Setup Cash Register at a mini mart

[gabriel]

Hi Dale,

I found that your Cash Register is the best POS solution for my new mini-mart, I've decided to use DHPOS in my mini-mart. There's tons of great functions in DHPOS.

Hmmm... now, I'm having a problem. That is, I'm having budget in purchasing POS equipment. Could anyone here help me out to decide/suggest an affordable hardware equipment for me to start using with this DHPOS?

Basically, I need a printer, cash drawer and a scanner. So, which brand should I go for?

I'm appreciate for any suggestions and input.

Thank you. Good day.

[ChrisKraus]

If you are looking for barcode scanners, try Symbol.
http://www.symbol.com

- Chris

[Dale Harris]

gabriel,

Here is the page on my site that lists POS hardware vendors. http://keyhut.com/rprinter.htm

Or Ebay is always an option.

Just make sure that you get a receipt printer that plugs into the PARALLEL printer port on your computer, a cash drawer that plugs in to the RJ-11 port on the receipt printer, and either a "keyboard wedge" scanner (all work) or a USB scanner (most work)

[gabriel]

Hi all,

Thanks for all your information.


Gabriel

[Bobby]

Hello,

Here are jusr my suggestions:

Printer:
Star sp200 (dot matrix) ~ $180
or
Star tsp600 (thermal) ~ $240

Cash Drawer:
MMF ecd2000 ~ $130

Barcode scanner:
If you can get used to the cuecat, it is your most affordable solution. You just have to get used to scanning with it. You can pick these up on the internet for lest then $5 a cat. If you want to pay the money, here is a good longer range ccd (not a laser) scanner:

Unitech ms265 ~ $120

I would definatly look into the thermal printer. It will outlast the dotmatrix in the longrun and there are no print cartritge to change. It takes standard thermal paper.

Hope this helps!

[gabriel]

Hi Bobby,

Thanks for your suggestion.
Yes, they are really helps.

By the way, is DHPOS support for Customer Display?
And what is a keyboad wedged scanner?

[Andrew]

Customer Displays
No, sorry not at this point - too many factors to take into account and Dale has no display to do the testing.

Keyboard Wedge Scanner (KWS)
A KWS is a scaner that "shares" the same plug as a standard PS/2 keyboard. Usually the scanner will come with a Y plug which plugs in to the keyboard port on the computer and there are twoplugs a the other end for your keyboard and scanner to plug into.

Basically the scaner pretends to be a keyboard and anything scanned is interpreted by the computer as coming from the keyboard.

Note: KWS is the preferred scanner as anything that connects via serial connections causes most users no end of difficulty with DHPOS simply due to the fact that serial peripherals often require a lot of configuration and sometimes Windows locks DOS out from accessing the serial port.

[ChrisKraus]

I have a PS/2 CueCat and it works great. The only thing is that you have to hold it at the right angle and swipe it across at the right speed. The barcode also has to be a flat surface that you can press against. I don't think the CueCat will really work if you have to scan an irregular-colored barcoode like on a soda can. It's okay for flat, black & white barcodes.

- Chris

[gabriel]

A vendor in my country has quoted me the following POS equipment,

- POS-005P CASH DRAWER (STAR / EPSON PRINTER)
- STAR SP-2320 RECEIPT PRINTER / EPSON TM-U220PD RECEIPT PRINTER
- CCD-83 CCD KEYBOARD WEDGE HANDHELD SCANNER
- TVS 9" MONO VGA MONITOR

Are the above hardware suit with DHPOS?
Which receipt printer should I go for? Star SP-2320? Or Epson TM-U220PD?


Besides, I found that one of the actual stores showing at http://pages.prodigy.net/daleharris/pos.htm, named Gylemiur Community Center, Edinburg, Scotland, in the photo, is using a Customer Display. How is the store owner setup to use Customer Display with DHPOS? Is this possible?

The following is the photo related:

Gylemiur Community Center, Edinburg, Scotland

Thank you.

[Andrew]

The pole display is not supported by DHPOS.

The one in the photo displays a static message set by the driver/program for that particular pole display.

Dale - perhaps you could append a note to the photo to state that the pole display in the picture is not controlled by DHPOS? Seeing as we get a lot of questions about that picture. :-)

[GAWG]

Looks nice. I'm planning on just hooking it up to my laptop, receipt printer and cashbox. Laptop written off for business use and I get the value added use of a laptop and all its related functions (spin some tunes, Word, etc) for a few hundred bucks. Plus, there's a smaller footprint on my counter.

I can do backups, and I can lug it around wherever I go. Of course, this works best is you are your own only employee with one store.

[Alan]

Dale,

I'll do a new photograph, as I've changed the hardware since then!

It should be "Gylemuir Community Association, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK"

Alan

[Alan]

I repair Epson units, and I highly recommend them, the U220PD is a new unit replacing the U200/210PD

I've tested most Parallel fitted Epsons with DH-POS successfully, my favourite is the Epson TM-T88IIIP.

The unit I have in the picture that you saw is an Epson TM-H6000P, which is basically two printers on one (an Epson TM-T88II & TM-U295 slip printer) this is unnecessary for DH-POS as the slip (cheque) printer is'nt supported by it.

The actual pole display is part of the till base unit, the base unit is a Digital DECpos2 (P100-P233MMX) which is very rare and I can find no info on it whatsover. The pole display has "IEE" internals so I can test it using IEE's generic software.

I'm using a Dell Optiplex GX1 PII/400 base unit at present.

Alan