Farpoint Vixen Dovetail Plate - Meade 10 Inch SCT

Product Overview

The Farpoint FVM10 is a 17.25″ V-size (Vixen-style) dovetail bar cut for the Meade 10″ Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly. It bolts to the tube's own mounting holes and gives it a Vixen dovetail foot, so the telescope drops straight into any V-size saddle. The bar is machined from aluminum with a black anodized finish, CNC-machined in the USA, and weighs 1.813 lb.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you have a Meade 10″ SCT and a mount whose saddle takes the narrower Vixen-style dovetail, and you want the tube on a bar cut for its hole pattern rather than a generic strip. It also suits you if you are replacing a short factory bar that leaves little room to slide the tube for balance once a diagonal, camera or heavy eyepiece is on the back.

Key Features & Design

• 17.25″ bar length: The long run gives the saddle a wide clamping span and leaves fore-and-aft travel for balancing a rear-heavy SCT.
• V-size (Vixen-style) profile: Machined to the narrower Vixen dovetail standard, the most widely fitted saddle type on small and mid-size equatorials.
• Cut for the Meade 10″ SCT: The hole pattern matches that tube's existing mounting points, so no drilling is involved.
• Machined aluminum: Sturdy aluminum holds the dovetail profile to tolerance along the full length rather than flexing between bolts.
• Black anodized finish: Non-reflective beside the optical path and resistant to handling marks.
• CNC-machined in the USA: The dovetail faces are machined rather than rolled or extruded to shape.

Recommended Uses

• Putting a Meade 10″ SCT onto a Vixen-saddle equatorial for visual observing.
• Rebalancing the tube after adding a diagonal, binoviewer or camera at the rear cell.
• Moving one 10″ SCT between a Vixen-saddle mount at home and a travel mount that shares the standard.
• Replacing a short or damaged original dovetail with a full-length machined bar.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

The bar is drilled for the Meade 10″ Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly and bolts to that tube's existing mounting points. The dovetail itself is the V-size (Vixen-style) standard, which seats in the Vixen saddles fitted to mounts such as the Sky-Watcher EQ series, iOptron and Celestron Vixen-compatible heads, and in any dual-fit saddle that accepts both V and D profiles. A D-size (Losmandy-style) saddle takes the wider bar and is a different fit. Farpoint also publishes an armored-strip version of this bar, which adds a stainless steel strip along the clamping face so saddle set screws bear on steel rather than on the anodizing — worth considering if your saddle clamps with bare screw tips. If you are unsure which Meade 10″ variant you have or which saddle standard is on your mount, let us know the models and we'll confirm the fit.

Good to Know Before You Order

• The telescope is not included. This is the dovetail bar on its own.
• The hole pattern is Meade 10″ SCT specific. Other tube sizes use bars drilled to their own spacing.
• The profile is V-size only. A Losmandy D-size saddle would call for a D bar or a V-to-D adapter.
• The bar weighs 1.813 lb. That mass rides with the tube and counts toward the mount's payload figure.
• Saddle set screws bear on the anodized face. The armored-strip version of this bar adds a steel strip at that contact point for setups where that matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to install?

No — the bar lines up with the mounting holes already in the Meade 10″ tube. It is a hex-key job, and no drilling is involved.

Will this fit a Losmandy-style saddle?

The bar is cut to the V-size (Vixen) profile, which is narrower than the D-size standard. It seats in Vixen saddles and in dual-fit saddles that accept both.

How long is the bar?

17.25″, which gives a long clamping span and room to slide the tube for balance.

What is the difference between this and the armored strip version?

The armored version carries a stainless steel strip along the face the saddle screws press against, so the clamping load lands on steel instead of the anodized aluminum.

Does it fit other Meade tubes?

It is drilled for the Meade 10″ Schmidt-Cassegrain. Other apertures in the range have their own hole spacing.

Bottom Line

In short: a 17.25″ Vixen-standard dovetail bar drilled for the Meade 10″ SCT, CNC-machined in the USA from black anodized aluminum and weighing 1.813 lb — a direct bolt-on foot for any V-size saddle.