| In the awning industry, the drive side refers to either the left or right side of the awning. You will choose whether the left or right side best fits your needs. 1. If you are purchasing a motorized awning from Solarus USA, you will choose the side of the awning that will be closest to your 110 volt plug- in power supply. Another words, you want to choose the side that is most convenient to plug in your wire to the nearest outlet source. 2. If you are purchasing a manual hand gear, (non-motorized), retractable awning system from Solarus USA, you will choose the side that is most convenient to you. This drive side should have no obstructions so you will be able to stand underneath to hand crank your retractable awning in and out with ease of operation. Choosing a Crank Handle Size In general, your hand crank size should be chosen based on how high you have mounted your Solarus Retractable Awning System. As a rule of thumb, add the distance from the floor to your waist plus the crank handle size and that should equal the height of your awning. However, Retractable awnings may be mounted very high and choosing the longest hand crank may not reach. In these instances, you may consider using a step ladder to help you to reach the drive side. As you will see in the ordering menu drop down tabs there are several Hand Crank sizes to choose from. Please feel free to call us at (877) 702-1777 for any questions you may have! |