Farpoint Dovetail Plate - Tele Vue Clamshell

Product Overview

The Farpoint FDTV is a specialty dovetail plate that bolts to the base of a Tele Vue clamshell and gives the clamshell a D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail interface. Once fitted, the refractor and clamshell travel as one assembly that drops into any D-size saddle. The plate is CNC-machined in the USA from aluminum with a black anodized finish and has a published weight of 1.313 lb.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you own a Tele Vue refractor carried in a Tele Vue clamshell and a mount with a Losmandy-style saddle, if you are moving the scope up from a Vixen-size setup to a D-size one, or if you want the clamshell itself to become the dovetail interface rather than adding a separate ring-and-bar stack.

Key Features & Design

• Clamshell-specific mounting pattern: the hole pattern is cut for the Tele Vue clamshell base.
• D-size (Losmandy-style) profile: the wider of the two common dovetail standards, with a broader clamping face than V-size.
• Black anodized aluminum: the anodized finish protects the plate where the saddle jaws bear on it.
• CNC-machined in the USA: the dovetail angles and the bolt pattern come off the same setup.
• Published weight 1.313 lb: a modest addition to a refractor's carried mass.

Mechanical Design

A Tele Vue clamshell grips the tube and presents a flat base with a mounting pattern, but that base is not itself a dovetail. The FDTV bridges the two: its upper face bolts flat to the clamshell base, and its lower profile is machined to the D-size dovetail angle that a Losmandy-style saddle clamps against. Because the plate takes the load directly off the clamshell base, the stack stays short — there is no intermediate bar adding height between the tube and the saddle — which keeps the optical axis close to the declination axis and reduces the counterweight needed to balance it.

Recommended Uses

• Putting a Tele Vue refractor and clamshell onto a German equatorial with a D-size saddle.
• Standardising a whole set of tubes on the Losmandy-style interface.
• Sliding the clamshell along the saddle to rebalance when a diagonal or camera is fitted at the rear.
• Wide-field imaging or visual work where the refractor moves between mounts sharing the D-size standard.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

The plate is designed for the Tele Vue clamshell and its bolt pattern; Takahashi clamshells take their own Farpoint plates, including a 12″ two-position bar. The dovetail is D-size (Losmandy-style), so it clamps into any mount with a D-size saddle — and into dual-profile saddles that accept both D-size and Vixen-style bars. A mount with a Vixen-only saddle needs a V-size bar or a saddle change instead. If you are unsure which clamshell you have or which profile your saddle takes, send us the model and we'll check the fit for you.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Clamshell not included. The plate attaches to a Tele Vue clamshell you already own; it is not a tube ring set.
• Single mounting pattern. The hole pattern matches the Tele Vue clamshell, so other manufacturers' clamshells take their own plates.
• D-size only. The profile is Losmandy-style; a Vixen-only saddle takes a V-size bar.
• Published weight is 1.313 lb. Shipping weight is rounded up to 2 lb.
• Finish. Black anodized aluminum, consistent with the rest of the Farpoint dovetail range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to install?

The plate bolts to the clamshell's existing base holes with hex keys — a short bench job, and the clamshell can stay on the tube while it is done.

What does this plate do?

It bolts to the base of a Tele Vue clamshell and gives that clamshell a D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail, so the whole assembly drops into a D-size saddle.

Will it fit a Takahashi clamshell?

It is machined for the Tele Vue clamshell; Takahashi clamshells have separate Farpoint plates, including a two-position 12″ version.

What mounts will this work with?

Any mount with a D-size (Losmandy-style) saddle, including dual-profile saddles that take both standards.

Bottom Line

In short: the FDTV turns a Tele Vue clamshell into a D-size dovetail interface — a 1.313 lb USA-machined anodized aluminum plate that keeps the stack short and puts the refractor straight into a Losmandy-style saddle.