Losmandy D Series Male-to-Male Dovetail Plate 14"

Product Overview

The DMM14 is a male-to-male D-series dovetail plate: a dovetail profile on both faces rather than a flat underside, so it clamps into a saddle at each end of the sandwich. Losmandy lists it for mounting secondary equipment on an equatorial mount and for use with the side-by-side system. It is 14 inches long, 0.8 inches thick and weighs 1.75 lb.

Who It's For

This is the answer when the thing you want to mount has a saddle rather than a plate. Clamp this bar into both and one becomes the other. The 14-inch length is what separates it from the 7-inch version: more clamping length for a heavier load, and more travel to slide the assembly fore and aft while balancing. On a side-by-side rig it is the usual way a full second instrument joins the platform.

Key Features & Design

• D-series dovetail profile on both faces.
• 14 inches long, 0.8 inches thick, at 1.75 lb.
• Listed for secondary equipment on an equatorial mount and for side-by-side use.
• Longer clamping length than the 7-inch version, for a heavier instrument and more balance travel.
• Machined aluminium, to the same D-series section as Losmandy's plates.

Recommended Uses

Joining two Losmandy saddles back to back for a substantial instrument. Side-by-side builds on the DVSBS, where each saddle needs a male face to clamp. Mounting a refractor or imaging assembly that arrived with its own saddle. Adding a heavier secondary instrument to an existing saddle.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

• Saddles: any Losmandy D-series saddle — the G-11 saddle, the GM8 saddle plate, the twin saddles on the AZ8, and both saddles on the DVSBS.
• Shorter version: the DMM7 is the same bar at 7 inches and 13 oz, for lighter secondary equipment.
• Making your own: the DMM adapter plate mates to any DUP plate to create a male-to-male dovetail.
• Side-by-side: the DVSBS gives two parallel saddles at 10-inch centres, which is what this plate clamps into.

Good to Know Before You Order

• This is an adapter, not a mounting plate for a telescope. Both faces are dovetail, and there are no ring-mounting holes.
• Two clamps carry the load. Both saddle clamps want tightening properly, and both benefit from a safety stop where the saddle takes one.
• 1.75 lb counts against your payload, on top of whatever it is carrying. On a mount near its imaging rating, add it to the sum.
• Specifications are Losmandy's published figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to set up?

No. It clamps into one saddle and the second saddle clamps onto its other face. Nothing to bolt or adjust.

What would I use this for?

Mounting something that has a saddle onto something else that has a saddle — commonly a second instrument on a side-by-side rig, or an imaging assembly with its own clamp.

How is it different from a DUP plate?

A DUP has a flat underside with ring-mounting holes. This has a dovetail on both faces and no holes.

Should I get the 7" or the 14"?

14 inches for a substantial instrument or where you need balance travel; 7 inches for light secondary equipment.

Does it fit the AZ8?

Yes — both AZ8 saddles take D-series dovetails, so this clamps into either.

Bottom Line

In short: a 14-inch D-series bar with a dovetail on both faces, 0.8" thick at 1.75 lb — the part that joins two Losmandy saddles when the load is more than light secondary equipment.