VenTek Corp. manufactures the second type of electronic fee-collection machine evaluated (the System 5 and the Model 400). The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in the Siuslaw National Forest uses VenTek Pay Stations as do other private and public installations in the Seattle area.

The VenTek System 5 Pay Station is powered by 120 volts AC. An internal battery backup will power the machine for at least 24 hours if the primary power is interrupted. The battery does not have to be monitored. Optional solar power is available. The exterior housing is reinforced to prevent vandalism. The case is insulated and equipped with a thermostatically controlled heater that keeps the interior temperature above 35° F. When the interior temperature exceeds 90° F, a cooling fan expels air.

The VenTek System 5 Pay Station offers 60 different tickets for multiple-choice ticket dispensing. VenTek developed this quick-pick feature about 4 years ago to give customers more choices. An MS-DOS based personal computer can be used in the field to adjust the program that controls the rates, or the changes can be programmed remotely over a phone connection. The machine is available with or without a keypad that can be used for computer applications and campground data entry, such as issuing multiple-day passes or Golden Age and Golden Access permits. The printer issues a ticket on moisture-resistant paper stock.

Installations at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

In October 1996, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area began planning to implement day-use fees. The desired system had to be simple to use, offer visitors a wide choice of payment methods, and be located as near as possible to the recreation area (Figure 8).

Figure 8—Visitors at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
are sheltered from the weather while using a conveniently
located VenTek Pay Station.

The system implemented at Oregon Dunes included 10 steel fee tubes, 6 electronic fee-collection machines, and 3 staffed collection booths. The collection booths are generally near electronic fee-collection machines and replace the machines when visitation is heavy.

Northwest Parking Equipment, a distributor for VenTek Corp., was awarded the contract to supply electronic fee-collection machines. At that time, the VenTek System 5 Pay Station was the only one that could meet the contract specifications.

Advance site work for the machines (installation of power and telephone lines, shelters, and machine pedestals) was completed in June 1997. Forest Service employees finished installing the machines by mid-August. Roy Whipple, of Northwest Parking Equipment, activated the electronic modules and provided routine maintenance and operational training.

Routine maintenance involves keeping bill acceptors and printers dust free, adding paper, and adding change. The bill acceptors need to be removed and cleaned when bills are not accepted consistently. Cleaning is a 5-minute process most easily performed in the office. Occasionally the acceptor needs to be sent back to the distributor for tuning or new parts. This procedure has been infrequent and inexpensive. Turnaround is prompt because most servicing is handled by the distributor rather than the factory. Spare bill acceptors were purchased to ensure that machines would continue operating even when bill acceptors were being serviced.

Other spare modules were purchased, including the processor, power supply, printer, and coin changer. Having spare modules is the key to repairing vandalized machines and troubleshooting problems. Suspect modules can be swapped out to isolate problems.

Software programming is based on MS-DOS, so it is helpful to have an employee proficient with MS-DOS instructions. Programming fee-collection machines can be complicated. In this situation, the software for transmitting credit card transactions is controlled by a credit card processing firm, not by the equipment manufacturer. It took about 4 months to get the software updates that made the two offline machines Year 2000 compliant. Loading new processors can be particularly complicated.

The VenTek System 5 Pay Stations are programmed to dispense nine different tickets at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Tickets dispensed in 1999 included a $3 day-use pass, two types of $1.50 discount day-use passes, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-day passes, and two types of annual passes.

Tickets being dispensed in 2000 include a Regional annual pass and coupons for overnight camping in nearby campgrounds. Oregon Dunes would like to be able to accept credit cards, eliminating the need for campers to write checks or to pay in cash. Banks do not charge for electronic deposits, but they do charge for the time bank employees spend counting deposits in fee envelopes.

Vandals have made several attempts to break into the machines and two attempts to disable them. Vandals have tried hammering and prying the machines, building a fire on them, and pouring unknown liquids into them. Repair costs were minimal.

Maintenance costs have included refinishing equipment casings. The factory finish was not adequate for a coastal environment. Some corrosion has occurred on the outside of the machines, possibly because of poor application of the primer coat. No corrosion has been found inside the machines or on the interior components even though the machines are not totally sealed. The internal components have held up well through the mild, wet winters on the Oregon coast. Three-sided shelters protect all the machines. The casings are somewhat insulated, allowing heat from the electronic modules to keep the interior from getting too cold. The pedestals were ordered with a hot-dipped galvanized finish that has protected them

Machine placement is a critical consideration. The machine should not face the direct sun unprotected because visitors will have a hard time reading the LCD (liquid crystal display) screen.

After three seasons, the VenTek System 5 Pay Stations' capabilities have been flexible enough to meet new and changing needs. Plans are underway to include another machine in a high-use campground.

Seattle Area Installations

Roy Whipple, founder of Northwest Parking Equipment Company in Seattle, has been a dealer for VenTek Pay Stations since 1989. Northwest Parking and other VenTek distributorships can provide training, install fee-collection machines, and maintain them.

VenTek has sold more than 60 fee-collection machines to the National Park Service, including the first fee-collection machine purchased by Mt. Rainier National Park in 1996. Various models of VenTek Pay Stations are available. Whipple showed me a Model 400 Pay Station and a System 5 Pay Station in use at La Conner, WA.

La Conner is busy during the summer's annual Marine Tulip Festival. It is also the departure point for whale-viewing excursions, as well as other tourist activities. Because parking is often a problem, the town built an 89-spot parking lot. A Model 400 Pay Station was installed at the lot 4 years ago. It is a simple, low-maintenance machine, designed for an area where parking revenue is low (Figure 9).

Figure 9—The VenTek Model 400 Pay Station is
suited for seasonal parking lot applications.

The VenTek Model 400 Pay Station processes credit cards offline and is set at a $2 flat rate. The machine does not provide change to the customer. Because this style of machine cannot be hooked into telephone lines, an audit ticket is printed when the front of the machine is opened. For employee safety and security purposes, fees are collected by two people.

The Model 400 Pay Station has a large backlit LCD display and an ATM-style, menu-driven interface that prompts customers to choose from several predefined rates. If use increases, the Model 400 Pay Station can be upgraded to include more selections using the quick pick feature and a larger coin hopper.

VenTek System 5 Pay Station is used at a nearby lot where boat trailers are parked (Figure 10). A simple shelter at Anacortes Park in Washington protects a VenTek Pay Station in a campground (Figure 11). VenTek Pay Stations are also used in various State and city parks, hospitals, and universities.

Figure 10—A tall sign allows boaters to spot
the VenTek System 5 Pay Station in the
parking lot even when the lot is full. Metal
pipe protects the shelter and machine
from vehicles.

Figure 11—A simple shelter protects a VenTek Pay Station at a
campground in Anacortes Park, WA.