Mars MEI card reader

[Buhlazen]

Does anyone know if a Mars MEI will work with this bill acceptor? I'm not sure if they all look the same, or if the Mars MEI can be put on all of them.

Also what accessories should you buy with the Mars MEI? I saw the Advance 5000 was the telemeter but should I buy an antenna? If so which one?

[orsd]

Mars and MEI is a company. Same company, MEI stands for Mars Electronics International.

They make coin mechanisms, bill validators, and other things.

As that is an MEI VN 2000 series validator an MEI card reader mask will physically fit on it.

HOWEVER, judging by the price sticker, your machine is likely an old single price machine that is not credit card reader capable, without an expensive aftermarket kit. The value of the machine and price of the kit and reader makes such a conversion not worth it.

[Buhlazen]

@orsd This is a Vendo 511 and it is MDB compatible. Not sure why it has that sticker. That is good to hear that it will fit, I'll go ahead and buy one along with telemeter.

Is there anything else I need? The antenna was what I was trying to find online but it doesn't look like there is one for MEI. Also how does it connect to the network?

Edited September 5, 2022 by Buhlazen

[AZVendor]

Go to your preferred card service provider such as USA Technology or Nayax and buy your card reader from them.  You'll have to arrange their card processing service as well.  Trying to cut corners with Ebay will net you problems in activation, card processing and get you possible outdated hardware.  A new one will include an antenna and the harness needed to connect it to the machine and all instructions.  The price sticker is not needed as long as you have a credit display on the door, which would be there if the machine is really MDB capable.

[Buhlazen]

@AZVendor I'm trying to stay on a budget if possible. If I bought this USA Tech combo what would I have to go through to set it up in my name?

[tc vending]

Make sure any USAtech device is not a 3g unit being it is obsolete. Their is no budget with card reader you spend 300 or 400 a piece and make your money in the long run. Buying a new one from USA tech or Nayax is the best option. Also your machine needs an eprom update most likely.

[AngryChris]

I feel like you have a big misunderstanding about how everything works here.  The validator (aka bill acceptor), the coin mechanism, and the card reader are all three separate components.  For the sake of adding a card reader, all that *usually* matters is that the machine is running MDB components.  However, this may not be enough on older machines with the first generation of MDB as it's not one-size-fits-all.

Your card reader is completely separate from the validator.  They are NOT connected.  What you CAN do is mount a "credit card mask" such as an Mei 4-in-1 or 3-in-1 mask onto an Mei validator.  The reason you would do this is if you can't or don't want to drill to mount the credit card swipe elsewhere.  On newer machines, this is completely unnecessary because they have two separate openings (one for the validator, one for the card swiped).

Again, the validator and card reader run completely independent from one another!  They are not connected!  If you choose to mount the card reader to the validator, you need a compatible mask AND a step-down voltage converter that connects the mask to the telemeter.

The telemeter is the component on the left in your picture.  It is the device that physically communicated with the wireless carrier.  That's how a card reader works.  The swipe just handles the swipe part and it connects to the telemeter.  The telemeter connects to your control board via MDB connection.  Both antenna are necessary on a g10 or g11.  You do NOT want a used card reader.  Don't bother.  Don't waste your money.  Get a brand new one with a warranty and set it up with a checking account.  Otherwise, you may get a bad unit or you may not realize that the sales could be going into someone else's account and you'd have to junk through hurdles to get that fixed.

So, if you are okay with drilling so you can mount the swipe, then you don't need a mars credit card mask or the step down voltage harness.  You can simply use their template to drill holes to mount the swipe.  It's better this way.

But, you need to verify if the 511 is compatible.  The machine must have MDB components already connected and the software on the board needs to be compatible.  Vendo should know if it is based off of the eprom on the board.

And, finally, if you need to check the board for any reason, I suggest you unplug the machine first.  I have burnt up a couple vendo boards simply by taking the board cover off.  That's not possible when the power is off!

[Buhlazen]

There's a good chance I'll buy a new one. The original owner did say the machine is MDB compatible, but I'll have to check which gen. Thanks for the information, this helps a lot.

[AngryChris]

2 hours ago, Buhlazen said:

There's a good chance I'll buy a new one. The original owner did say the machine is MDB compatible, but I'll have to check which gen. Thanks for the information, this helps a lot.

Being compatible is meaningless if you aren't already running components because you'll not only need the right harness but also an MDB coin mech and validator.  You could end up spending a lot more than you intended if you don't find out first.  What's the software version on your board?

[Buhlazen]

@AngryChris I'm going to ask the original owner and get back to you.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Buhlazen

[AngryChris]

You can just take a picture of the connections on the coin mech and validator.  If they are 6 pin connectors and connected together, you are running MDB.  Then you can take a picture of the board to show the eprom on the board which hopefully has a sticker.

[Buhlazen]

I'll check it out soon, but he may respond in a bit.