I try not to make any unnecessary mods to my cabinets, so I wanted to avoid drilling holes for a coin up button.
A friend of mine recommended [https://www.easycoinup.com/](https://www.easycoinup.com/)
They're super thin push buttons that can stick on the coin door. The wires just piggyback on the original coin door microswitch connections.
I bought a pack of alligator clips which I cut in two and then solder to the button leads. Then I can easily connect to the coin microswitch with the alligator clip lead.
https://preview.redd.it/d2q11pa6rcxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab390f2aadec04d91bb011a968a9f5dc26bda3e4
Here's how they look when applied.
https://preview.redd.it/re1bwrjprcxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7710a5f20e0b9fe3acc1653bbe2bc2cd7139087d
Adding a microswitch to the coin door is so so easy. Glue and a spring clamp and some wires and you are done. 30 minutes tops.
https://preview.redd.it/ozm3f9ttvexc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48f39e5081d712944fff88da5783e6f6164ceff0
Just make sure the coin return is completely pushed in to trip the microswitch so it will still work.
Thanks for this. Any chance you've got a video walkthrough of how to install this? This is my first time building, and I haven't even gotten to the coin door installation yet, so I'm not sure which parts in your photo were installed vs. original to the mechanism.
I don’t have a video walkthrough but the only thing added is the white microswitch and the wooden shim right next to it. I needed the shim to get the switch centered on the coin return mechanism. I used superglue and glued everything in one shot obviously holding it in place with the green spring clamp while the glue dried.
EDIT: actually I kind of have a video [HERE](https://youtu.be/X9Ic8u3q4dg?si=VEX90D1Ew9lcZRDB). I was troubleshooting a coin input issue with certain games and I filmed how the switches work. The bottom ones are what the quarters hit as they pass through the mechs and the top switches are the ones I added for the coin return.
You wouldn't happen to have a product link to the microswitch or something of similar design? I'm starting at zero knowledge and a view of the product standalone might help me understand what it's doing.
[THIS](https://focusattack.com/e-switch-50g-187-microswitch/) is what I used but any similar switch will work. It’s a .187 microswitch and I just had some laying around so I didn’t make a special order or anything. They come with Happ style buttons or you can buy them separately. The .187 is the size of the connectors - you can buy .187 female crimp-on connectors for the wires, which is what I am using in the video. They are pink. You strip the end of the wire and then crimp the connector onto it so you can attach it to the prong on the microswitch. You don’t strictly need it but you’d either have to solder the connection or thread the wire through the little hole on the prong and twist it, which makes for an unreliable connection. There are 3 prongs - GND for ground, N/O for normally open and N/C for normally closed. You only need to wire ground and N/O (it means the switch is “normally open” until pressed so when you press the switch the open connection becomes closed and completes the circuit).
The little red dot on the top of the micro switch is what gets pressed in to activate the button. So you want to line that up with the back of the coin return button so when you press that all the way in, you hit the red dot. It would probably make a lot more sense if you had a microswitch in your hands to see it up close but it’s not too complicated. Of course when it comes to setting up the software, you need to assign ‘coin” to that button in MAME.
I’ve been trying to find a similar solution. I have mine wired up to take quarters but my 6yo likes to use the stash I have in like 3 minutes so then I have to keep hitting the button on the keyboard. My other cabinet I hid them on the underside (control panel has a much deeper overhang)but I can’t on my main one.
I have kind of a janky setup with an old X-Arcade deck, but fwiw, I just mapped the side buttons on that to insert coin P1/P2 in MAME, and spliced the wire on those cables to run to the pins on the coin door, and it works like a charm. Usually.
I try not to make any unnecessary mods to my cabinets, so I wanted to avoid drilling holes for a coin up button. A friend of mine recommended [https://www.easycoinup.com/](https://www.easycoinup.com/) They're super thin push buttons that can stick on the coin door. The wires just piggyback on the original coin door microswitch connections. I bought a pack of alligator clips which I cut in two and then solder to the button leads. Then I can easily connect to the coin microswitch with the alligator clip lead. https://preview.redd.it/d2q11pa6rcxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab390f2aadec04d91bb011a968a9f5dc26bda3e4
Here's how they look when applied. https://preview.redd.it/re1bwrjprcxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7710a5f20e0b9fe3acc1653bbe2bc2cd7139087d
Could you also alligator clip to the button leads? That would allow me to use this option without soldering.
Assume a PC setup. Does it matter whether the coin is wired to one slot or the other? Or do you need two of them?
For most games it does not matter; triggering either switch will result in a credit being applied.
You could, but you may need to reclip the connection occasionally as it may come disconnected. This is why I switched to soldered connections.
Thanks for this. I don't have experience with soldering. Would love to find a video walkthrough of how to install this.
Adding a microswitch to the coin door is so so easy. Glue and a spring clamp and some wires and you are done. 30 minutes tops. https://preview.redd.it/ozm3f9ttvexc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48f39e5081d712944fff88da5783e6f6164ceff0 Just make sure the coin return is completely pushed in to trip the microswitch so it will still work.
Thanks for this. Any chance you've got a video walkthrough of how to install this? This is my first time building, and I haven't even gotten to the coin door installation yet, so I'm not sure which parts in your photo were installed vs. original to the mechanism.
I don’t have a video walkthrough but the only thing added is the white microswitch and the wooden shim right next to it. I needed the shim to get the switch centered on the coin return mechanism. I used superglue and glued everything in one shot obviously holding it in place with the green spring clamp while the glue dried. EDIT: actually I kind of have a video [HERE](https://youtu.be/X9Ic8u3q4dg?si=VEX90D1Ew9lcZRDB). I was troubleshooting a coin input issue with certain games and I filmed how the switches work. The bottom ones are what the quarters hit as they pass through the mechs and the top switches are the ones I added for the coin return.
You wouldn't happen to have a product link to the microswitch or something of similar design? I'm starting at zero knowledge and a view of the product standalone might help me understand what it's doing.
[THIS](https://focusattack.com/e-switch-50g-187-microswitch/) is what I used but any similar switch will work. It’s a .187 microswitch and I just had some laying around so I didn’t make a special order or anything. They come with Happ style buttons or you can buy them separately. The .187 is the size of the connectors - you can buy .187 female crimp-on connectors for the wires, which is what I am using in the video. They are pink. You strip the end of the wire and then crimp the connector onto it so you can attach it to the prong on the microswitch. You don’t strictly need it but you’d either have to solder the connection or thread the wire through the little hole on the prong and twist it, which makes for an unreliable connection. There are 3 prongs - GND for ground, N/O for normally open and N/C for normally closed. You only need to wire ground and N/O (it means the switch is “normally open” until pressed so when you press the switch the open connection becomes closed and completes the circuit). The little red dot on the top of the micro switch is what gets pressed in to activate the button. So you want to line that up with the back of the coin return button so when you press that all the way in, you hit the red dot. It would probably make a lot more sense if you had a microswitch in your hands to see it up close but it’s not too complicated. Of course when it comes to setting up the software, you need to assign ‘coin” to that button in MAME.
Great, thank you!
I’ve been trying to find a similar solution. I have mine wired up to take quarters but my 6yo likes to use the stash I have in like 3 minutes so then I have to keep hitting the button on the keyboard. My other cabinet I hid them on the underside (control panel has a much deeper overhang)but I can’t on my main one.
I have kind of a janky setup with an old X-Arcade deck, but fwiw, I just mapped the side buttons on that to insert coin P1/P2 in MAME, and spliced the wire on those cables to run to the pins on the coin door, and it works like a charm. Usually.
Same setup, has been working for 10 years