Farpoint Dovetail Radius Block - Meade 16 Inch SCT

Product Overview

These Farpoint radius blocks are machined to the curve of the Meade 16″ SCT optical tube and are used with a D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail bar already on hand. They are the part that moves an existing bar from one tube to another: the bar stays, the blocks change. CNC-machined in the USA from black anodized aluminum, the set weighs 1.563 lb. The blocks fit the Meade 16″ SCT only.

Who It’s For

This is a good match if you…

• Already own a D-size dovetail bar and are moving it onto a Meade 16″ SCT.
• Are rebuilding a tube’s mounting hardware and only the tube-side blocks are missing.
• Run more than one optical tube and rotate a single bar between them.
• Want the bar to sit against the tube curve rather than on two bolt points.

Key Features & Design

• Machined to the Meade 16″ curve: the block radius matches that tube diameter specifically.
• Works with your existing bar: the blocks install between a D-size (Losmandy-style) bar and the optical tube.
• Black anodized aluminum: a hard, non-reflective finish over machined aluminum.
• CNC-machined in the USA: cut to a repeatable profile rather than formed or cast.
• 1.563 lb set weight: a small addition to the load the mount carries.

Mechanical Design

A dovetail bar has a flat underside and an SCT tube is round, so the two meet along a line rather than a surface. The radius blocks bridge that gap: each is cut to the exact curve of the Meade 16″ tube, so when the bar is drawn down the clamping load spreads across the whole contact area instead of concentrating at the bolt holes. That makes the joint between tube and bar stiffer, and it keeps the fastening from working against a single spot on the tube wall — which is the point of interest on a tube this size, where the leverage from a long bar and a heavy back end is substantial.

Recommended Uses

• Fitting a D-size bar you already own to a Meade 16″ SCT.
• Replacing worn or mismatched blocks under an existing dovetail installation.
• Keeping one bar and a set of blocks per tube across a multi-scope setup.
• Stiffening the tube-to-saddle joint ahead of long-exposure imaging.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

These blocks are cut for the Meade 16″ SCT and that tube alone; other Meade and Celestron diameters take their own matched sets. They pair with a D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail bar, not with a narrow V-size (Vixen-style) bar. If no bar is on hand yet, the complete Farpoint Meade 16″ kit supplies the bar, blocks and mounting screws together. Tell us your telescope model and the bar you are using and we’ll confirm the fit.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Blocks only. The dovetail bar and the telescope are not included in this listing.
• Single tube fitment. The radius is machined for the Meade 16″ SCT and does not carry over to other tube diameters.
• D-size bars only. The blocks are sized for the D (Losmandy-style) standard rather than the narrower Vixen bar.
• Set weight is 1.563 lb. That figure sits on top of the bar and tube weight when sizing the mount load.
• A full kit is the alternative. Buyers without a bar generally start from the complete Meade 16″ SCT kit instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to install?

The blocks sit between the optical tube and the dovetail bar and are drawn down with the bar’s own mounting screws. It is a bolt-on operation with no drilling or fitting work.

What do radius blocks actually do?

They bridge a flat dovetail bar to a round optical tube, spreading the clamping load across the contact surface instead of concentrating it at the bolt holes.

Will these fit my telescope?

They are machined for the Meade 16″ SCT only. Other tube sizes take blocks cut to their own diameter — send us your model and we’ll point to the matching set.

Do I need anything else?

A D-size (Losmandy-style) dovetail bar. The blocks install between that bar and the tube.

Is the dovetail bar included?

No. This listing is the radius blocks; the complete Meade 16″ kit is the version that includes the bar and screws.

Bottom Line

In short: a 1.563 lb set of black anodized radius blocks cut to the Meade 16″ SCT curve, turning a D-size dovetail bar you already own into a mounting solution for that tube.