A 28 mm motor earns its place when the tube is narrow and the wiring is not there. Somfy built the Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS around that job. Reference 1003297 carries its lithium-ion cell inside the motor body, so the shade needs no outlet and no low-voltage run behind the pocket. Torque sits at 1.1 Nm. The motor slides into any tube with an inner diameter of 1.05 in or larger, which puts small roller shades, cellular fabrics and Silhouette-style products inside its range.
Tube diameter settles the fit before anything else
Somfy publishes a motor diameter of 1.1 in and a minimum internal tube diameter of 1.05 in for reference 1003297. Measure the inside of the tube, not the outside. A 1 in nominal aluminum tube with a thick wall can fall under that minimum, and the motor will not enter. Overall motor length runs 21.61 in, so the tube has to give you that much clear space plus the crown and the drive at the ends.
The head is round. That matters at the bracket end, because the motor needs an adaptor plate that accepts a round head rather than a star or square profile. Somfy rates the whole assembly for interior window coverings, blinds and shades. Exterior work belongs to the Sunea and Maestria families.
Torque of 1.1 Nm converts to 9.7 in-lb. That figure moves light interior fabrics on a small tube: roller shades in a residential opening, cellular and pleated products, and the Hunter Douglas Silhouette platform that Somfy builds a dedicated crown and drive kit for. Speed is fixed at 20 rpm. Somfy publishes no adjustable-speed claim for this reference, and the store page makes none either.
Noise measures 49 dB. The cell and the motor share one housing, which keeps the whole assembly at 1.21 lb and lets a slim headrail close over it.
Verified specs for reference 1003297
| Specification | Somfy published value |
|---|---|
| Torque | 1.1 Nm (9.7 in-lb) |
| Speed | 20 rpm |
| Power supply | 12V DC, one rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| Rated current | 0.75 A |
| Consumption in operation | 9 W |
| Standby consumption | 0.001 W |
| Control | RTS, 433.420 MHz, 12 channels |
| Radio range, open field | 656.2 ft |
| Noise level | 49 dB |
| Protection index | IP 20 |
| Insulation class | Class III |
| Head type | Round |
| Limit switches | Electronic, 200 turn capacity |
| Motor diameter | 1.1 in |
| Minimum internal tube diameter | 1.05 in |
| Motor length | 21.61 in |
| Weight | 1.21 lb |
| Operating temperature | 32 to 140 F |
| Storage temperature | -4 to 140 F |
| Connector | Molex, removable charging cable |
| Application | Interior blinds and shades |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Figures come from Somfy's e-catalog record for reference 1003297 and the matching Somfy Systems product page. The product listing for the Somfy Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS Li-ion motor (1003297) carries a shorter table, so treat the rows above as the working set when you size a job.
Crowns, drives and the adaptor plate
Somfy sells the crown and drive as a matched pair keyed to the tube profile you are rolling on. Two pairings cover most of the work this motor sees. The R28 Sonesse Crown and Drive Kit (9025816) targets post-2004 Hunter Douglas Silhouette headrails, and it is the part to order when you are retrofitting that product. For a RollEase 1.25 in tube, the RollEase 1.25 in Crown and Drive (9025815) takes the same motor into a standard roller assembly.
At the head end, the motor adaptor plate for RollEase SkyLine and ZMC XL brackets (9016378) lets the round head drop into bracket hardware you already stock. Order the crown, the drive and the plate with the motor. Sourcing them after the shade is fabricated costs a second shipment.
One note on the store's compatibility list for this SKU. It includes the Sonesse 40 mm Louvolite crown and drive (9020675), a 40 mm part that will not serve a 28 mm motor, and the external lithium-ion battery pack (9021217), which belongs to the WireFree motors that take their power from outside the tube. Reference 1003297 carries its cell inside, so skip both.
Charging the cell and keeping the shade up
Somfy ships this reference without a fixed cable. The charging lead is removable and terminates in a Molex connector, so the motor charges in place through a port at the head. The Somfy WireFree lithium-ion plug-in charger (9025166) handles the recharge for Somfy's embedded-cell motors across the Sonesse and Roll Up WireFree lines. You plug it into a wall outlet and connect it at the head, and the shade stays hung.
Somfy also offers a solar panel kit for this motor as a separate purchase. A panel trickles the cell between manual charges on a window that gets direct sun, which stretches the interval on shades mounted high or behind furniture. Standby draw sits at 0.001 W, so a shade that sleeps most of the day gives back very little charge to idle radio listening. Confirm the connector on the charger against the port on the motor you receive before you order extension leads.
RTS pairing and limit setup
The receiver lives in the motor. You pair a Situo, a Telis or a DecoFlex RTS wall transmitter to it over 433.420 MHz, with 12 channels and 656.2 ft of open-field range to work with. That range figure describes clear line of sight. Plaster, foil-backed insulation and steel framing all pull it down, and a TaHoma hub extends control to phones and voice platforms once the motor is paired.
Limits are electronic with a 200 turn capacity. You set the upper and lower stops from the remote rather than with a screwdriver at the head, which is the practical advantage on a shade already in its brackets. Somfy's WireFree Databook carries the current programming sequence, and the store links it from the product page.
Ordering the parts together
A working order for this motor holds four lines: the motor itself, a crown and drive keyed to your tube, an adaptor plate at the bracket, and a charger. Add the solar panel when the install sits somewhere a ladder visit costs real time. Buyers replacing a Silhouette lift system should start from the 9025816 kit and work back to the tube, since that crown and drive fixes the rest of the bill of materials.
Somfy backs reference 1003297 with a 5 year warranty. Shade Motors Direct stocks the motor and the WireFree accessory line as a Somfy authorized source, so the parts arrive matched rather than adapted.
Frequently asked questions
What tube does the Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS fit?
Somfy publishes a minimum internal tube diameter of 1.05 in for reference 1003297, with a motor diameter of 1.1 in and an overall length of 21.61 in. Measure the inside of the tube. A nominal 1 in tube with a heavy wall can fall below the minimum, and the motor will not enter.
How much weight will 1.1 Nm lift?
Somfy publishes torque of 1.1 Nm, which converts to 9.7 in-lb, and does not publish a shade weight rating for this reference. Lift capacity depends on tube diameter and fabric weight together, so size from the torque figure and your roll diameter rather than from a weight number.
Does this motor need an external battery pack?
No. Reference 1003297 carries one rechargeable lithium-ion cell inside the motor body. The external pack that Somfy sells serves its other WireFree motors. This one recharges through a removable Molex charging lead at the head, and a solar panel kit is available for it.
Which remotes control it?
Any Somfy RTS transmitter at 433.420 MHz pairs with it, including Situo handheld remotes, Telis timers and DecoFlex wall switches. The receiver is built into the motor, so no separate receiver goes in the pocket. A TaHoma hub adds app and voice control on top of the RTS pairing.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
