SMC Discussion Areas

So I am fairly new to the world of vending machines. I have a Vendo 192 with a Mars MC-5800 coin validator. Recently it has stopped accepting quarters - they fall straight through to the change slot. It works just fine with nickels and dimes. I can't find any manuals or other documentation for it. Is it possible for me to re-calibrate it to accept quarters? If not, is there a better model that I can replace it with i.e. a TRC-6800? I have searched quite a bit but have been unable to find any answers. Thanks in advance for any help.

Not familiar with the Mars mechs, but are there dimes/nickels in the tube so it can give change? Most mechs will reject quarters unless it can give the customer change.

the Mars (M.E.I) 5800 series is programmable to accept quarters and/or tokens of the same approximate size, the manual is available at the MEI website & inside you'll find the programing instructions ( assuming it needs to be reprogrammed, but if the 25-Cent detection coil or circuit is defective, then you'll have to replace it. The MEI 6800 series is a good choice if you want to keep a MARS type coinmech. 

Yes, there are dimes, nickels, and quarters in the tubes so that it can give change.

Hmm, I've searched all over MEI's website and I cannot find the manual for the 5800 series. Any chance you have a link to where I might find it? Are there better (more reliable) coin mechanisms out there that I should look at if I have to replace it?

It's an obsolete mech, so they may have pulled the PDF from the manuals/FAQs link page, contact them via email, or Google search the model you are looking for, there are plenty of modern mechs to chose from, just not many with an 8-pin 120 volt Jones style connector/input harness.

I'd scrap it & get a MEI 6800 series if you need a vending price above $1.45 and the ability to accept U.S A. $1 coins & change payout that would include Quarters, if not then go with a coinco 9800/B series.

depends on what you're doing with the machine, IE: personal or game-room use /vs/ retro-vending (public sector)

I just have the machine at my commercial construction site outside my office. Have it set at .50, and it only takes coins, so it will rarely even need to give change. So do I understand that a coinco 9800B series would be a direct replacement? Are they more reliable than the Mars mechs?

I have some single price Coinco 9300 series coin mechs that are reliable and would replace the Mars Mech. I have sold a few on here and many on ebay. Price is $35 shipping is included. Let me know and I will dig one out (they are still packed from my move from MN to SC) clean and test it.

Sounds great! PM sent.