{"product_id":"sky-watcher-180mm-universal-d-plate-losmandy-style-dovetail-bar","title":"Sky-Watcher 180mm Universal D-Plate Losmandy-Style Dovetail Bar","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct Overview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sky-Watcher 180mm Universal D-plate is a 7-inch Losmandy-style dovetail bar drilled with a wide array of mounting holes, so it will carry tube rings and mounting feet from a broad range of telescopes rather than one model. It is anodized green to match Sky-Watcher's signature colour scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe D-profile is the wider of the two dovetail standards in common use. It presents a broader clamped surface than the narrow V-profile, which is why it is the pattern found on the saddles of larger equatorial mounts. Sky-Watcher uses the same shorthand across their own range — a \"D-style dovetail\" ships with the Esprit 100EDX, a \"V-style dovetail\" with the Esprit 70EDX.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is for anyone with a Losmandy-style saddle who needs a bar to attach a telescope to it — a tube that arrived without a dovetail, a tube whose original bar is too short to balance, or a second scope, camera or guide assembly that needs its own rail. The universal hole array is the reason to reach for it rather than a model-specific bar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features \u0026amp; Design\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e7\" (180mm) Losmandy-style profile:\u003c\/strong\u003e the wide D-pattern bar, sized for compact and mid-size tubes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumerous mounting holes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sky-Watcher publishes it as drilled for mounting on a wide variety of telescopes, so the bar adapts to the ring or foot spacing rather than the other way round.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnodized green finish:\u003c\/strong\u003e matches Sky-Watcher's signature colour scheme across their mount and accessory range.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUniversal rather than model-specific:\u003c\/strong\u003e the vendor sells it as a general-purpose plate, not as the bar for one telescope.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e180 mm of clamping length:\u003c\/strong\u003e the length sets how far the tube can slide fore and aft in the saddle before you run out of bar, which is what balancing a rig actually consumes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended Uses\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting a bare tube:\u003c\/strong\u003e pairing tube rings to a Losmandy-style saddle on an equatorial or alt-az mount.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReplacing a short original bar:\u003c\/strong\u003e more length means more fore-and-aft travel for balance once a camera train hangs off the back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCarrying a second instrument:\u003c\/strong\u003e a guide scope, a wide-field camera rig or a piggybacked lens on its own rail.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVisual and imaging alike:\u003c\/strong\u003e nothing about the plate is imaging-specific; it is a mechanical interface.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompatibility and Accessory Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSky-Watcher publishes this as a Losmandy-style D-plate. It seats in a saddle cut for the wide D-profile; many larger mounts ship with a dual saddle that accepts both D and V bars, while a Vixen-only saddle takes the narrower V-plate instead. If you are not sure which saddle is on your mount, send us the mount model and we will tell you which bar it takes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSky-Watcher does not publish the hole spacings or thread sizes on this plate — only that there are numerous holes for a wide variety of telescopes. That means the practical question on any given tube is whether your rings or mounting foot line up with holes that are actually there. Send us the model of your telescope or the centre-to-centre spacing of your tube rings and we will check the pattern against a plate in stock before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 355mm version of the same plate (S31010) is the one to look at if your tube is long, your rings are widely spaced, or you want more travel for balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood to Know Before You Order\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHole pattern is not published.\u003c\/strong\u003e Sky-Watcher states \"numerous holes\" without giving spacings, hole diameters or thread sizes. We can measure a plate against your ring spacing on request.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSaddle standard is Losmandy (D).\u003c\/strong\u003e A saddle cut only for the narrow Vixen V-profile takes a V-plate; a dual saddle takes either.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFasteners are not published.\u003c\/strong\u003e The vendor does not state whether mounting bolts are supplied, so tube rings that came with their own hardware are worth keeping to hand.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength is 180 mm.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is the working figure for how much fore-and-aft balance travel you have; the 355mm plate roughly doubles it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight is 599 g (1.32 lb).\u003c\/strong\u003e It counts toward the mount's payload alongside the tube, camera and any guider.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo specification table is published.\u003c\/strong\u003e Everything Sky-Watcher states about this plate is the three lines on the product page, all of which appear here.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it difficult to set up?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Bolts pass through the plate into your tube rings or the telescope's mounting foot, and the finished assembly slides into the mount's saddle and clamps. There is nothing to adjust or align beyond sliding the tube for balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this Vixen or Losmandy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLosmandy. Sky-Watcher publishes it as a Losmandy-style D-plate — the wide profile, which is what their \"D\" designation refers to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it fit my telescope?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSky-Watcher publishes it as universal, drilled for a wide variety of telescopes, and does not publish the spacings. The question that decides it is whether your rings or mounting foot line up with the holes. Send us your telescope model or the ring spacing and we will work it out with you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShould I take the 180mm or the 355mm?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLength follows the tube and the balance range you need. A short refractor or a compact catadioptric sits comfortably on 180 mm; a long tube with widely spaced rings, or a heavy camera train that pulls the balance point well back, is what the 355mm plate is for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does it add to my payload?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e599 g, which Sky-Watcher publishes as 1.32 lb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottom Line\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 7-inch Losmandy-style bar with an open hole pattern, finished in Sky-Watcher green — the straightforward way to put a tube on a D-saddle mount and still have room to balance it. Send us your telescope or your ring spacing and we will confirm the holes line up before it leaves the shop.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sky-Watcher","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53896773075055,"sku":"S31000","price":80.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0686\/0049\/6239\/files\/S31000_180mmUniversalDovetail_web.jpg?v=1785253838","url":"https:\/\/ontariotelescope.com\/products\/sky-watcher-180mm-universal-d-plate-losmandy-style-dovetail-bar","provider":"Ontario Telescope and Accessories","version":"1.0","type":"link"}