Vendo56 squaretop bottle door light help

[tkaz]

You can find a wiring diagram in the downloads section of the main page (you'll need to login there first) http://soda-machines.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=95&Itemid=61

I know it says 63/90/126, but the wiring should be just about the same.  If you have a multimeter or test tool, you can check for 120V at the two cut lines at the door harness.  If the meter has a continuity or ohm tester on it, you can verify where those lines go to in the Jones plug just to make sure.

[SodaShopNick]

tkaz, thanks for all the help.  I have downloaded the manual and will check it.  It does appear somehow it has to connect into those clipped wires. 

[MoonDawg]

      I have a hard time believing Vendo left those live 120v wires cut and exposed. 

[SodaShopNick]

So I ended up connecting the door vend light into the snipped wires from the jones plug and after changing out the bulb it worked.  Of course now though the light panel does not work.  Let me correct this, it never worked to begin with.  So I changed out the fluorescent bulb and it came on for like 10 seconds and then went out (no flicker, just dead).  Changed out the starter and no change.   I need to recheck the wiring, but assuming if the wiring is good I assume it must be the ballast?  Does anyone know where I can get a replacement ballast? I can't read the back of the original real well, but it looks like it says CAT SP2 / For 14 15 20 W. Lamp / .35 Amp 118 V 60 CY.  I saw a mention of in another thread of 1000bulbs, but having a hard time matching this type.  I guess I could look at Lowes and/or Home Depot, but feel like they might not carry this type.  Any thoughts are appreciated.

[cola62]

I buy all my ballasts from robertsondirect.com.  Also the wires you mentioned at the coin door may have been for an on off switch.  A lot of the vendo 63's have a switch mounted inside the coin door to cut the lights at the sign and at the bottle door on and off.

[johnieG]

The VMC VF56 uses a 7-10watt 120 volt candelabra-base Incandescent lamp in the bottle-door area if it's equipped with one, many weren't. ( an example of one that wouldn't have a bottle door light is the "thrift-vend" model it also had a painted steel sign instead of a light-up marquee).

FYI...one explanation given for how the florescence lamps ballast works is in error, it doesn't utilize any "chemical reaction", it is merely regulates the current through the lamps vacuum tube after the filaments vaporizes/ionizes the mercury inside to lamp to allow it to "strike an arc" ( which is an electrical short as far as the system voltage & current is concerned) so then the ballast "throttles" the Arc's current so it doesn't blow the tube to shards of glass or tip a circuit-breaker of fuse.  Once the mercury is a glowing plasma, it produces ultra-violet light which is converted to visible white-light by the phosphor coating inside the lamps glass envelope. (IE:tube) nothing chemically changes inside the lamp. Nothing like a little lightning in a bottle to brighten your day. (esoteric isn't it?) 

[SodaShopNick]

cola62 - thanks for the response.  I will check that site for a ballast.
johnieG - thanks for info on the vendo door light.  I am glad I got it working as it looks pretty cool.  Now if I can only get the light up marque working, which looks even cooler, I will be all set.

[Fire708]

On my pepsi56 I changed out all the electrical parts for the marquee light. New ballast, sockets, and starter. I also adde a switch behind the coin door so I could turn it off if needed.
I didn't trust 40 year old wiring.

[SodaShopNick]

Cola62,

So maybe a stupid question, but I just want to confirm I order the correct replacement.  I found the following which "appears" to be a replacement:    http://www.robertsondirect.com/CC1420-A-P10932.aspx .    It is described as "mBallast, Fluorescent, Preheat Start, T8 or T12 (F20T12), 1 Lamp, 14-20 Watt, NPF, 120Vac, 60 Hz".  The specs from the original ballast are "CAT SP2 / For 14 15 20 W. Lamp / .35 Amp 118 V 60 CY".

As always any help is very appreciated.

[cola62]

Looks like you got it right to me.