Farpoint Vixen Saddle Conversion for Sky-Watcher EQ6 / Orion Atlas

Product Overview

Older-generation Sky-Watcher EQ6 and Orion Atlas mounts shipped with a small Vixen-style saddle that grips the dovetail with a bare retaining screw. The Farpoint FVSEQ replaces that head outright with a firm-grip V-size saddle built around a side clamping bar — over 20 times the clamping area of a retaining screw, holding harder without scarring or deforming the bar. The conversion ships as a complete unit with its puck adapter, machined in the USA from black anodized aluminum, and is listed at 2.0 lb.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you…

• run a Sky-Watcher EQ6 or Orion Atlas with the original small Vixen saddle
• have found the stock retaining screw dimpling or scoring your dovetail bars
• want a wider, more even grip on a V-size bar without changing the mount itself
• are loading the mount near its limit and want the dovetail held over a larger contact area

Key Features & Design

• Side clamping bar: a full-length bar presses along the side of the dovetail instead of a single screw point, giving over 20× the clamping area.
• Non-marking grip: the spread load holds the bar without scarring or deforming it.
• Complete unit: the saddle and its puck adapter ship together, so nothing from the stock head is reused beyond the mounting screws.
• V-size standard: accepts Vixen-style dovetail bars.
• No machining: installation is a screw-out, screw-in operation on the mount's existing puck screws.
• Black anodized aluminum: CNC-machined in the USA.

Mechanical Design

A retaining screw concentrates the whole holding force on a single small contact patch. That patch is what dimples a dovetail bar over time, and it is also why a screw-clamped bar can rock slightly under load. The FVSEQ substitutes a side clamping bar: a machined bar runs the length of the saddle and is drawn inward against the flank of the dovetail, so the same tightening force is spread over more than twenty times the area. The result is a firmer hold at lower local pressure, which is why the bar surface stays unmarked. The puck adapter beneath carries the saddle on the EQ6 / Atlas mounting boss, replacing the stock head as a single assembly.

Recommended Uses

• Upgrading the saddle on an older EQ6 or Atlas kept in regular imaging use
• Carrying a heavier refractor or SCT where the stock screw grip has become marginal
• Swapping tubes frequently, where repeated screw clamping would mark the dovetail
• Rebuilding an EQ6 or Atlas for an observatory installation

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

The conversion fits Sky-Watcher EQ6 and Orion Atlas mounts carrying the standard older saddle profile, and the puck adapter needed for that fit is included. On the telescope side it takes V-size (Vixen-style) dovetail bars. A D-size (Losmandy) bar calls for a V-to-D adapter saddle or a D-size conversion instead. Later EQ6 variants use a different saddle arrangement, so the mount's existing head is worth checking against the older profile. If you are unsure which generation your mount is, tell us the model and year of your EQ6 or Atlas and we'll confirm the fit.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Saddle profile matters. The conversion is cut for the standard, older EQ6 / Atlas saddle profile; later variants differ.
• V-size bars only. The saddle accepts Vixen-style dovetails. Losmandy D-size bars need a different saddle or an adapter.
• Complete replacement. The stock saddle head comes off and this unit goes on in its place, rather than sitting on top of it.
• Installation. The stock puck screws are loosened, the unit is attached and the screws re-tightened. No machining or drilling.
• Weight. Published at 2.0 lb, which counts toward the mount's payload.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to install?

Installation is a three-step job: loosen the stock puck screws, attach the complete unit with its included puck adapter, and re-tighten. No machining, drilling or modification of the mount is involved.

Why is a clamping bar better than the stock retaining screw?

The clamping bar presses along the side of the dovetail rather than at one point, giving over 20 times the contact area. The hold is firmer and the local pressure far lower, so the bar surface stays unmarked.

Does the puck adapter come with it?

Yes. The saddle and its puck adapter ship as one unit.

Which dovetail bars will it take?

V-size (Vixen-style) bars. A Losmandy D-size bar calls for a V-to-D adapter or a D-size saddle.

Will it fit a newer EQ6?

It is machined for the standard older EQ6 and Atlas saddle profile. Later variants use a different arrangement, and we can check yours against the model and year.

Bottom Line

In short: a complete V-size saddle and puck adapter that replaces the stock Sky-Watcher EQ6 or Orion Atlas head, clamping a Vixen dovetail across over 20 times the area of a retaining screw, machined in the USA and weighing 2.0 lb.