Farpoint Dovetail Plate - Vixen VMC260L OTA

Product Overview

The Farpoint FDVMC260L is a complete mounting kit that carries a Vixen VMC260L optical tube on a D-size (Losmandy-style) saddle. A 23.75″ dovetail bar pairs with radius blocks machined to the curve of the VMC260L tube, so the clamping load spreads along the contact surface rather than concentrating at two points. Mounting screws come with the kit, and the parts are CNC-machined in the USA from black anodized aluminum. The kit ships at 5.125 lb.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you own a Vixen VMC260L and run a mount with a D-size saddle, or if you are moving the VMC260L onto Losmandy-standard hardware so the rest of your rig shares one dovetail standard. The 23.75″ bar length also suits imaging setups where the tube needs room to slide fore and aft for balance once a camera, filter wheel or guider is hanging off the back.

Key Features & Design

• 23.75″ D-size bar: a full-length Losmandy-standard dovetail, long enough to give a wide range of balance positions under a 10″-class catadioptric tube.
• Matched radius blocks: machined to the VMC260L tube diameter so the bar seats against the curve instead of bearing on the bolt heads alone.
• Mounting screws included: the fasteners that join the blocks and bar to the tube ship in the box.
• Black anodized aluminum: a hard, non-reflective surface finish that resists handling marks and night-time dew.
• CNC-machined in the USA: dovetail angles and hole positions cut to a fixed program rather than hand-finished.

Mechanical Design

A flat dovetail bar and a round optical tube meet along a single line unless something fills the gap. The radius blocks in this kit are cut to the VMC260L's outside curve and sit between the two, turning that line contact into a broad seat. The result is that torque applied when the saddle clamps down, or when the tube swings through the meridian with a heavy camera train, is carried across the block faces. The 23.75″ bar spans a long section of the tube, which places the two block positions well apart and resists the tube rocking about its mounting axis.

Recommended Uses

• Mounting a Vixen VMC260L on a Losmandy G-11, or any German equatorial fitted with a D-size saddle.
• Long-exposure deep-sky imaging where the balance point shifts as camera gear is added or removed.
• Standardizing a multi-telescope setup on the D-size profile so tubes can be swapped between saddles.
• Replacing a mounting arrangement that clamps the VMC260L at narrow contact points.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

The blocks are machined for the Vixen VMC260L optical tube assembly and fit that tube. The bar itself is the D-size profile, also called Losmandy-style — the wider of the two common dovetail standards — and drops into any saddle cut for D-size, including Losmandy mounts and the many equatorial heads that accept the wide standard. A mount fitted only with a narrow V-size (Vixen-style) saddle takes a D-size saddle or a V-to-D adapter saddle to accept this bar. The telescope itself is not part of the kit. Not sure how the 23.75″ bar lines up with your saddle or your camera train? We're glad to check the fit against your scope and mount before you order.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Tube-specific blocks. The radius blocks match the VMC260L diameter; a different tube takes the block set cut for that curve.
• D-size profile only. The bar rides in a D-size saddle. V-size saddles use a narrower profile, and an adapter saddle bridges the two standards.
• Shipping weight. At 5.125 lb this is a substantial aluminum bar, and it adds that mass to whatever the mount is already carrying.
• Hardware scope. The included screws attach the blocks and bar to the optical tube; saddle clamp knobs belong to the mount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why a D-size bar for a Vixen telescope?

Two different uses of the same word. Vixen is the brand that builds the VMC260L; “Vixen-style” is also the name of the narrow V-size dovetail standard. A tube of this size and mass sits on the wider D-size standard, which is what this kit provides.

Is it difficult to install?

The radius blocks bolt to the existing mounting holes on the VMC260L, and the bar bolts to the blocks using the supplied screws. It is a hand-tool job on a workbench, typically measured in minutes rather than hours, and the parts come apart the same way.

What is in the box?

The 23.75″ D-size dovetail bar, the radius blocks machined for the VMC260L tube, and the mounting screws. The optical tube is separate.

Can the tube be balanced after the bar is fitted?

Yes. The bar is longer than the block spacing, so the assembly slides within the saddle jaws to move the centre of gravity fore or aft.

Bottom Line

In short: a 23.75″ Losmandy-standard bar, radius blocks cut to the VMC260L curve, and the screws to join them — the complete path from a Vixen VMC260L to a D-size saddle, machined in the USA and shipping at 5.125 lb.