Somfy LT50 530R2 Altus RTS Motor Fit and Torque Guide

Installers reach for a 530R2 when 25 Nm leaves no margin and 50 Nm overshoots the fabric. The Somfy LT50 530R2 Altus RTS turns 30 Nm at 14 rpm, enough for mid-span awnings and rolling shutters on a 2 inch tube or larger. Somfy puts the radio receiver inside the motor head and finishes the drive end with a star profile. You pair a remote and leave the control wiring out of the job.

Awnings, shutters and screens the 30 Nm 530R2 drives

Somfy ladders the Altus RTS line by torque on one 50 mm LT50 body. The 530R2 sits above the 25 Nm 525A2 and below the 35 Nm 535A2, and it holds the same 14 rpm that the 50 Nm 550R2 runs. Torque sizing starts with the load hanging on the tube and the radius the fabric builds as it rolls up.

A wide awning with a heavy acrylic valance pulls harder at the end of travel than at the start. The roll diameter grows, the lever arm grows with it, and the motor sees its worst case in the last two feet of retraction. Somfy publishes 30 Nm, which converts to 266 in-lb. Step up to the 535A2 when your calculated figure lands within 10 percent of that rating. Installers who size to the edge end up back on the ladder with a replacement motor.

Speed matters on the same spec sheet. At 14 rpm the 530R2 moves a 2.5 inch tube at a measured pace that suits exterior fabric. Faster motors in the Sonesse interior range run 20 to 36 rpm because they carry light interior shade cloth over short travel. Exterior work rewards torque over speed.

Somfy publishes six applications for this reference: awnings, exterior solar screens, interior window coverings, projection screens, retractable insect screens and rolling shutters. The exterior half of that list leans on the IP 44 rating and the operating range of -4 to 158 F. A cassette awning in Minneapolis and a drop screen in Phoenix both sit inside that window.

Rolling shutter work sets a different sizing question than awning work. Slat weight and curtain height drive the number, so total the slat weight for the full curtain and measure the finished height before you order. Projection screen work inverts the priority. Light fabric and short travel ask for a motor that stops in the same place on every cycle, and the 250 turn electronic limit system delivers that repeatability without a mechanical limit stack to drift.

Retractable insect screens and interior coverings round out the list. Both put less load on the tube than an awning, so a 30 Nm motor on either job gives you headroom rather than a tight fit.

Verified 530R2 Altus RTS specifications

Figures above come from the Somfy Pro e-cat entry for reference 1038169 and the Somfy Systems product page for the Altus RTS 530R2.

Tube, crown and drive fit

The motor needs a tube with a 1.85 inch minimum inner diameter. Measure the inside of the tube rather than the outside, because wall thickness on aluminum and steel tube varies between suppliers and a nominal 2 inch tube can measure under the minimum once you account for the wall. The motor body measures 1.97 inch across, the drive end 1.77 inch, and the unwrapped assembly runs 24.13 inch from the head to the drive tip. Check that length against your pocket or cassette before you cut anything.

Crown and drive sets match the tube profile, not the motor. A 2.5 inch round tube takes the Somfy LT50 2.5" Round Crown and Drive Set (9012231). A 70 mm octagonal tube takes the Somfy Octagonal LT50 70mm Crown and Drive Set (9012234). The crown centers and carries the motor head inside the tube while the drive transfers torque into the tube wall. Order both halves from one set. Mixing a round crown with an octagonal drive leaves the tube loose on the motor and chews the drive under load.

Star head brackets that hold the motor

The 530R2 carries a star head, and the bracket has to accept that profile. The Somfy LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) takes the star directly and locks the head against rotation. The Somfy LT50 Universal Motor Bracket (9410665) gives you slotted adjustment when pocket depth or an existing hole pattern fights the bracket position.

Mount the bracket into structure. Fascia trim and thin cladding will not hold the reaction torque a 30 Nm motor puts into the head at startup and at the limit stop. Through-bolt into framing or a steel sub-frame where the detail allows it, and use the full bolt pattern the bracket provides rather than two fasteners on a diagonal.

RTS pairing, channels and limits

Radio Technology Somfy runs at 433.420 MHz with rolling code encryption across 16 million combinations, and the motor stores 12 channels. Open field range reaches 656.2 ft, which covers a long patio run with the transmitter in hand. The Somfy Situo 1 Channel RTS Pure Remote (1870571) pairs to one motor for a single awning, and the 12 channel capacity means you can add a group transmitter later without clearing the first one.

An RTS motor takes every command over radio. The receiver sits inside the motor head and expects a radio frame, so a maintained wired rocker switch will not drive it. Put an RTS wall transmitter at the door where the room needs a fixed control point, and keep the handheld for seasonal adjustment.

Set the limits with the programming sequence in the Somfy 500 Series databook. The electronic limit system carries 250 turns of capacity and holds both stop positions through a power loss, which saves a service call after a utility outage. Confirm the direction of rotation against the remote before you commit the upper limit, since a reversed pairing drives the fabric the wrong way off the tube.

Power, cable and what to order

The motor ships with a 9.84 ft SJTW pigtail and draws 1.5 A at 170 W while it runs. Standby draw reads 0 W, so a bank of these motors adds nothing to the panel between cycles. Wire the motor to a 120V branch circuit inside the 108 to 132 V window Somfy publishes. Class I insulation means the motor needs a ground connection, and the thermal protector takes 5 minutes to reset after a long run of consecutive cycles.

Order the Somfy 530R2 Altus RTS 120V 3-Wire Motor (1038169) with the crown and drive set that matches your tube profile and a bracket that accepts the star head. Add the Situo 1 remote when the job has no RTS transmitter on site yet.

Frequently asked questions

What tube does the Somfy 530R2 Altus RTS fit?

Somfy publishes a 1.85 inch minimum inner diameter for reference 1038169. The motor body measures 1.97 inch across and the unwrapped length runs 24.13 inch. Measure the inside of your tube, since wall thickness varies by supplier and a nominal 2 inch tube can fall under the minimum.

Which bracket holds a 530R2 star head?

The LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) accepts the star profile directly. The LT50 Universal Motor Bracket (9410665) adds slotted adjustment for awkward pocket depths. Mount either one into framing or a steel sub-frame, because the motor puts reaction torque into the head at every start and stop.

Can a wired wall switch control the 530R2 Altus RTS?

The receiver sits inside the motor and responds to radio frames at 433.420 MHz, so a maintained wired rocker switch will not operate it. Use an RTS wall transmitter for a fixed control point and a Situo or Telis handheld for everything else. The motor stores up to 12 channels.

How many turns do the limits hold on this motor?

The electronic limit system carries 250 turns of capacity and keeps both stop positions through a power loss. Set the limits with the sequence in the Somfy 500 Series databook, and confirm rotation direction against the paired remote before you commit the upper stop.

Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.