[sdiy] Retractable mini pots

[drheqx]

Last time i saw those, they were made by Alps Alpine and were in a car
stereo.

Like these

https://share.google/ZVqIkCXB92ABsxjWp
Look at this product I found on google.com

Mike





On Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 5:19 PM Dixon, David via Synth-diy <
synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:

> No, these “push-pull” pots are for switching.  The “ball-point pen” type
> retractable pot doesn’t switch or go off when pushed in.  It just goes out
> of the way so that it cannot be accidentally turned.  In all other aspects
> it is an ordinary pot.
>
> On Aug 21, 2026, at 1:01 PM, Rutger Vlek <rutgervlek at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> [*CAUTION:* Non-UBC Email]
>
> 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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>>
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>
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