Specifications

4
FILLING THE COIN HOPPER
The AC401 will not operate if the coin hopper is empty. There must be at least enough coins in the hopper to cover the two
gold-colored metal plates at the bottom of the Coin Bin for the changer to activate (refer to Figure 4). The hopper’s Coin Bin
can be filled while it is inside the changer, but it is recommended that you take the hopper out first, due to the relatively small
cabinet size. By default, the changer is programmed to dispense four coins per dollar from the hopper. These can be either US
quarters, or tokens or foreign coins valued at 25¢, as long as they are within the specified size limits detailed in the next
section of this manual. NOTE: Please contact American Changer if you have any questions regarding alternate payouts.
Hopper Coin/Token Sizes:
The standard American Changer Coin Hopper will accommodate coins ranging in size from 21 – 30 mm in diameter, and
from 1.25 – 3.3 mm in thickness. There are options available to dispense larger coins, up to 31.5 mm, and smaller coins,
down to 16.25 mm, in diameter. For reference, a Nickel is 21.2 mm, a Quarter is 24.3 mm, and Susan B. Anthony and
Sacagawea Dollar coins are 26.5 mm in diameter.
Hopper Removal, Filling, and Replacement:
1. Before removing the hopper from the cabinet, turn off the power by disconnecting the white connector from the top of
the battery (refer to Figure 1). Then, disconnect the gray connector from the top of the hopper’s front face.
2. Grasp the hopper, and slide it forward slowly, while gently applying upward pressure. Do not pull it all the way forward,
as far as it can go; by then it is too far. It should release from the hopper plate after moving only approximately 1 inch
forward.
3. Fill the hopper with coins; it can be filled all the way to the top. The hopper capacity in quarters is 1600 coins
, +/- 10%
due to the random nature of coin piling inside of the bin. The hopper will be quite heavy when it is full, so take
additional care when installing it back inside the AC401 cabinet.
NOTE: Take care when filling the hopper to prevent any bent coins or foreign objects from entering the coin bin. These may
cause the coin hopper to jam, rendering the changer inoperable.
4. Carefully lift the full hopper, and set it inside the changer on top of the hopper plate to the left of the battery. Make sure
the side with the LED, Bill Meter, and connector is facing forward, toward you.
5. The hopper plate has a keyed pattern along its sides that matches up with grooves on the underside of the hopper.
Maneuver the hopper on the plate by sliding it slightly forward and backward until its grooves line up correctly with the
keyed pattern, and it drops down into place on both sides. Then, slide the hopper backwards all the way until it stops to
lock it in place.
6. Reattach the gray connector to the top front of the hopper, and then reconnect the white two-position connector to the top
of the battery. The changer is now ready to use.
USING THE HOPPER DUMP FEATURE
A coin “Dump” is a convenient method of emptying all of the coins/tokens out of the hopper without having to remove the
hopper from the machine. Dumping the coins does not have any effect on the Bill Meter count.
♦ To initiate a Dump
: Press and hold the Dump Button until the hopper motor begins to run; it should commence after
approximately 3 seconds. Release the Dump button once the dispensing starts. The Dump button is located on top of the
front face of the coin hopper, to the right of the main connector (refer to Figure 4).
♦ To terminate a Dump
: The coin ‘dump’ can be stopped in either of two ways. Either A) Press the Dump Button once, or
B) Let the coins dispense until the hopper is completely empty; the motor will turn off automatically.
NOTE: Please be aware of the state of charge on the battery when performing a coin dump, and use caution. During a coin
dump, the hopper motor is run continuously, which discharges the battery at a much faster rate than normal operation of the
changer. Do not perform a coin dump using a battery that is already low, as over-discharging may damage it, shortening its
service life.