[sdiy] Retractable mini pots

[Rutger Vlek]

Perhaps this? A push-push potentiometer.

https://www.hosco.co.jp/en/news/product-info/push-push-pot#:~:text=Features.%20You%20can%20switch%20the%20wiring%20by,does%20with%20the%20top%204%20lugs%20(A%2DB%2DD%2DE).%E2%80%9D

Alternatively, I could imagine the same thing could be achieved with a
normal pot and a telescopic, spring loaded knob attached to it. Perhaps
even 3D printed?

Rutger

Ps. Awesome project!

Op vr 21 aug 2026, 21:48 schreef cheater cheater via Synth-diy <
synth-diy at synth-diy.org>:

> hell i bet if you looked around a bit you could probably find a ball
> point pen model you could hack up for this purpose and save yourself
> an expensive manufacturing process
>
> On Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 9:34 PM cheater cheater
> <cheater00social at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > OK, I have the image, but how are they retractable? You push them in
> > and they just don't move? Push them again and they pop out? Is that
> > it?
> >
> > That wouldn't be the potentiometer doing it, there would be a
> > mechanism between the knob and the pot doing that. And yeah it would
> > be a ball pen style mechanism.
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 9:15 PM Dixon, David <david.dixon at ubc.ca> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hey cheater cheater,
> > >
> > > If you search for a picture of the PS-3100 front panel, you will see
> the 12 pots along the left-hand side.
> > >
> > > These sorts of pots were fairly common on car stereos back in the day.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Dave
> > >
> > > > On Aug 21, 2026, at 12:12 PM, cheater cheater <
> cheater00social at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > [CAUTION: Non-UBC Email]
> > > >
> > > > how are they pushed in? do you have a photo or video of them in
> action?
> > > >
> > > > my tvs growing up had a potentiometer bank behind the channel
> switcher
> > > > button panel. you pressed the panel in to make a drawer the size of
> > > > the panel pop out, and then you turned the potentiometer with your
> > > > thumb to tune into the channel. so maybe that's similar enough for
> you
> > > > to use this idea.
> > > >
> > > > if the mini potentiometers are supposed to be shafts coming out of a
> > > > hole in the front panel, and you can press them in to make them
> > > > ineffective, then you might want a ballpoint pen mechanism.
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 8:35 PM Dixon, David via Synth-diy
> > > > <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> Hello Synth DIY Team,
> > > >>
> > > >> As many of you probably know, I am building my own version of the
> Korg PS-3100.  (Here’s a fairly cringe video of the core in action, with a
> lot of extra info about the board layouts, etc —
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbtxMdQE64A) I’ve got the core circuitry
> (48 separate synthesizers) and much of the downstream circuitry
> (resonators, etc) designed, built and tested, and I am currently trying to
> lay out the panel.
> > > >>
> > > >> I am going to also have the 12 mini pots down the left side for
> “TEMPERAMENT ADJUST” (which I presume was basically a way to adjust the
> tuning without opening the case and adjusting trimmers).  The original had
> these nifty retractable mini pots that can be pushed in flush the panel
> when not being used.  I cannot seem to find anything similar on the
> internet.  I was wondering if any of you had any inside track into where
> one might be able to procure such a thing.  I need a dozen of them, and I’d
> prefer if they were PCB mount, but that’s not strictly necessary.
> > > >>
> > > >> Thanks in advance,
> > > >> Dave Dixon
> > > >> ________________________________________________________
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