Ardac USA Validators

[pxs]

Disclaimer: I work for ICT, so take the following with that in mind.

The only people that like stackerless bill validators are sales people, that should tell you all you need to know. The techs here in the US don’t even like them. Although the South American and Asian markets prefer them, we in the US still don’t understand why. If given the choice go with stacker validators, there’s just much less to worry about as they’re a more self contained system.

Extra note about the BL700: I wouldn’t expect updates on them beyond the next 2 maybe 3 years. It’s a 20 year old design, its retirement is long overdue.

The problem with us is our traditional Asian way of thinking. We haven’t learned to admit when we messed up. I can tell you that confidence in ICT right now is at an all time low, and it wasn’t without reason. We had a supplier issue and instead of fixing it promptly, blame got shifted and the issue got dragged around for a while before getting fixed. I would love to say the problem is fixed, but honestly I won’t know until the units sold this last year have been out working for another 3-4 years. The weak material in the motor gear, by my own estimates, reduced the working time before repairs were needed by as much as 85%.

While Wilson vastly outranks me, I can tell you without a doubt that he can’t help any of you with tradeins as he doesn’t work with the US office directly. (Hopefully that same reasoning lets me keep employment.) We just don’t do tradeins. Also you can talk to our sales until you’re blue in the face, but chances are they won’t sell you a single unit anyways. They’ll just have to go to Happ or Betson.

That being said there is one way for getting a unit fairly cheap, possibly even free, and that’s to get a hold of the tech support manager. He still needs to know which vending machines the validators work on and which don’t. If you want a bill validator from him, I think the only thing he really needs is a picture of the harness that’s plugged into the MEI unit, just the 30 pin side (or 12/18 if its split), and what model vending machine you are using it on. And of course letting him know if it works or not.

[loach33]

Back to my original question.. Has anyone dealt with Capital Vending out of Maryland? I still have not got the Ardac validator replaced. I bought a BA30B and Capital Vending has a harness they sell off their website that is specifically for replacing an Ardac with a BA30B.

I bought the harness and plugged it in, but there was no power to the validator. Called them and the tech said he'd build one that went direct from the board to the validator instead. I was surprised he'd do that and very happy about it.

2 weeks later I got the harness, plugged it in and now there's power but when a bill is inserted credit does not show up. I tried switch 3 on both the on and off positions. I called Capital with this problem and found out that I shouldn't call because I must be bothering them (didn't say that but when I get "I've got a lot of people on hold" along with a sigh - that's how I take it)

Anyone know why this won't show credit? It's a Merlin Version 5 board in a Royal552 machine.

I have the BA30B. This tech believes it should work. But it doesn't. Here's a youtube video I did showing it. I was trying to film, insert a bill, avoid having the validator fall on the floor and hold the door switch in all at the same time so that's why the video isn't the greatest but you probably get the idea

[dogcow]

yeah i have bought from capital vending before but not that part they seem to know what their doing

[Walta]

You ask for advice and then proceed to ignore all our recommendations.

In my opinion 3 years from now BA30s will just as useless as your Ardac is now.

Try sliding the board out of BA30 Find the plug with only 2 wires 1 blue and one brown. Unplug it turn it 180 degrees and plug it back in now the blue wire is where brown one was and try a bill.

Walta

[Technivend]

The BA is old but the pinout should be the same in their "b" model from the CBA to the BP series. If a CBA should work so should the BA. Sounds like a harness problem.

[CajunCandy]

Hmmm! Does the coin mech. work?

On one of my machines the ba30b was taking money and not showing credit, nor give back change.

I swapped out coin mech with another and it started showing a credit and giving change.

Mike

[loach33]

The coin mech does work.

I'll try Walta's suggestion

I went with the BA30 only because the same day I posted this original message I saw the Capital Vending harness. Figured it was going to be an easy fix.

By the way, I sent this video to Capital after talking to the tech and, like I said, getting basically nowhere and told pretty much they were too busy. I sent it a week ago and no call back yet. I'll try Walta's suggestion and if that does not work then I'll send both harnesses back to Capital for a refund and a "friendly" thanks for nothing note. Then I'll be off to follow the suggestions in this thread about a different validator.

[Repairman]

This problem could have been solved long ago. AGAIN MEI validator. They are bountiful and are still very much desirable. Call Vendors Exchange or Whoever. The BA series validators are from the past. Walta is right and I second his opinion about the BA's going by the wayside.