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Best Electric Actuators for DIY Solar Tracker?
Hi everyone. I want to build a small solar tracker for my garden panels. It needs to move smoothly and hold position in wind. Right now I use cheap car wiper motors but they are noisy and not strong enough. Has anyone tried good linear actuators for this project? What size stroke and force do you recommend? Also important – they must work with 12V battery and small solar charge controller. I don’t want to spend too much money but quality matters. Any brands or models that worked well for you?



Hey, linear actuators are perfect for solar trackers. I used Progressive Automations actuators on my last project and they performed great. Very reliable, good speed control and strong enough for windy days. You can check their full range automation here: https://www.progressiveautomations.com/en-au – they have many 12V models with different stroke lengths and force ratings from 100N up to 2000N+. Their customer support also helped me pick the right IP rating for outdoor use. Definitely worth looking at if you want something that lasts years without problems.