What Kind of electrical cable to re-wire bay coin boxes ?

[Rookie68]

Oh what a long trip this is going to be.
I think I have landed on Nyax debit card readers after about 8 months of reading on several different options.
Was going to buy the Laurel box to put the reader on and the dixmor timer in. Built this all out on KR and it was about 8K in parts to do 6 bays. But I dont really like the idea of having two seperate boxes out in the bay. Also the laurel box is meant to by mounted via either side, I of course want to mount it from the rear of the box, which means 200 for the box and 30 bucks per side to cover the punch outs. So I am 260 per bay before timer, wiring harness, debit card reader, and labor to install and connect.

That is also before the new wire I need to run to each bay from the equipment room. I recognize current wire is 30 years old. Gotta replace it.
If I go with all new timer boxes with more functions, Debit card reader, bill acceptor, and quarters, its about 3k a bay. Again, before install. I am dirt poor, so maybe 2 bays get new timers and then we see how it goes.....
I think If I run all the wire myself, and buy new boxes, I may just tackle the install myself. (At least as much as I can handle.)
What kind of wire is necessary for this kind of thing ? I am certain the lead times are rediculous so I will probabluy need to get this ordered sooner vs later.
Anybody else out there do this already and have some lessons learned for me ?

 

[MEP001]

Why do you think you need to replace the wire? Do you need more conductors to add functions? It doesn't go bad unless it's exposed and squirrels have been chewing on it or it's strewn across the roof and the sun has baked off the insulation.

You don't need any special cable since it's just voltage. Any 18 gauge multi-conductor wire will work. 22 gauge will work, I built a lot of car washes with it and never had a problem as long as the correct transformers were used, but I rather go oversize on the wire, it doesn't break as easily and you are less likely to have coils go bad from getting hot.

 

[Rookie68]

Why do you think you need to replace the wire? Do you need more conductors to add functions? It doesn't go bad unless it's exposed and squirrels have been chewing on it or it's strewn across the roof and the sun has baked off the insulation.

You don't need any special cable since it's just voltage. Any 18 gauge multi-conductor wire will work. 22 gauge will work, I built a lot of car washes with it and never had a problem as long as the correct transformers were used, but I rather go oversize on the wire, it doesn't break as easily and you are less likely to have coils go bad from getting hot.

Debit card reader install has morphed into new coin boxes with debit card readers as I also want to add more functions in the future. My coin boxes are so small I would need to mount a separate box just for the readers… the cost of this and how it will look, plus the extra complication of drilling in concrete to accommodate wires from coin box to debit card reader box with timer since my current timers won’t count up…. May as well just bite the bullet and get 10 function coin boxes that take dollars as well and be done with quarters. I’m thinking debit and dollars only. Double “Ds”

if I’m doing all that I will take GinSans advice and replace my 34 year old wire as well.

 

[Randy]

Trust me when I say this do not want to add bill validators to your bay coin boxes. It'll make them a target for thieves. We are slowly fazing out the bill validators has they fail. We had one last that someone tried to get into, they tried to pick the Medeco lock and broke off there lock picking tool inside the lock.

 

[Rookie68]

Trust me when I say this do not want to add bill validators to your bay coin boxes. It'll make them a target for thieves. We are slowly fazing out the bill validators has they fail. We had one last that someone tried to get into, they tried to pick the Medeco lock and broke off there lock picking tool inside the lock.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. I had considered both of these points as well. I do agree that adding the dollar bill acceptors makes it more of a target for theft. It also increases my opportunity to increase earnings. Do you mind me asking how long you had the bill acceptors on your boxes for and how frequently you had attempted thefts that resulted in damage and or repairs ? I have had a fair amount of vandalism and 3 different attempted thefts across two locations in 10 months. It hurts.

I still really like the idea of accepting dollars at the bay and therefore getting rid of my change machines. I have Rowes and they have been a pain since day 1. They absolutely do not perform in cold temps.

I think with enough cameras… I will have 20 per wash when done. As well as a few other counter measures I will be ok. In regards to bill validators failing…
1. What brand do you have ?
2. How long have you had them ?
3. In what way do they fail ?


I do have the coin vaults setup at both of my washes currently and I do think this has somewhat limited the vandalism to my current coin boxes as they are original from 1989 and still working. Think about that for a minute. Do you have anything that you have bought ever that lasted 33 years ? I get it, things get replaced, serviced, and maintained regularly at a well run wash. But even so I thinks it’s pretty amazing that I have mostly original equipment that almost as old as me and it’s still performing.

 

[MEP001]

I know two local operators with multiple washes both who really like having bill acceptors in the bays. Yes, it'll make you more money. Yes, there's a risk of break-in. If you do add bill acceptors, get something with a substantial locking system and layers of protection. You want a meter door with as small a bill slot as possible, not one where the whole 3 x 5" bezel sticks through. 30 seconds with a crowbar and they can reach right through to the bills. One of these operators has GinSan boxes with the T-handle locks. The other had his own box designed with a separate door for the validator. His appear to be a lot more secure and a lot faster to open to remove bills, but they're crazy expensive.

Mars bill acceptors in the bays are the way to go. They aren't waterproof, and if your boxes are in the middle of the bays you might consider moving them to one end, but they last many years if you keep them clean. The last wash I was involved with had three of the original six bill acceptors still working without ever being serviced after 12 years.

I would add bill acceptors to my bays if the wash wasn't in such a bad area. Customers routinely overpay with bills and just leave time on the bay.

 

[Rookie68]

I know two local operators with multiple washes both who really like having bill acceptors in the bays. Yes, it'll make you more money. Yes, there's a risk of break-in. If you do add bill acceptors, get something with a substantial locking system and layers of protection. You want a meter door with as small a bill slot as possible, not one where the whole 3 x 5" bezel sticks through. 30 seconds with a crowbar and they can reach right through to the bills. One of these operators has GinSan boxes with the T-handle locks. The other had his own box designed with a separate door for the validator. His appear to be a lot more secure and a lot faster to open to remove bills, but they're crazy expensive.

Mars bill acceptors in the bays are the way to go. They aren't waterproof, and if your boxes are in the middle of the bays you might consider moving them to one end, but they last many years if you keep them clean. The last wash I was involved with had three of the original six bill acceptors still working without ever being serviced after 12 years.

I would add bill acceptors to my bays if the wash wasn't in such a bad area. Customers routinely overpay with bills and just leave time on the bay.

Can you possibly send me a pic of the box with the seperate door for the validator ?
This sounds interesting. Luckily coin boxes are all at the ends of the bays.

 

[MEP001]

I'll have to stop at one of the washes he remodeled to get you a pic, but it's not far out of my way.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Can you possibly send me a pic of the box with the seperate door for the validator ?
This sounds interesting. Luckily coin boxes are all at the ends of the bays.

Here is my seperate Box from Etowah - with cryptopay attched.

 

[mac]

You can add a shock sensor easily and cheaply. That way if someone starts beating on it a siren will go off. Remember one guy that said he was going to add teargas in the ceiling if the shock sensor went off.

 

[Rookie68]

You can add a shock sensor easily and cheaply. That way if someone starts beating on it a siren will go off. Remember one guy that said he was going to add teargas in the ceiling if the shock sensor went off.

Haha. Love it. Shock sensor is a good idea.