If it matters. Using a super-crap 36" actuator here.
It's gone through several stages of encoder mods. I finally got it working very accurately with 20 pulses/revolution of the actuator shaft.
First stage was using an old vcr gear with 12 indexes around the perimeter to glue magnets to.
It worked but was kind of flaky. The Amazon neodymium 4mm round magnets were too strong. They need to be sharpied on one side to keep track of the N-S poles.
I found out that some of the magnets had different strengths. So I had to redo the disc. Strength matched with a needle and thread on the bench with the magnet ref. distance.
Sorted a bunch that had the same strength.
That worked better. Had to make a small mod of the reed switch mountand testing to make sure it triggered ok when a magnet passed it.

Next I did a hall switch conversion. I didn't get what kind of control you're using but I have a ASC-1.
With 3 wires out to the actuator (including the shield). All that was needed was 5 vdc to the hall. A ground, or common. And trigger, or sense, wire.
Magic Static used a reed switch interface at the ASC-1 to simulate the reed switch normally used in actuators that work with it.
I use a SSR. Because I have a box of them. Easy to make and no switch bounce.
The hall sensor is one of the Amazon 6 for 1 packages used with Arduino projects.
It is a true switch with a Schmitt trigger output. Current sink (open collector). And the SSR is Schmitt output also.

Again. Another small bracket and positioning the sensor for solid triggering worked pretty good. But the neodymiums are strong and the magnetic flux is freakin' big.
I tried a few different incantations of magnets. As small as 2mm, tiny bar magnets. A 20ppr magnet disc didn't pan out well because the magnetic flux from the smallest magnets on a wheel that would just fit inside weren't spaced enough to eliminate completely flux overlap. And the same issue caused a long "dwell" when the hall turned on and then back off.
I needed snap action.
The Amazon halls are cool in that they have an led to tell you when they are switched on. But I could never position them to give a nice square wave pulse stream using my 'scope at the dish.
Wash!

Went to an optical thru-beam sensor. Cut a piece of old black plastic "mystery enclosure" from the box-o-junk into a disc. Again. Just big enough to fit in the motor case.
Got another 6-for Amazon package of thru beam optical sensors with Schmitt trigger outputs. With leds to tell you when the beam was blocked.
The disc has 20 slots cut around the perimeter. A little crafty printed paper index wheel fitted around my drill press quill drive pulley with a pointer.
A Dremel in the press vice. With the thinnest cutoff wheel they make.
Fit the disc in the chuck with a long machine screw and nut. Index the quill wheel and lower the wheel. Slice a slot.
Move to the next index. Do it again. And made a slotted trigger wheel.
Same deal as with the hall conversion. A little adjustable bracket. Optical gives excellent "snap" action. And 'scope waveform is almost a perfect square wave with nice +/- transitions.

ASC-1. 127W to 40.5W. Something like 4200 pulses on the counter. And repeatable.
I got chewed a while ago about motor drift. Yes. You do see motor coast when the actuator shuts off. And more noticeable using a high res. encoder.
Solution? A crafty little relay inside of the motor housing that acts as a dynamic brake with a .22 ohm emitter resistor as the braking resistor.
Man. When that actuator hits dead nuts on the center of a sat. That armature....Stops! Super repeatable positioning. Even after "bumping" the E-W control when searching and peaking sat signals.
So. There you have it.

My next actuator will definitely be a Von Weiss. Perhaps a Venture. This super-crap has lived a cat worth of lives. You gotta' take 'em apart and grease them. Or run 'em until they puke.
But honestly my 12' solid 'glass dish has never creeped during a heavy storm.