My system is very similar except I built a pivot into it rather than the pipe clamps. The weight is quite well balanced. When I change my angle I use one hand to push the panel up or down and use the other hand to change the location of support strut. It takes a 7/16" and a 3/4" wrench and socket. My array is in high wind zone. Takes me about 10 minutes to make the angle swap.
I did a few with a bit more complicated to fab hinge point, until I hit on the channel concept, as you say, keeping it balanced is key.
This is excellent,
@Ptom . Really nice work. What diameter hole for the 8" pipe, and did you drill it with a tractor auger? May be exactly what I need for our new place, if I can get the hole deep enough (much ledge here).
We used a mini excavator, with a good operator, who was told to keep the hole as narrow as possible while reaching the required depth (a sloppy operator will leave a larger than required dia. hole), that turned out to be around 4', maybe less. This is the same exact way they do the big mono pole billboards along a highway,, no formwork, just dig a hole, dump the mud in stick the pole in, and keep it plumb until it sets. Not using sono-tube forms around the pole, like I've seen some do, not only is less hassle, but better, as the concrete engages with the surrounding earth, making the pull out force required to dislodge it much higher, I can attest to this while pulling posts out of the ground with my crane. Sono-tube leaves a slick surface, and will pull up easy, a "ground engaged" pole or pipe will take MANY times the actual weight before pulling free. I had to pull over 5,000 pounds once to get a 2" square steel post out of the ground, that was only 4' deep at most, set with just a few bags of concrete mix (according to the homeowner) but as it was engaged with the surrounding undisturbed earth, the force required was tremendous. Once I had it out of the ground, hanging from my load hook, the load indicator said it weighed about 500 pounds! When I had difficult sites, precluding going deep, I went wider with the holes, the concept being just the total mass of the concrete will ballast the array, in fact in some jobs I did (over lava rock) we didn't dig at all, just formed up and poured a big enough chunk of concrete to anchor things.