Dovetail Mounting Systems - Revision history

Jmh921: /* Disclaimer */

2026-07-23T18:02:21Z

‎Disclaimer

Jmh921 at 18:00, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T18:00:36Z

Jmh921 at 17:44, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T17:44:42Z

Jmh921 at 17:41, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T17:41:36Z

Jmh921: /* Vixen */

2026-07-23T17:28:19Z

‎Vixen

Jmh921: /* Vixen */

2026-07-23T15:58:26Z

‎Vixen

Jmh921 at 15:57, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T15:57:12Z

Jmh921 at 15:53, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T15:53:21Z

Jmh921: Created page with "There are many ways of attaching a telescope to a mount. For some lower-end scopes, the scope is directly bolted to the mount head. For others, the scope's rings, if it uses..."

2026-07-23T15:50:40Z

Created page with "There are many ways of attaching a telescope to a mount. For some lower-end scopes, the scope is directly bolted to the mount head. For others, the scope's rings, if it uses..."

New page

There are many ways of attaching a telescope to a mount. For some lower-end scopes, the scope is directly bolted to the mount head. For others, the scope's rings, if it uses rings, are directly bolted. For many high-end scopes and mounts, the mounting rings may also be directly bolted to the mount head. But for the majority of amateur telescopes in the mid and higher-end range, the mounting is done through a dovetail bar/plate and saddle method.

Over time, there have been several different specifications for these plates and saddles, with various manufacturers creating their own specifications for use with their equipment. However, over time, a few have become de-facto standards. The most popular such standards are known by the names of the companies that developed or at least popularized them: Vixen, Losmandy, and Synta.

Note: ''The terms bar, plate, and rail are frequently used interchangeably to describe the portion which fits into the saddle, which will clamp down on the bar/plate/rail.''

==Vixen==

Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high. The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached. The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.

[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages/VixenDovetail_Red_Top.webp]]

[[File:Example.jpg|200px|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:02, 23 July 2026
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	=Disclaimer=		=Disclaimer=
−	Most or all of the images on this page are copied from third-party websites, mostly vendor sites. In particular I've used images taken from [https://agenaastro.com/ Agena Astro], [https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific], and [https://store-losmandy-com.3dcartstores.com/ Losmandy Astronomical Products]. If you are the owner or copyright holder of any of these images and would like me to remove them, please refer to my [[General ~~Disclaimer~~\|disclaimer page]] with contact information].	+	Most or all of the images on this page are copied from third-party websites, mostly vendor sites. In particular I've used images taken from [https://agenaastro.com/ Agena Astro], [https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific], and [https://store-losmandy-com.3dcartstores.com/ Losmandy Astronomical Products]. If you are the owner or copyright holder of any of these images and would like me to remove them, please refer to my [[John's Astronomy And Astrophotography Wiki:General disclaimer\|general disclaimer page]] with contact information].

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:00, 23 July 2026
Line 102:		Line 102:

	[[File:SyntaMechanicalDrawing.png\|200px\|Synta saddle mechanical drawing]]		[[File:SyntaMechanicalDrawing.png\|200px\|Synta saddle mechanical drawing]]
		+
		+
		+
		+	=Disclaimer=
		+	Most or all of the images on this page are copied from third-party websites, mostly vendor sites. In particular I've used images taken from [https://agenaastro.com/ Agena Astro], [https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific], and [https://store-losmandy-com.3dcartstores.com/ Losmandy Astronomical Products]. If you are the owner or copyright holder of any of these images and would like me to remove them, please refer to my [[General Disclaimer\|disclaimer page]] with contact information].

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Here is an example of a typical mounting saddle that would sit on top of the mount.  This particular version is a dual-format saddle that can handle both Vixen and Losmandy-style dovetails.
-[[File:DualSaddle.png|200px|Dual-mount saddle that can handle Vixen or Losmandy style dovetails.]]
@@ Line 21: / Line 22: @@
 [[File:Vixen-dovetail-red-bottom-view.png|200px|Bottom view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]
 [[File:Adm-vdup-11-1.png|200px|Another example of a Vixen-style bar.]]
-[[File:Vixen Profile.png|200px|Mechanical Drawing of a Vixen-style bar.]]
 ===Vixen Universal===
@@ Line 32: / Line 36: @@
 [[File:VisenUniversalTop.png|200px|Vixen universal plate (old style), top view.]]
 [[File:VixenUniversalBottom.png|200px|Vixen universal plate (old style), bottom view.]]
-[[File:VixenUniversalSpec.png|200px|Vixen universal plate (old style), mechanical drawing.]]
@@ Line 47: / Line 54: @@
 [[File:Losmandy-D-Bottom-View.png|200px|Losmandy D - bottom view]]
 [[File:Losmandy-D-Actual.jpg|200px|Losmandy-made D plate (bottom view)]]
-[[File:Losmandy D Mechanical View.jpg|200px|Losmandy D mechanical drawing]]
@@ Line 60: / Line 70: @@
 [[File:CelestronCGEBottom.png|200px|Celestron CGE bottom view]]
 [[File:CelestronCGETop.png|200px|Celestron CGE plate top view]]
 [[File:CelestronSpecification.png|200px|A mechanical drawing of the Celestron CGE dovetail plate.]]
-[[File:Celestron Losmandy Comparison 1.jpg|200px|Comparison between CGE and Losmandy D profiles]]
@@ Line 80: / Line 96: @@
 [[File:SyntaFinderscope2.png|200px|Synta mount for finder scope, version 2]]
 [[File:Synta finderscope mount.png|200px|Synta mount for finder scope]]
 [[File:SyntaMechanicalDrawing.png|200px|Synta saddle mechanical drawing]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Over time, there have been several different specifications for these plates and saddles, with various manufacturers creating their own specifications for use with their equipment. However, over time, a few have become de-facto standards.  The most popular such standards are known by the names of the companies that developed or at least popularized them: Vixen, Losmandy, and Synta.
 Note: ''The terms bar, plate, and rail are frequently used interchangeably to describe the portion which fits into the saddle, which will clamp down on the bar/plate/rail.''
 ==Vixen==
 Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high.  The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached.  The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.
 [[File:Https---astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png|200px|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]
@@ Line 16: / Line 25: @@
 ===Vixen Universal===
-There is an older, alternative version of the Vixen dovetail that was originally designed for use with the Vixen Polaris German Equatorial Mount. The plate has some special notches cut for a more precise fit into the saddle.  This plate is not found often, typically only on older telescopes.  The notches are designed to fit the screws that clamp the bar onto the saddle.  While the common Vixen and Losmandy style plates allow for the shifting of the payload forwards or backwards in the saddle along the length of the dovetail, the Vixen Universal plate does not allow this as the notches must be aligned to the clamping screws.  This offers a more secure attachment, but, as previously stated, does not allow for shifting of the payload which is often useful for balancing the payload on the declination axis.
+There is an older, alternative version of the Vixen dovetail that was originally designed for use with the Vixen Polaris German Equatorial Mount. The plate has some special notches cut for a more precise fit into the saddle.  This plate is not found often, typically only on older telescopes.  The notches are designed to fit the screws that clamp the bar onto the saddle.  While the common Vixen and Losmandy style plates allow for the shifting of the payload forwards or backwards in the saddle along the length of the dovetail, the Vixen Universal plate does not allow this as the notches must be aligned to the clamping screws.  This offers a more secure attachment, but, as previously stated, does not allow for shifting of the payload which is often useful for balancing the payload on the declination axis.  In most cases, a modern standard Vixen saddle can accept the Vixen Universal plate, and vice-versa, but not always.
 [[File:OldStyleVixen.png|200px|Old-style Vixen dovetail bar.]]
@@ Line 29: / Line 40: @@
 Due to the width and the fact that there is typically more surface area in contact with the saddle, they provide more stability and rigidity (as mentioned above).  While you may often find telescopes with apertures of 8 inch (200 mm) or less frequently mounted on Vixen-style bars (though some users prefer the Losmandy plate), most larger telescopes will be found mounted on Losmandy-style plates.
 [[File:Losmandy-D-Top-View.png|200px|Losmandy D - top view]]
@@ Line 43: / Line 56: @@
 The other option they offer they refer to as the CGE dovetail, named after their CGE Pro mount, which used to be their premier German Equatorial Mount (GEM). Superficially it looks much like a Losmandy D plate, though it tends to have a curved portion while most Losmandy D plates rely on radius blocks for mounting larger scopes.  However, while it looks similar, the specifications are slightly different and are not entirely compatible.  A Losmandy-style dovetail saddle can usually handle a Celestron CGE plate, but a Celestron CGE saddle usually cannot handle a Losmandy-style plate.
+Here are some images of Celestron CGE mounting plates:
 [[File:CelestronCGEBottom.png|200px|Celestron CGE bottom view]]
@@ Line 55: / Line 68: @@
 ==Synta==
-The Synta dovetail mount, often referred to as the "Synta Shoe," is a smaller dovetail, similar in style to the Vixen, and primarily used for the mounting of accessory equipment, particularly finder scopes.  Due to the
+The Synta dovetail mount, often referred to as the "Synta Shoe," is a smaller dovetail, similar in style to the Vixen, and primarily used for the mounting of accessory equipment, particularly finder scopes.  Due to the fact that most items attached using this mounting method tend to be small, light accessories, many are manufactured from plastic, particularly through [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_filament_fabrication FDM] 3D printing methods using PLA, ABS, or PETG filaments.
 [[File:SyntaRedDot.png|200px|Red-dot finder on Synta mount.]]
 [[File:SyntaDualMount.png|200px|Synta dual-mount adapter]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:28, 23 July 2026
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	[[File:Https---astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png\|200px\|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]		[[File:Https---astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png\|200px\|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]
		+	[[File:Vixen-dovetail-red-bottom-view.png\|200px\|Bottom view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]
		+	[[File:Adm-vdup-11-1.png\|200px\|Another example of a Vixen-style bar.]]
		+	[[File:Vixen Profile.png\|200px\|Mechanical Drawing of a Vixen-style bar.]]
		+
		+	===Vixen Universal===
		+
		+	There is an older, alternative version of the Vixen dovetail that was originally designed for use with the Vixen Polaris German Equatorial Mount. The plate has some special notches cut for a more precise fit into the saddle. This plate is not found often, typically only on older telescopes. The notches are designed to fit the screws that clamp the bar onto the saddle. While the common Vixen and Losmandy style plates allow for the shifting of the payload forwards or backwards in the saddle along the length of the dovetail, the Vixen Universal plate does not allow this as the notches must be aligned to the clamping screws. This offers a more secure attachment, but, as previously stated, does not allow for shifting of the payload which is often useful for balancing the payload on the declination axis.
		+
		+	[[File:OldStyleVixen.png\|200px\|Old-style Vixen dovetail bar.]]
		+	[[File:VisenUniversalTop.png\|200px\|Vixen universal plate (old style), top view.]]
		+	[[File:VixenUniversalBottom.png\|200px\|Vixen universal plate (old style), bottom view.]]
		+	[[File:VixenUniversalSpec.png\|200px\|Vixen universal plate (old style), mechanical drawing.]]
		+
		+
		+	==Losmandy==
		+
		+	A Losmandy-style dovetail plate, also referred to as the Losmandy D Series (to distinguish from the Losmandy V series, which are Vixen-style plates) serves the same function as a Vixen-style bar, but is wider and often used for heavier payloads. It also tends to provide more rigidity and stability. Aside from the overall width, one key difference between the Losmandy and Vixen style bars is that the dovetail portion of the Losmandy plate is typically fond underneath a wider portion for mounting the payload. The width of the dovetail, at its widest point, is approximately 3 inches wide, while the total width of the plate is roughly 4 inches wide. While the Vixen-style bar is 0.6 inches tall, the Losmandy is just short of 0.5 inches tall.
		+
		+	Due to the width and the fact that there is typically more surface area in contact with the saddle, they provide more stability and rigidity (as mentioned above). While you may often find telescopes with apertures of 8 inch (200 mm) or less frequently mounted on Vixen-style bars (though some users prefer the Losmandy plate), most larger telescopes will be found mounted on Losmandy-style plates.
		+
		+	[[File:Losmandy-D-Top-View.png\|200px\|Losmandy D - top view]]
		+	[[File:Losmandy-D-Top-View.png\|200px\|Losmandy D - top view]]
		+	[[File:Losmandy-D-Bottom-View.png\|200px\|Losmandy D - bottom view]]
		+	[[File:Losmandy-D-Actual.jpg\|200px\|Losmandy-made D plate (bottom view)]]
		+	[[File:Losmandy D Mechanical View.jpg\|200px\|Losmandy D mechanical drawing]]
		+
		+
		+	==Celestron CGE==
		+
		+	Celestron, manufactured by the Synta Technology Corporation of Taiwan, sells most of its telescopes with a choice of mounting options. The first option they refer to as the CG-5 dovetail, named after the once-popular CG-5 mount. This is identical to the Vixen-style dovetail specification.
		+
		+	The other option they offer they refer to as the CGE dovetail, named after their CGE Pro mount, which used to be their premier German Equatorial Mount (GEM). Superficially it looks much like a Losmandy D plate, though it tends to have a curved portion while most Losmandy D plates rely on radius blocks for mounting larger scopes. However, while it looks similar, the specifications are slightly different and are not entirely compatible. A Losmandy-style dovetail saddle can usually handle a Celestron CGE plate, but a Celestron CGE saddle usually cannot handle a Losmandy-style plate.
		+
		+
		+
		+	[[File:CelestronCGEBottom.png\|200px\|Celestron CGE bottom view]]
		+	[[File:CelestronCGETop.png\|200px\|Celestron CGE plate top view]]
		+	[[File:CelestronSpecification.png\|200px\|A mechanical drawing of the Celestron CGE dovetail plate.]]
		+	[[File:Celestron Losmandy Comparison 1.jpg\|200px\|Comparison between CGE and Losmandy D profiles]]
		+
		+
		+
		+
		+	==Synta==
		+
		+	The Synta dovetail mount, often referred to as the "Synta Shoe," is a smaller dovetail, similar in style to the Vixen, and primarily used for the mounting of accessory equipment, particularly finder scopes. Due to the
		+
		+
		+
		+	[[File:DualSaddle.png\|200px\|Dual-mount saddle that can handle Vixen or Losmandy style dovetails.]]
		+	[[File:SyntaRedDot.png\|200px\|Red-dot finder on Synta mount.]]
		+	[[File:SyntaDualMount.png\|200px\|Synta dual-mount adapter]]
		+	[[File:SyntaRigelMount.png\|200px\|Synta mount for Rigel QuickFinder reflex site]]
		+	[[File:SyntaComputerMount.png\|200px\|Synta mount for ASI Air or similar]]
		+	[[File:SyntaFinderscope2.png\|200px\|Synta mount for finder scope, version 2]]
		+	[[File:Synta finderscope mount.png\|200px\|Synta mount for finder scope]]
		+	[[File:SyntaMechanicalDrawing.png\|200px\|Synta saddle mechanical drawing]]
		+	[[File:SyntaSaddle2.png\|200px\|Synta style saddle]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:58, 23 July 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high. The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached. The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.		Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high. The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached. The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.

−	[[File:~~https://~~astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png]]	+	[[File:Https---astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png\|200px\|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:57, 23 July 2026
Line 9:		Line 9:
	Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high. The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached. The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.		Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high. The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached. The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.

−	[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages~~/vr-220b~~-~~1s.png]]~~	+	[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com-wikiimages-vr-220b-1s.png]]
−
−
−	~~[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages/~~vr-220b-1s.png~~\|200px\|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.~~]]

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Using the Vixen-style system, the telescope payload (which may include the telescope itself, rings, cameras, finders, etc... ) are attached to a bar that is 43 mm (approximately 1.7 in) wide and 15 mm (0.6 in) high.  The length varies depending on the size of the telescope to be attached.  The sides of the bar are beveled at an angle of 15° from vertical, giving the bar a dovetail-shaped profile.
-[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages/VixenDovetail_Red_Top.webp]]
+[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages/vr-220b-1s.png]]
-[[File:Example.jpg|200px|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]
+[[File:https://astrowiki.jmhastronomy.com/wikiimages/vr-220b-1s.png|200px|Top view of a Vixen-style dovetail bar.]]