Vixen & Losmandy Dovetails: Your Essential Guide to Dimensions and Specs

Dodging the Dovetail Tax: My Custom Losmandy Bar Adventure

Let’s be real, astronomy accessories are rarely cheap. But when I started looking at Losmandy-style dovetail bars, my jaw practically hit the floor! We’re talking several hundred euros for what’s essentially an aluminum plate with a few holes. That seemed absolutely exorbitant to me.

So, naturally, I reached out to my good friend Didier (astrodic) for a rescue mission! Being the awesome friend he is, Didier immediately answered my plea, offering to craft a custom plate for me at… well, a “friend’s price”! Thanks a million, Didier!

His only request? The precise dimensions for the dovetail bar. I scoured the internet high and low, and finally struck gold: an anonymous document that had exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, I can’t thank the original author directly, but if they happen to stumble upon this and recognize their work, please, drop me a line!

In the meantime, I’ve taken the liberty of posting a slightly modified copy here, because I’m absolutely sure it’ll be a godsend for other astrophotographers looking for an affordable dovetail solution!

On the left, you’ll find dimensions for Vixen-style dovetail bars (think EQ5, EQ6, and similar mounts). And on the right? That’s your Losmandy-style goodness! (Just a heads-up: the original Losmandy dimensions in the document had a little hiccup, but they’ve been corrected in the version I’m sharing).