Is the dovetail stronger than it actually looks?

[emadmoussa]

So, my beloved mount came back home from repairs at OVL after a lot of effing puffing. The Celestron C11 was bought the day the mount broke down so yesterday was the first time I mounted it on the NEQ6 and looked into it. Hopefully tonight will see first light.

Some notes...

The C11 looks very fragile on the NEQ6, especially with the Vixen, I think, type of dovetail it came with. It's too thin and it had me holding the telescope all the time - just being paranoid really. If feels solid, but I really don't think it actually is. Probably in my eyes. I had the impression that if I went ahead and piggy-backed a guide scope and rings on top of it, it will come down crumbling. I honestly don't know, but don't have the heart to try.

I happened to have a 3" Farpoint dovetail, and in simple words: very rigid and ''wide''. I'd like to replace the orange dovetail with this one, but having experienced nightmarish moments trying to fix one of the radius brackets on the top of the telescope makes me think twice.

[Laurie61]

I think as you load the scope up with guide scope ect it would be flex rather than failure you might need to worry about.

I bought a second hand C11 which came with both a vixen style bar and a fitted Losmandy style bar and the vixen does look a bit undernourished in comparison Although there have been no problems to my knowledge it is the four bolts holding the bar to the ota that I thought were a bit dubious?

[m.tweedy]

change it for one of these

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adm-guidescope-rings-and-systems/adm-losmandy-dovetail-for-optical-tubes.html

you will not regret it

and get one (or Two) of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Astrodevelopments-Losmandy-style-dovetail-safety-clamp-scope-mounting-plate-/270977887187?pt=UK_Telescope_Mounts&hash=item3f178a6bd3

saves your scope ever slipping off the dovetail