Credit Card Readers

[SplishSplash]

I may be in need to a couple of new readers. I am hoping that I can clean the circuit boards and get them working again without replacing them.

The price that I was quoted from the the original supplier allow my jaw to hit the floor! If anyone else has had to replace readers recently, where have you gone? What I have now are Neuron flush mounted readers. I do have a couple of emails into some other suppliers to see if the reader they use will work, I am told by some others that deal with readers that it should not matter.

 

[Randy]

I?ve never had much success in repairing the CC readers. I?ve tried to find replacement parts for them to fix the problem of the cards getting stuck in the reader when the stop on the inside wears down but I found that you can?t buy parts for them. Most of the equipment manufactures have the CC readers programmed to work with only there equipment. This prevents you from buying a CC reader from company A and using it on company Z equipment. Who?s equipment do you have that you need a CC reader for? Most of the Neuron CC readers are dual side readers now.

 

[SplishSplash]

WashCard and it is only a single side reader.

 

[Randy]

How much is the Wash Card CC reader? The Wash Gear CC Reader is $175 and the Hamilton CC reader is $301. Both are dual sided readers now

 

[Rudy]

I've actually been able to repair the readers that get worn....which causes the cards to stick.

If you split the assembly, you can see where the plastic stops have eroded due to use.

I use some QuickSteel epoxy to make new stops, making sure to carefully trim it before it sets too much.....

 

[MEP001]

Most of these readers are made proprietary because of software and must be purchased from the original source. The best you might hope for as far as cost is to find a distributor that can sell them below list.

 

[Bill Manke]

card reader

I have Washcard and have never had to replace a reader except 1 that was destroyed by a crowbar. If they quit usually just wet. Remove power wash out then blow dry with air. Good luck Bill.

 

[MEP001]

I have Washcard and have never had to replace a reader except 1 that was destroyed by a crowbar.

I wonder if they thought they'd be able to pry money out of it.

I've had three surface mount readers fail with out D.A.N. system already - the electronics and connectors corrode and short out, sometimes taking the $1,000 DTI with it. I've ordered some more readers and some 3M potting epoxy, and I intend to open them up and coat everything thoroughly to waterproof them.

 

[SplishSplash]

They are asking $295 for a reader. The problem seems to be some corrosion on the circuit boards. I am going to spend some time today cleaning them with some cleaner that I got from an electronics store, the cleaner I had was not aggressive enough. If it works, I am going to cover the entire board with a silicon to prevent this from happening again. The heaters that were supplied were just not enough to keep the moisture from building up.

 

[MEP001]

I would suggest potting epoxy rather than silicone. If you use silicone and you don't completely seal the electronics, any water that gets in will be trapped and will cause more corrosion than it would otherwise cause if it were to evaporate more freely.

This is what I ordered:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=3M6431-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=3M6432-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=3M6460-ND

This is the same stuff used in electronics manufacturing.

 

[Rudy]

I got turned onto Corrosion X products. Pricey but really effective. I can't get things done around the car wash without it. It works to protect contacts, and prevent rust. It might work on the card reader too...I'd have to read up on it.

http://www.corrosionx.com/