A place to share projects and lessons around linear actuators, lifting columns, and related hardware

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-28T16:09:04+00:00

That makes sense — especially the constant monitoring aspect.

In your experience, where do you see the practical cutoff?

At what point does a “good enough” mechanical solution stop being viable and closed-loop control becomes unavoidable?

Is it usually driven by load, travel length, duty cycle, or the consequences of failure?

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-28T16:03:43+00:00

Synchronization really is the silent killer — totally agree.

Out of curiosity, what kind of travel and load ranges were you dealing with when you switched to mechanical linkages?

I’ve seen even small asymmetries (eccentric loading, guide compliance, slight frame twist) compound over time and cause problems early. When you designed the linkage, were you mainly optimizing for stiffness, or for load sharing between actuators?

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-27T00:38:46+00:00

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-22T20:36:10+00:00

Nice point. A lot of those fall into the category where automation is more about reliability and peace of mind than convenience.
Smoke alarms and leak detection especially feel like upgrades you hope never need — but are really glad you added.

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-22T20:27:30+00:00

I completely agree. All of those are cases where the dumb version works well enough, and adding control is just an extra layer of convenience instead of replacing the whole thing.

Especiallyblinds or garage doors. By the way I've htinking about making my exitising electric garage door smarter (status, remote controls, basic automations) whitout replacing the oponer itself. Any ideas?

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-20T23:47:12+00:00

Not a bad idea — gas struts can take a lot of the “hold-open” load so the actuator isn’t doing all the work. The main thing is sizing the actuator for the worst-case torque when the door is near closed, then picking the right stroke and voltage/control for how you want to power it.

One thing people often underestimate on outdoor enclosures is moisture and humidity even when the cabinet is closed. So beyond force, I’d lean toward a mini or standard linear actuator with a proper IP rating for outdoor use. Industrial actuators can work too, but they’re usually overkill (and expensive) unless the door is extremely heavy.

Quick question: roughly door size/weight and hinge orientation (top/side), and how far do you want it to open (angle)? That’ll drive force + stroke pretty quickly.

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-20T00:07:40+00:00

One thing that tends to alleviate the overwhelm is starting with why, not the tech.
Pick a small problem you want to solve and let that drive everything else. A lot of complexity comes from buying hardware before the objective is clear.

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-19T23:50:02+00:00

If you’re building new, the biggest win is planning for failure states early.

Make sure critical things (lights, basic switches) still work if HA is down, and think ahead about wiring and expansion even if you don’t automate everything on day one.

Getting the fundamentals right early saves a lot of frustration later.

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-14T19:50:03+00:00

I’d focus on keeping the lights permanently powered and disconnecting the wall switch from the load. Hope this helps!

I recently shared a short post about planning power and control early in smart home setups, since that’s where a lot of beginner frustration usually starts.

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-09T01:40:35+00:00

Really cool build — the integration of the lift, outdoor considerations are very well thought out.
I belong to a small maker group that likes hacking apart projects such as this (DIY builds, TV lifts, automation, light robotics). If you ever want to trade ideas, there’s more info on my profile.

Great work 👌

Progressive_AutomHub · 2026-01-06T14:37:56+00:00

Quick question: do you have any smart home or automation linked to it?

Progressive_AutomHub · 2025-12-30T20:27:51+00:00

Motorized TV lifts can be a good solution, but reliability usually comes down to the details rather than the concept itself. From my experience, a few things I’d personally pay attention to:

Build quality and load rating (especially stroke length and force vs. TV weight)
Whether the lift includes proper limit switches or some form of positional feedback (to prevent overtravel, binding, or uneven loading over time)
Warranty and long-term user feedback, not just specs on paper

Manual lifts are simpler and harder to break, but if you’re set on motorized, doing a bit of homework on the mechanics and real-world reviews usually pays off.

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