This is the place to list any info about our vending machine.

How Many Slots Does A Vending Machine Have To Be

Restored Vending Machines To Museum Quality Standards. At ArtFactory.com we restore antique vending machines of all types, shapes, and sizes. If you are looking for a vintage Coca Cola or Pepsi Machine, Candy Machine, Slot Machine, or any other type of vintage vendor, we have you covered.

As of July 2012 the machine is out of service. Something about it costs too much to power + keep soda/pop cold, or something. But the point is it's not plugged in and won't give you soda. So don't feed it your money. Feed your money directly to Noisebridge, instead!

• 2Use
• 3Maintenance
• 7Money log
  • 7.1Initial Donations and funding

As of 5/4/11:

• Slot 1: Coke (27)
• Slot 2: Sprite (13)
• Slot 3: Diet Coke (22)
• Slot 4: Mountain Dew throwback (16)
• Slot 5: Squirt (EMPTY)
• Slot 6: Diet Dr. Pepper (8)
• Slot 7: EMPTY (Don't buy more Pepsi, people don't buy enough)
• Slot 8: A&W Root Beer (2)

Making a Purchase[edit]

Everything is $1.00. The machine accepts dollar bills, quarters, nickels and dimes. Insert money and make your selection by pressing its button. If the orange light is on it's sold out. If it doesn't vend, try holding the button in longer. If it still doesn't vend, then you can either chalk it up as a donation or open the machine to retrieve your selection.

Opening the machine[edit]

The key is on the top and the keyhole is right under the bill acceptor. This unlocks a handle which pops out. Unscrew that for a decent number of turns, then the front panel opens like a refrigerator door with the hinge on your left. You will need to lift the door to open it, and especially to close it.

Stocking the machine[edit]

If you open the machine door, there are 8 slots for stocking beverages. They are labeled 1 through 8 which correspond to the order of the 8 buttons on front used to select your beverage. Slots 1-4 are 'wide' slots that hold 60 cans each, while slots 5-8 are narrow and only hold 34 cans each.

It helps to load in two cans at a time (stacked top to bottom) into each slot in order to be able to fill each slot to max capacity. For the narrow slots, each layer of two cans will stack almost perfectly atop the previous two. For the wide slots, each layer of two cans will stack atop but to the side of the previous layer, alternating to the left and right with each layer.

I've had one can get smashed up by the machine when I loaded a single lone can incorrectly last atop the stack. To avoid this, try to stock an even number of new cans at a time, so that you are always adding two cans at a time. If you end up with only one can for your last stack, just vend one can from that stack to make a pair for the top.

If you are just adding more product to partially stocked slot, you need only to stack it correctly atop the current stock. However if you've stocked up a slot that was previously emptied/sold-out, you need to vend that slot until something comes out to 'prime' the slot if you will. (In other words, if you loaded something in the previously empty slot #6, you should take some quarters or a dollar or two from the machine and keep buying one until a can comes out the door. Once it's dispensing each time you can load back in the 'test' sodas as normal.) Close the door all the way, lock it and return the key.

Purchase Support Info[edit]

We bought the Machine from Gary (not sure of his last name)

We have a 90 day warranty starting 1/4/2011

Gary's number:

cell: 510-300-4836office: 510-710-9126

Service manual for our vending machine (Dixie-Narco model DNCB 368)[edit]

Lights[edit]

Lightbulbs are 5' fluorescent with a single prong on each side. Part # when ordering is F64T12/D. City Lights is the closest place to buy these. They are on Folsom between 11th St. and 12th St. Phone number is (415) 863-2020. Neither Lowes nor Discount Hardware carries this type of bulb.

Ballast[edit]

On January 15, 2010, the ballast that came with the machine was tested and found to work. Ballast is located directly underneath the drink dispenser tray. Ballast mounting plate is held in by three phillips-head screws

Please hack this machine gently and with confidence. We'd like to keep it working and stocked so it can earn money for Noisebridge. Failed Hacks that result in us spending the vending profits to fix are not excellent.

Mitch added a connector to the vending counter which will switch 110V AC briefly whenever a can is vended.

The coin mech and bill validator may use the MDB vending machine protocol:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multidrop_bus

• Problem:Electrical usage
  • Is this even a real problem?
  • Possible solution: a timer so we don't have to run the machine all the time:
    • I have one of these and they work ok: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=sylvania+timer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17676369476629548940&ei=oi4STeCEEILGsAOH8rXdAg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=7&ved=0CDYQ8gIwBg#
    • This won't really help. Because of basic thermodynamics, the compressor needs to run a certain amount: if the duty cycle is low enough to save energy, the drinks will be warm. Trust the thermostat! However, a timer could possibly shift the time the compressor runs to put the noise in the wee hours of the morning.
    • Also, make sure any timer switch you use is rated for at least 11 amps, and I would say 15 to be safe! Jtfoote 05:27, 5 January 2011 (UTC)
  • Possible solution: The manual seems to describe timer features built in to the machine. More research needed.
  • Solution: VendMiser... http://www.energymisers.com/ Turns the machine off when no-one walks past for 15 min, but will keep the compressor running at regular intervals so things stay cold. Typical energy savings is 46%.

• Problem:Noise. And not the good kind. The 'gets-really-annoying-really-fast' kind.
  • Possible solution: A high tech noise dampening leopard print slipper was placed between the noisy vibrating bits. Is the noise still offensive?
  • Possible solution: The source of the noise is the fan for the compressor. It's really hard to get at the fan to try and correct the problem, but Jared and Robert carefully slide out the compressor assembly to try and accesss the fan. We didn't get total access to the fan but were able to remove enough screws to bend some of the metal around the fan further from the fan region... this seems to have helped with the noise......for now.... We didn't replace all the screws and bolts for fear of making the noise return but they are inside the money bin in the machine.

Buy some drinks and either leave them on top and they'll be loaded in or if you're feeling ambitious load them in yourself.

18

This is where we'll keep a record of the money 'earned' by the vending machine, the money spent on product, and the money donated to noisebridge and any other costs that come up. Please put 'DONATION' in the list when you donate the stock of the vending machine to noisebridge.

1/17/11 - $65.00 plus loose change - Nick

1/17/11 - -$29.30 bought and stocked mountain dew(24pk), diet dr.pepper(24pk), coke(12pk), and sprite(24pk). -Nick

1/17/11 - diet dr. pepper(12pk) donated and stocked -Jared

1/17/11 - $39.70 plus loose change - Nick

1/2?/11 - diet coke(unknown amount) was donated and stocked - Anonymous

1/24/11 - -$3.00 bought and stocked Hansen's Mandarin Lime (8pk) - Jared

1/24/11 - Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x4) donated and stocked -Jared

1/26/11 - $105.35 including money in changer -Jared

1/28/11 - $123.85 including money in changer -Jared

1/28/11 - -$31.50 bought and stocked mountain dew throwback(24pk), pepsi(24pk), diet coke(24pk), coke(12pk), sprite(12pk) -Jared

1/28/11 - $92.35 including money in changer -Jared

1/30/11 - $106.35 including money in changer -Jared

1/30/11 - -$31.50 bought and stocked mountain dew throwback(36pk), coke(36pk), diet coke(12pk), sprite(12pk) -Jared

1/30/11 - $74.85 including money in changer -Jared

2/01/11 - $102.50 including money in changer -Jared

2/01/11 - -$80.00 DONATION to Noisebridge General Funds!!

2/01/11 - $22.50 including money in changer -Jared

2/07/11 - ???

2/07/11 - -$10.80 stocking 3 12 packs of coke(36) -Nick (for the sake of completeness I'm only adding 35 cokes because I drank one, but am adding a dollar to the machine and not taking a coke.

2/07/11 - $14.00 (not including money in changer) - Nick

2/08/11 - $81.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/08/11 - -$8.00 bought and stocked 23 Cokes and 24 Diet Cokes - Claudia

How Many Slots Does A Vending Machine Have Agitator

2/08/11 - $73.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/11/11 - $108.20 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/15/11 - $143.20 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/15/11 - -$25.75 bought and stocked Mt Dew throwback(48) and Dr Pepper throwback(24) - Jared

2/15/11 - $117.45 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/22/11 - $172.00 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/22/11 - -$100.00 DONATION to Noisebridge General Funds!! - Jared

2/22/11 - $72.00 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/23/11 - $97.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/23/11 - -$56.00 bought and stocked Mountain Dew Throwback(x23*), Diet Coke(x24), Coke(x12), A&W Root Beer (x24), Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x32) AND Huge Black Lawn Trash Bags for Noisekitchen(x18) (* one of the guys helping me carry everything in took a free Dew) - Jared

2/23/11 - $41.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/27/11 - $115.45 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/27/11 - -$17.15 bought and stocked Sprite(x24), Diet Coke(x12), Coke(x12) - Jared

2/27/11 - $98.30 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/28/11 - $123.30 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

2/28/11 - -$46.00 bought and stocked Mountain Dew Throwback(x24), A&W Root Beer(x24), Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x24), Coke(x12), Diet Coke(x12), Sprite(x12) - Jared

2/28/11 - $77.30 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

3/10/11 - $209.00 including rough count of money in changer - Nick & Jared

3/10/11 - -$132.00 DONATION to Noisebridge General Funds!! (transfered to noisebridge wells fargo account) - Nick

3/10/11 - $79 including rough count of money in changer - Nick

3/11/11 - $87 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

3/11/11 - -$46 bought and stocked Coke(x24), Diet Coke(x12), Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x32), Squirt(x24), A&W Root Beer(x24) - Jared

3/11/11 - $41 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

3/22/11 - $144 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

3/22/11 - -$23 bought and stocked Mt Dew Throwback(x24), Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x24) - Jared

3/22/11 - $121 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

3/22/11 - -$80.00 DONATION to Noisebridge General Funds!! (given to Miloh to deposit) - Jared

3/22/11 - $41 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

4/8/11 - $148 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

4/8/11 - -$53 stocked Coke(x48), Diet Coke(x24), Mt Dew(x36), and Hansen's Mandarin Lime(x16) - Jared

4/8/11 - $95 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

5/3/11 - $281.80?? (not including money actually in bill acceptor and change collector) - Nick

5/3/11 - -$236 DONATION deposited to noisebridge account through wells fargo by Nick. (transaction ID #IBEFWPQXV7)

5/3/11 - $45.80 left in machine for stocking (not including money actually in bill acceptor and change collector) - Nick

5/4/11 - $84.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

5/4/11 - -$14.00 stocked Coke(x34) - John

5/4/11 - $56.50 including rough count of money in changer - Jared

(Jared has already spent $15 of this on Hansen's but has not yet stocked them nor reimbursed himself)

5/18/11 -$25 (52 Cans Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew) - PAID

5/23/11 -$12 (22 Cans, Diet Coke, Mountain Dew) - PAID

5/25/11 -$6.00 (12 Cans of Coke) - Eric - PAID

5/26/11 -$33.00 (58 Cans Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite) - PAID

5/28/11 -$20.00 (32 Cans, Dew & Ginger Ale) - John E - PAID

6/6/11 -$20 (29 Coke, 11 Diet Coke, - 1 Sprite) John E - PAID

7/5/11 -$192.15 Al S.

7/23/11 -$99.00 Al S.

9/1/11 -$63 Danny DONATION

9/22/11 -$74 Danny DONATION (not paid in yet)

10/23/11 -$14 (20 Coke, 6 Diet Coke, 6 Ginger Beer) - John E - PAID

11/22/11 -19.46 (2 Asstd Hansens Soda) - Kaya W - PAID

12/7/11 -41.54 (2 Coke, also purchased TP for bathrooms) - Kaya W - Not paid

Initial Donations and funding[edit]

Commited donations[edit]

Nickthedude $100 --PAID
also commiting to dealing with logistics, but looking for a volunteer or two to help with the heavy lifting and such.

Andy Isaacson $60 --PAID

jof $100 -- PAID

Hephaestus $50 --PAID

Rachel McConnell $50 --PAID

Leif $50 --PAID

Shannon $50 --PAID

Rafi $40 --PAID

MCT $20 -PAID

Patrick $35 - PAID (new lightbulbs)

Total = $520

Minimum Goal = $500

Difference = +$20

Money Spent[edit]

$400 the vending machine

$75 delivery

$8.74 20 pack of coke

$17.11 electrical timer to shut it off at night

$20.00 (40) cokes downstairs

total spent = $520.85

The goal of this project is to generate money to support noisebridge as well as give clarity and an obvious way to support to noisebridge to the 'walk-in' crowd as well as the noisefolk.

Depending on the success of the soda machine it would be nice to have other premium vending machines that vend possibly healthy snacks, computer parts, arduinos etc.

Vending machines are a handy way to pick up a quick snack, drink, or meal if there is the need for one. Some vending machines sell healthy options. Others sell junk food exclusively. Although vending machines can provide easy access to unhealthy eating options, the sales statistics below might surprise you.

The average vending machine accounts for just $76 of revenue every week for the company that both owns and services their machines.

Vending Machine Sales

This means a vending machine makes about $300 in profit every month for the company running it. Of course this doesn’t include figures from the products that are being stocked in the machine, but overall, people are not spending very much for a quick pick-up snack or drink when they have a need. The average person, in fact, spends just $27 per year at a vending machine.

• The average cash transaction at a vending machine in 2013 was $1.16.
• Cashless transactions had an average transaction of $1.71.
• 3 out of every 4 vending machine transactions are based on cash.
• The total profit that is generated by the snack and vending machine industry, on average, every year is over $64 million.
• Annual spending through vending machines in the United States tops $7 billion annually.
• There is an estimated 4.6 million vending machines in the United States right now.
• 56% of vending machine sales were for cold drinks, including soft drinks, juices, and other sugary options.
• The sales of healthier snacks outpace traditional snack foods by 3x, but most vending machines are still stocked with mostly junk food.
• The first American vending machine sold gum. The first English vending machine? It sold apples and postcards.
• 92.3% of enterprises having less than 20 employees.
• 98.1% of companies having less than 100 workers.

It’s interesting that the biggest concern that the vending machine industry has about transitioning to healthier snacks is a loss of sales. The statistics show that stocking healthy snacks in a vending machine could actually triple their sales. More than 3 out of 4 people are conscious about the weight they are carrying and 65% of Americans are actively trying to diet in some way right now. By only stocking sugary drinks and junk food in a vending machine, the industry is dramatically limiting their market size. Is there a risk in changing a business format? Certainly. Without any risk, however, there is rarely the chance of having a great reward.

Do Vending Machines Encourage Unhealthy Eating?

• In Italy, a vending machine is able to make a full pizza in just 3 minutes.
• Before being banned in the United States except in specific establishments, cigarette vending machines were the most popular machine.
• From 1978 to 1995, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reported 37 deaths and 113 injuries due to people shaking vending machines.
• About 30% of total vending machine sales come from schools, although in 2015 vending machines in schools will not be allowed to sell soft drinks, cookies, or candy.
• There are three vending machines in the greater Los Angeles area that sell caviar, including a 400g tin of Beluga caviar for $1,600.
• Japan has about the same amount of vending machines that the United States does and their machines sell everything from tomatoes to live horned beetles to whiskey.
• Some Japanese vending machines estimate a person’s gender and age to recommend specific beverages for them.

It is the US vending industry that is rebelling against the idea of selling new products, but their hand is being forced by laws that are going to be enforced in 2015. Healthy snacks and alternative food items are going to be required. If noodles can be a popular vending item in Japan and if made from scratch pizza can be accomplished by an Italian vending machine, then there’s no excuse for the American market to adapt. The world vending machine market has proven that alternative products can be popular and profitable. Now it’s up to the American vending industry to pick up the ball and run with it.

Will Requiring Calorie Counts on Vending Items Cost The Industry?

• Calorie document requirements are believed to bring about a cost to the vending machine industry at $25.8 million initially and $24 million per year after that.
• It would only take 0.02% of the American population with a BMI of 30 or higher to eat 100 fewer calories from vending machines per week to make up that cost.
• The new vending regulations are about to apply to over 10,000 American companies that operate 20 or more machines on a regular basis.
• More than 75% of American vending machine companies have 3 or fewer employees.
• The average cost of new documentation requirements is expected to be about $2,400 per machine.
• A 2011 study showed that only 1 out of every 6 people even bother to read calorie or ingredient information that may be available on a label.

Most people are going to eat the things they want to eat because they feel like it. If people want to know calorie and ingredient information about the snacks they’re getting out of a vending machine, then they likely already have that information. If they don’t have it, with easy access to the internet through mobile data, it literally takes 5 seconds to find out the information that is needed with modern search technology. The problem here, however, is that we’re addressing symptoms instead of the core problem. More people would purchase alternative, healthy products from vending machines – but maybe not in schools. 30% of sugary sales are disappearing in 2015 for the vending industry. By the end of 2015, the American vending industry will have either transitioned into something more profitable, or it will find itself counting quarters in order to survive for another year under the current business plan.