Free time on self serve bays?

[Car Wash Junction]

Anyone have a problem with people rapidly twisting the knob on the rotary selector switch and getting free time? We've been having a problem for a while with our bays giving random coin credits, usually just one or two every now and then. But today my brother witnesses a "customer" putting a few quarters in the bay and going to town on the switch. When he goes over there to see what's going on he has 23 minutes of time on the timer. The adjoining bay also counted a few coins during this time?
It's a Magic Wand wash with TM6 timers and slugbusters. So far Istobal doesn't really have any ideas.

Thanks,
Keith

 

[MEP001]

I've seen it happen before, no idea what the solution is though.

 

[cantbreak80]

If memory serves (and that's a BIG IF) an isolation relay from the timer's timed output to the Common position on the rotary switch may solve this issue. But, you've got to have a spare wire or two in the meterbox cable.

Another solution worth trying (without the need for additional wires) is an IDX Snubber. Read about it here
http://www.idxinc.com/carwash/AppNote101.htm[/COLOR]

 

[mac]

If these freaking kids would put in half that time doing something worthwhile, America would be headed back from the swamp.

 

[2Biz]

Would Delay relays wired in to all the motor starters solve this problem? May be a quick and easy fix? At least spinning the switch wouldn't allow for anything to spike. Just thinking out loud.

 

[MEP001]

It would if the motor engaging is what's causing the pulses to the timer.

 

[mjwalsh]

I've seen it happen before, no idea what the solution is though.

We have used either touchpad or buttons (albeit a bit more expensive parts) since 1987 ... so that could be an alternative if this issue became a major problem & a different solution is not to be found. I am not zealously advocating to phase out rotary switches because the vandal resistant buttons approach require a distribution board ... which could put more of us at the mercy of the distribution board manufacturers ... hopefully they will not have future quality control or unavailability problems.

 

[cantbreak80]

If these freaking kids would put in half that time doing something worthwhile, America would be headed back from the swamp.

If we're wishing for stuff...I'd like to be taller!

 

[MEP001]

I am not zealously advocating to phase out rotary switches because the vandal resistant buttons approach require a distribution board ... which could put more of us at the mercy of the distribution board manufacturers ... hopefully they will not have future quality control or unavailability problems.

You must be fun at parties.

 

[Twodose]

Is this just with the tm6 timers, cause I tried it with dixmor and it did nothing. I would maybe be careful what u say, maybe pm someone who may have the answer.

 

[Twodose]

If these freaking kids would put in half that time doing something worthwhile, America would be headed back from the swamp.

thats never going to happen, i'm not being sarcastic, but we are not the only ones looking.

 

[sparkey]

If memory serves (and that's a BIG IF) an isolation relay from the timer's timed output to the Common position on the rotary switch may solve this issue. But, you've got to have a spare wire or two in the meterbox cable.

Another solution worth trying (without the need for additional wires) is an IDX Snubber. Read about it here
http://www.idxinc.com/carwash/AppNote101.htm[/COLOR]

You can get MOV's for around a buck a piece from places like Newark. I installed these across the coils of my starters a long time ago. Its cheap insurance and may just solve your problem.

 

[Car Wash Junction]

Problem solved! Installed mov's on all the coil connections in the pump room in addition to grounding the neutral side of the 24v supply to the cabinet. Took 25 mov's and a couple of hours work.

 

[mjwalsh]

Problem solved! Installed mov's on all the coil connections in the pump room in addition to grounding the neutral side of the 24v supply to the cabinet. Took 25 mov's and a couple of hours work.

Car Wash Junction, Sparkey, & others,

That's great you got it solved by getting rid of the possibility of floating voltage with the binding of the neutral with the earth ground & with the movs. It is nice to hear & see your first hand evidence using those straight forward solutions ... rather than speculation.

I had some naysayers ... about our 100% PLC - TouchScreen HMI approach on our dogwash ... regarding just asking for noise problems etc. We did take some precautions such as when Chip from Laurel helped provide us with a way to vend the equivalent of 8 separate columns electronically without buying two of their 4 column cabinets ... by precautions ... we installed IDX snubbers which I believe is very similar to your mov approach. Over 5 years later the evidence shows that we were the more accurate!

mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html