescent displays. I've had/seen less problems with the fluorescents, and have even replaced the LCD display in a couple of machines with a fluorescent because at the peak of a summer day it was completely unreadable.

 

[rick]

No secret that the ACW4 screen is hard to read...impossible in the direct sunlight.

Any suggestions? I have tried a smoke colored plastic under the faceplate, helps a little. Cover ideas?

I am considering the external display, but $1,850 + list price is a little steep. I don't need it to be separately programmable and have found a few 24v displays online, but am not sure I could make them work.

Ideas??

Thanks for any help...Adam

The external Brick Mount display is great when it is working! I have had mine for one year and have had to replace the display three times now. Keeps dropping led's and if the power goes out the display will not power back up. After cycling power and pushing buttons it will finally start to display again. Hamilton has replaced display 3 times now and the transformer twice. This time they replaced everything including harnesses. This is a modified Dixmor display that obviously has some issues when retrofitted to ACW4. I would have hoped for the $1800 + pricetag that Hamilton would have worked the bugs out before putting it out on the market.

 

[AdamA]

Thanks for the heads up...sorry you had to find out the hard way! Adam