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Mark Gibson

personactive8 mentionsFirst seen Nov 25, 2019Last seen May 21, 2026

Profile

Mark Gibson is a person mentioned in 1 episode(s).

Aliases

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Relationships

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Facts

No facts recorded

Claims (31)

  • factualhigh

    Gottlieb score motor developed around 1947-1948, first appeared in Humpty Dumpty

    Source: Pinball University seminarEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Bally and Williams both initially used horizontal shaft horizontal cam designs similar to or copied from Gottlieb through 1950s-early 1960s

    Source: Q&A response about pancake motorsEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Royal Flush game uses point values that change for every step through the stepper, giving appearance of 'thinking' or computational complexity

    Source: Q&A responseEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualmedium

Recent Mentions (7)

  • Operator of funwithpinball.com, teaches EM pinball repair classes and hosts free online clinics

    Episode 2 - EM Pinball ResourcesDec 15, 2024
  • Taught a course that Jeff attended; mentioned in context of Mark Gibson's courses; pinball community member with electromechanical expertise

    The Pacific Pinball Museum Unveils the Atlas Pinball Archive Preservation ProjectMay 21, 2026
  • EM pinball technician and educator; runs Fun with Pinball website and monthly free online repair clinics; conducted EM training at Pacific Pinball Museum and Past Times Arcade

    EM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark GibsonMay 21, 2026
  • Educational presenter on EM pinball scoring circuits; expert in electromechanical game design and operation

    EM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark GibsonFeb 7, 2025
  • Instructor offering classes at Pacific Pinball Museum during Pinball Expo

    Pinball Museums - Pinball Expo 2024 - Michael Schiess, Evan Phillippe, Melissa HarmonOct 18, 2024
  • EM pinball educator and presenter at Pintastic Pinball & Game Room Expo, demonstrating scoring mechanisms and circuits

Contradictions

No contradictions detected

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

Only one switch position in Gottlieb score motor uses a different switch dog placement than the standard; all others are uniform

Source: Final Q&A segment on switch dogsEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Long Dwell cams in Williams games extend pulse width to provide tolerance for aged and worn switches

    Source: Technical explanation of Long Dwell designEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Starjet is a Gottlieb value game from 1963 that uses pancake-style horizontal cam motor

    Source: Response to audience questionEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Mark Gibson's Fun with Pinball website provides detailed circuit breakdowns and repair resources beyond bonus circuits

    Source: Closing remarksEM Tech: Score Motors and Bonus Counts in Electromechanical Pinball with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    EM devices use motion to perform computation, while solid-state games use motion primarily for ball control and toy activation

    Source: Presentation openingEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Score reels advance exactly one step per electrical pulse; scoring 50 points requires five sequential pulses from the score motor

    Source: 50-point scoring circuit walkthroughEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Score reel advancement occurs only when solenoid coil power is cut and the spring relaxes, not while the switch is held closed

    Source: Live working model demonstrationEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Lockin circuits use a second switch path to indefinitely maintain relay activation until a release switch opens the circuit

    Source: Lockin circuit explanation sectionEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    The distinctive five-pulse reset sound ('da da da do dot dot') heard in EM games is the audible signature of the score motor's cams firing pulses during reset

    Source: Score motor pulse generation sectionEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Every score reel has at least one, usually two, zero-position switches that control when the reset motor stops advancing that digit

    Source: Reset circuit walkthroughEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualmedium

    Williams used a score motor design very similar to Valley's design

    Source: Score motor sectionEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Gibson has published detailed animations and device explanations on his website covering EM mechanisms

    Source: Presentation conclusionEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Electromechanical devices require motion to perform computation, unlike solid-state games where motion is primarily for toy activation

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Score reels advance only when coil power is cut and the spring pulls the plunger back, not when the switch is closed

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Lock-in circuits use two parallel paths: activation and maintenance, keeping a relay active until a release switch opens

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    The score motor runs through 180-degree cycles and fires pulses from cams; some cams fire once per half rotation, others fire five times

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    The characteristic reset sound in EM games is the five pulses from the score motor's cam firing five times per 180-degree rotation

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Score reels have at least one, usually two zero-position switches that open when the reel reaches zero to stop the reset motor

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualmedium

    Harry Williams used a very similar score motor design to Bally's design

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Carry logic in scoring allows a 10-point reel to advance when a 1-point reel reaches position nine and advances to zero

    Source: Mark GibsonEM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
  • factualhigh

    Mark Gibson has been creating and traveling with the Fun with Pinball exhibit for five years

    Source: Direct statement by Mark Gibson in response to host questionEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    Mark Gibson is from Colorado

    Source: Direct response by Gibson to host question about locationEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    The baseball game custom build took months to complete, with rule design being the most time-consuming aspect

    Source: Gibson's response when asked 'How long did it take you to make this thing?' and follow-up discussion about rule designEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    Mark Gibson has been building and operating the Fun with Pinball exhibit for approximately five years

    Source: Mark Gibson, direct statement in episodeEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    Mark Gibson is retired and from Colorado

    Source: Mark Gibson, direct statement in episodeEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    The Fun with Pinball exhibit was originally created for Maker Faire as an educational project

    Source: Mark Gibson, direct statement in episodeEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    Flipper coils in mechanical pinballs use dual windings: a heavy winding for power and a light winding for holding the flipper up

    Source: Mark Gibson's explanation of flipper mechanismEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • factualhigh

    The Fun with Pinball exhibit is a traveling exhibit that sets up at schools and events to teach people about mechanical pinball game mechanics

    Source: Host introduction and Mark Gibson's statementsEpisode 118 – Celtic Roots
  • EM Pinball Scoring without Chips with Mark Gibson
    Feb 7, 2025
  • Retired educator/enthusiast from Colorado who created and operates the 'Fun with Pinball' traveling educational exhibit

    Episode 118 – Celtic RootsNov 25, 2019