Bill changer conversion to $1 coins

[Keith Baker]

You two really need to stop pushing this. It works for you, but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. There's no money in my meter boxes and I end up with one damaged every few months. In this one everything was destroyed, door/timer/coin acceptor, tore up the wiring to the switch, the decal was just replaced a few days prior. Asshole got no money and still went to another bay and tried to get it open too. The next night literally 15 seconds after I got this bay back running I caught someone else about to break into another bay. Run your wash how you like, mention it when asked, stop spamming it.

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Could you put a local alarm on these coin boxes with a shock sensor? If it screamed at them or set off a strobe light before they could get that far in to it, it should slow them down some. It wouldn't have to be sophisticated with a phone dialer, just something that would draw attention. That should be something that you could do fairly easily.

 

[Blanco]

It would be a waste of time and money. I used to have my pay stations on shock sensors for about 4 whole days through an alarm company before I pulled the plug. Even on their minimal setting, the sensor would sometimes go off when someone would let go of the bill acceptor rain cover and it smacks the door. Some self serve customers are not the most gentle when interacting with a meter box. The shock sensors will go off plenty of times a day during normal use and will most likely become more annoying then beneficial. The only way I see shock sensors working is on a tunnel pay station where you can specify the hours that you want the shock sensor active through your alarm company. In a 24hr business it simply does not work.

 

[Keith Baker]

It would be a waste of time and money. I used to have my pay stations on shock sensors for about 4 whole days through an alarm company before I pulled the plug. Even on their minimal setting, the sensor would sometimes go off when someone would let go of the bill acceptor rain cover and it smacks the door. Some self serve customers are not the most gentle when interacting with a meter box. The shock sensors will go off plenty of times a day during normal use and will most likely become more annoying then beneficial. The only way I see shock sensors working is on a tunnel pay station where you can specify the hours that you want the shock sensor active through your alarm company. In a 24hr business it simply does not work.

It looks to me like rebuilding the boxes and doors as often as he talks about is a waste of time and money. I know shock sensors can be adjusted and surely the sensitivity could be set somewhere between dropping the rain cover and beating the tar out of one like the picture he posted. The alarm doesn't have to be monitored, just make some noise or flash some strobe lights. Everything I see about MEP001 is that he is plenty handy to fix or fabricate most anything in a car wash. This setup wouldn't be rocket science. If it stops just one incident like the picture I see, it would be very well worth it. If it happens once or twice the word would be out and there should be less attempts.

 

[Blanco]

It looks to me like rebuilding the boxes and doors as often as he talks about is a waste of time and money. I know shock sensors can be adjusted and surely the sensitivity could be set somewhere between dropping the rain cover and beating the tar out of one like the picture he posted. The alarm doesn't have to be monitored, just make some noise or flash some strobe lights. Everything I see about MEP001 is that he is plenty handy to fix or fabricate most anything in a car wash. This setup wouldn't be rocket science. If it stops just one incident like the picture I see, it would be very well worth it. If it happens once or twice the word would be out and there should be less attempts.

You must not have ever owned a car wash in a bad area. Lights and sirens don’t do anything. It takes hours for police to arrive. Their more busy dealing with crimes such as murders and robberies. The guy trying to steal quarters is at the bottom of their list. The word won’t get around, its not a high school and criminals don’t care.

 

[MEP001]

No name-calling going on ...I call it as I see it. If you take it that way, it's not my problem.

The mantra of the ignorant.

 

[MEP001]

You must not have ever owned a car wash in a bad area. Lights and sirens don’t do anything. It takes hours for police to arrive. Their more busy dealing with crimes such as murders and robberies. The guy trying to steal quarters is at the bottom of their list. The word won’t get around, its not a high school and criminals don’t care.

Exactly, and here they've lowered the crime of burglary of a car wash to criminal mischief. We had $24,000 of vacuums destroyed for a few dollars in quarters, so it's not even a felony.

 

[MEP001]

Could you put a local alarm on these coin boxes with a shock sensor? If it screamed at them or set off a strobe light before they could get that far in to it, it should slow them down some. It wouldn't have to be sophisticated with a phone dialer, just something that would draw attention. That should be something that you could do fairly easily.

I thought about shock sensors, but some idiot will put someone else's tokens or foreign coins or fill the reject chute with nickels and dimes, bang on the door, and set off the alarm a couple times a week.

 

[Keith Baker]

I thought about shock sensors, but some idiot will put someone else's tokens or foreign coins or fill the reject chute with nickels and dimes, bang on the door, and set off the alarm a couple times a week.

I get it, there's no perfect answer. But would you rather have the alarm go off a couple of times a week or have to put your meter box back together every couple of months? From the looks of it they must have been beating on that box for quite a while to get it that tore up. No matter how bold they are, the thieves wouldn't hang around for that long with an alarm going. How much time and money did it take to put that back together?

Just my .02.

 

[Keith Baker]

You must not have ever owned a car wash in a bad area.

Well you would be wrong about that too.

In the 28 years I've owned the place some one has hooked onto a vacuum with a cable and tried to take it, and some one drove through the block wall into the equipment room wall with a stolen car. There have been other attempts, but these two were the worst. They didn't get away with the vac, just ruined it and they didn't get any money when they got into the building with the stolen car. As soon as they crossed in front of the motion sensor, they set the alarm off and left.
You talk like your four whole day experiment with the motion sensors is the last word on the subject, but it's not. There's more than one way to look at things.

 

[Blanco]

Well you would be wrong about that too.

What was the first thing I was wrong about? That shock sensors on self serve doors would be a waste of time and money? I said that because it’s true. I know from experience. You obviously don’t.

 

[Blanco]

There's more than one way to look at things.

Practice what you preach.

 

[Keith Baker]

You obviously don’t.

Well, your wrong again....

 

[Blanco]

Well, your wrong again....

The three things you stated that I was “wrong” about :

1. Shock sensors won’t work on SS meter boxes.

Like I said already,

“Some self serve customers are not the most gentle when interacting with a meter box. The shock sensors will go off plenty of times a day during normal use and will most likely become more annoying then beneficial.”

Any SS owner in a not so great area will understands this without thinking twice. THE MOST COMMON WAY TO RELIEVE A JAMMED COIN IS TO POUND ON THE METER BOX!

2. You dont have a wash in a bad area.

You proved me right yourself. 28 years with only 2 major incidents. Im sure Nebraska is pretty tough.

3. That you have no experience with shock sensors.

I know this because if you did then you would not have wasted your time and suggested it in the first place. You can never go wrong to make a suggestion regardless of experience or knowledge, but to defend that suggestion with zero experience or knowledge when met with facts is pretty pathetic.

Your only response is IM WRONG.

Curious, how many shock sensors do you have installed on SS meter boxes. Since your in such a bad area?

 

[MEP001]

How much time and money did it take to put that back together?

Time was several hours. Real money for the new parts would have been $500, but not everything I used was new. Shock sensors would have been better than nothing, it might have scared the guy off before he got to a second box, but the cops can't show up in a reasonable time since they've been defunded. We're losing a couple officers every week. My next plan might be to leave them unlocked and held shut with a strong magnet so they can be pried open without damage.

 

[HeyVern]

Time was several hours. Real money for the new parts would have been $500, but not everything I used was new. Shock sensors would have been better than nothing, it might have scared the guy off before he got to a second box, but the cops can't show up in a reasonable time since they've been defunded. We're losing a couple officers every week. My next plan might be to leave them unlocked and held shut with a strong magnet so they can be pried open without damage.

I was wondering if leaving the meter boxes unlocked might help prevent damage, or would they just be mad there was no money and tear everything up anyway.

 

[Keith Baker]

Time was several hours. Real money for the new parts would have been $500, but not everything I used was new. Shock sensors would have been better than nothing, it might have scared the guy off before he got to a second box, but the cops can't show up in a reasonable time since they've been defunded. We're losing a couple officers every week. My next plan might be to leave them unlocked and held shut with a strong magnet so they can be pried open without damage.

The components don't have any street value, so I doubt they could sell anything. But they would still probably f---k thing up just because they could.
When I bought my wash it had the old small D&S boxes. The door fit was pretty sloppy and they were pried on a lot. I got pretty good at taking the doors to a press and straightening them out, but I still usually needed a new coin mech. and rotary switch. I put the motion sensors on them for about 3 years. The problem stopped, so I just took them out. About 5 years ago I bought new boxes from Kleenrite and ordered the heavier gauge steel. The face fits very tight in the box so there's nothing to grab. I haven't needed to put alarms on these.
Too bad booby traps are illegal. I would have some ideas there.

 

[Keith Baker]

The three things you stated that I was “wrong” about :

1. Shock sensors won’t work on SS meter boxes.

Like I said already,

“Some self serve customers are not the most gentle when interacting with a meter box. The shock sensors will go off plenty of times a day during normal use and will most likely become more annoying then beneficial.”

Any SS owner in a not so great area will understands this without thinking twice. THE MOST COMMON WAY TO RELIEVE A JAMMED COIN IS TO POUND ON THE METER BOX!

2. You dont have a wash in a bad area.

You proved me right yourself. 28 years with only 2 major incidents. Im sure Nebraska is pretty tough.

3. That you have no experience with shock sensors.

I know this because if you did then you would not have wasted your time and suggested it in the first place. You can never go wrong to make a suggestion regardless of experience or knowledge, but to defend that suggestion with zero experience or knowledge when met with facts is pretty pathetic.

Your only response is IM WRONG.

Curious, how many shock sensors do you have installed on SS meter boxes. Since your in such a bad area?

My gosh Blanco. Are you keeping up with your meds?
I'm sure you're going to respond with more insults and leading questions, but I'm done with you. I have been a member of this forum for a long time but don't post very often. Putting up with guys like you is one of the reasons why.
Good bye.

 

[Blanco]

My gosh Blanco. Are you keeping up with your meds?
I'm sure you're going to respond with more insults and leading questions, but I'm done with you. I have been a member of this forum for a long time but don't post very often. Putting up with guys like you is one of the reasons why.
Good bye.

Wow! Great response.

First you insult me because you don't like what I had to say, then tell me I'm probably going to respond with an insult myself. You were right.

You must be the modern day Nostradamus for that revelation.

As far as keeping up with my meds goes, there are over 300 million people living with depression that take medication for it. I am not one of them and I would never look down on someone that did.

Putting up with guys like me? This must not be your first time. You being "done" with me is the first smart thing you've said.