Somfy Altus 50 and Altus 60 RTS Names Matched to US Models

Short answer: The Somfy Altus 60 RTS 85/17 is a European 230V, 50Hz motor rated 85 Nm at 17 rpm. The US Altus RTS line runs on 120V, 60Hz and uses model codes instead. An 85 Nm load moves to the LT60 6100R2 (1166289), rated 100 Nm at 14 rpm, in a tube of at least 2.37 in inside diameter.

Altus is one of Somfy's longest-running radio motor families, and Somfy sells it on several continents. The motor stays the same idea everywhere: a tubular motor with a built-in RTS receiver and remote-set limits. The name on the label changes by market. A buyer in the US who reads "Altus 60 RTS 85/17" in a manual, on an old box or on a European listing needs a translation before ordering, and this guide gives it.

Two naming systems for one Altus family

Somfy's international range names an Altus motor by tube class, then torque over speed. Altus 60 RTS 85/17 reads as the 60 mm class, 85 Nm, 17 rpm. Somfy's Altus 60 RTS data sheet lists that motor as reference 1165102 and rates the whole range at 230V, 50Hz.

The North American range uses Somfy's model code. 6100R2 reads as the 600 series (LT60), 100 Nm, R speed band, second generation. Somfy's US records publish these motors at 120V, 60Hz. Our guide to Somfy motor model codes breaks the code down digit by digit.

The two systems carry the same two facts a buyer needs: torque and platform. Match those, then confirm voltage, tube and head. The label on the old motor holds most of this, and our guide to reading a Somfy motor label shows where each field sits.

Altus 60 RTS ratings matched to US LT60 models

Somfy publishes five Altus 60 RTS ratings for the 230V market. The US LT60 Altus RTS range offers three, at 60, 80 and 100 Nm, all at 14 rpm. Pick the US model at or above the torque of the motor you are replacing.

The 85/17 has no 85 Nm twin in the US line. The 680R2 at 80 Nm sits below it, so the 6100R2 at 100 Nm is the match. Extra torque costs nothing in fit here, since the 660R2, 680R2 and 6100R2 share the LT60 body class and the 2.37 in minimum tube inside diameter. Somfy rates all three at IP 44 with a star head. Our LT50 vs LT60 comparison covers where each platform tops out.

Altus 50 RTS ratings and the US LT50 range

The same rule covers the 50 mm class. Somfy's Altus 50 RTS data sheet lists the Altus RTS 10/32 (reference 1037553) at 10 Nm and 32 rpm, 230V, 50Hz, with a minimum tube of 50 x 1.5 mm. In the US, Somfy's LT50 Altus RTS range runs from 6 Nm to 50 Nm at 120V, 60Hz, and the motors need a tube of at least 1.85 in (47 mm) inside diameter.

An Altus 50 RTS 10/32 load maps to the 510S2. A European Altus 50 rated 50 Nm maps to the 550R2, the top of the LT50 line. Somfy also builds 35 Nm and 40 Nm LT50 Altus RTS motors, the 535A2 and 540R2, for loads that fall between those steps. Somfy's US page for the 550R2 lists six applications, from awnings and exterior solar screens to rolling shutters and projection screens.

Voltage, speed and tube checks before you order

Voltage. Somfy builds the Altus 50 RTS and Altus 60 RTS for 230V, 50Hz supply, and its US Altus RTS motors for 120V, 60Hz. Order the motor built for the supply at the house. We stock US versions only, so a 230V European reference cannot come from this store.

Speed. A US LT60 Altus RTS turns at 14 rpm, against 17 rpm on the 55/17, 70/17 and 85/17. An awning or shutter on the new motor travels a little slower. Against the 100/12 and 120/12, the US motor runs faster.

Tube. Measure the inside of the tube, across the flats on an octagonal shutter tube. Somfy lists a 63 x 1.5 mm minimum tube for the Altus 60 RTS and a 2.37 in minimum inside diameter for the US LT60 Altus RTS. Somfy's Altus 60 range covers tubes from 60 mm to 102 mm. A tube that measures under 2.37 in inside will not take a US LT60 motor.

Cable. Somfy's US LT50 Altus RTS data sheet gives a 3-conductor cable with black hot, white neutral and green ground. European Altus wiring uses brown, blue and yellow-green. A licensed electrician should make the hardwired connection to local code.

Crowns, brackets and the head on an Altus swap

The crown and drive grip the tube profile, so they follow the tube rather than the motor's market. On an LT50 job in a 70 mm octagonal tube, the Somfy Octagonal LT50 70mm Crown and Drive Set (9012234) fits the motor to the tube, and the Somfy LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) holds the head.

LT60 motors take LT60 crowns. The Somfy 70mm Octagonal LT60 Crown (9705340) pairs with the Somfy LT50/60 Octagonal 70mm Drive (9761002), one of the few drives Somfy names for both platforms. An existing European bracket may not suit a US head, so check the head and the bracket together before the old motor comes out. Our crowns, drives and brackets guide explains how the three parts fit.

Pairing a remote to the new Altus RTS motor

Both naming systems describe RTS motors at 433.420 MHz with limits set from a transmitter. On the US side, pair a US RTS remote such as the Somfy Situo 1 Channel RTS Pure Remote (1870571), then set the upper and lower limits. Somfy's Altus RTS programming steps, from installer mode to the lost-remote power cut, are laid out in our guide to installing Somfy roller shutters with an Altus RTS motor. Button sequences differ by motor generation, so keep the instructions for your reference from our Somfy spec library beside you.

Browse the full Altus RTS line, LT50 and LT60, in our Somfy awning and exterior motors collection. For a reference not covered here, our team answers at 859-414-6872, 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM ET.

Somfy Altus RTS naming FAQ

What does 85/17 mean on a Somfy Altus 60 RTS?

The first number is torque in newton-metres and the second is speed in rpm. An Altus 60 RTS 85/17 delivers 85 Nm at 17 rpm. Somfy lists it as reference 1165102 in its Altus 60 RTS range, built for 230V, 50Hz supply. US Altus RTS motors use model codes such as 6100R2 instead of torque over speed.

Is there a US version of the Altus 60 RTS 85/17?

The US LT60 Altus RTS range has no 85 Nm model. It offers 60, 80 and 100 Nm, all at 14 rpm and 120V, 60Hz. For an 85 Nm load, order the 6100R2 (1166289) at 100 Nm, since the 680R2 at 80 Nm falls below the original rating. Confirm the tube measures at least 2.37 in inside.

Can I use a 230V Altus motor in the United States?

Somfy builds the Altus 50 RTS and Altus 60 RTS ranges for 230V, 50Hz supply, while US homes run 120V, 60Hz. Somfy's US Altus RTS motors carry the 120V, 60Hz rating. We stock US versions only, so match the torque and tube to a US Altus RTS model and have an electrician make the connection.

Which US motor replaces an Altus 50 RTS?

Match the torque from the label to the US LT50 Altus RTS range, which runs from 6 Nm to 50 Nm at 120V, 60Hz. An Altus RTS 10/32 maps to the 510S2 (1038165) and a 50 Nm Altus 50 maps to the 550R2 (1038170). The tube needs at least 1.85 in (47 mm) inside diameter.

Sources: Somfy Altus 60 RTS range data sheet (service.somfy.com, refs 1161117, 1163103, 1165102, 1166047, 1167039); Somfy Altus 50 RTS 10/32 data sheet (ref 1037553); Somfy UK product pages for Altus 50 RTS 1051305 and Altus 60 RTS 1167040; Somfy LT50 Altus RTS data sheet D-0028 (10/2017); Somfy US product records for 1038170, 1162271, 1164261 and 1166289.

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