Carrying Handle for Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter

Product Overview

This is the open L-shaped carrying handle that bolts onto the Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter (FDA). The FDA clamps anywhere along a D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail bar, and this handle turns that clamp into a lifting point, so a tube assembly can be picked up and carried by something designed for a hand rather than by the focuser or the rear cell. The handle is CNC-machined in the USA and weighs 0.688 lb. It is the handle on its own — the FDA adapter is sold separately.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you already own a Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter and want a grip on it, or if you are replacing a D-handle with the open L shape. It also suits you if you carry a tube to and from a setup spot each session and would rather have a defined lifting point on the dovetail than improvise a hold on the optical tube.

Key Features & Design

• Open L-shaped grip: The open form leaves the hand free to slide along the grip and to release quickly, unlike a closed D loop.
• Bolts to the FDA: It uses the Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter's existing accessory interface, so no new holes are involved.
• Positionable along the bar: Because the FDA clamps anywhere on a D-size dovetail, the handle can be set at the tube's balance point rather than at a fixed station.
• Light at 0.688 lb: The handle adds well under a pound to whatever is riding on the mount.
• CNC-machined in the USA: The grip is a machined part rather than a bent or cast fitting.

Recommended Uses

• Carrying an optical tube from storage to the mount by its dovetail instead of by the tube body.
• Adding a lifting point at the balance point of a long D-size imaging bar.
• Steadying a tube with one hand while the saddle clamp is loosened with the other.
• Swapping an existing D-handle on an FDA for the open L profile.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

This handle mounts to the Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter (FDA) and reaches a telescope only through it — the FDA is the part that clamps to the dovetail, and it is sold separately. The FDA in turn fits D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail bars, which is the wider of the two common standards, so tubes carried on Losmandy plates, Farpoint D bars and the D-size bars supplied with larger SCTs and Newtonians are within scope. A V-size (Vixen) bar is a different profile. Farpoint also publishes this handle bundled together with the FDA, and a D-handle in both bundled and handle-only forms, if you want the closed loop or the complete assembly instead. If you are unsure whether you already have an FDA on your bar, or which dovetail standard your tube uses, let us know what you are running and we'll confirm the fit.

Good to Know Before You Order

• The FDA adapter is not included. This listing covers the L-shaped handle only; the adapter it bolts to is a separate purchase.
• It reaches the dovetail only through the FDA. On its own the handle has no clamp and no dovetail interface.
• The FDA is a D-size fitting. Vixen-size bars use a different profile.
• The handle weighs 0.688 lb. Under a pound on its own, though the FDA adds its own mass on top of that.
• Shipping rounds up to 1 lb. The true weight is under a pound, so on a multi-item order the rounded figure can overstate the combined shipping weight.
• The grip is open rather than closed. A D-handle is the closed-loop alternative if a fully enclosed hold is preferred.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to install?

No — the handle bolts to the accessory interface already machined into the FDA. It is a hex-key job and takes a minute.

Does the Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter come with it?

No. This listing is the handle alone. Farpoint also publishes a version that ships the handle and the FDA together.

Can it clamp straight onto my dovetail bar?

The clamping is done by the FDA. The handle attaches to the FDA, and the FDA is what grips the D-size bar.

What is the difference between the L-handle and the D-handle?

The L-handle is an open grip; the D-handle is a closed loop. Both attach to the same FDA interface.

Where along the bar does it sit?

Wherever the FDA is clamped. Setting it near the tube's balance point makes the load easiest to carry.

Bottom Line

In short: the open L-shaped grip for the Farpoint Dovetail Accessory Adapter, CNC-machined in the USA and weighing 0.688 lb, giving a D-size dovetail a proper lifting point — supplied as the handle alone, with the FDA sold separately.