"James" - Stellamira Dovetail - 8 inch SCT - FLO

[Mark2022]

A guy called James bought one of these Stellamira dovetails from FLO for his LX90 and left the following review:

Excellent Service...Problem Solved
21 December 2020  |  James
I bought this from FLO purely because of FLO's reputation and their communications. I needed to defork my LX90-8" as the Dec drive has failed and one encoder died so it has no idea where it is anymore. It took some hunting to find a Vixen style bar with the right dimensions that was not a rip off.

This bar does the job. With a slight adaption to the Meade this plate fits perfectly, now I can use the scope on my Skywatcher HEQ 6 mount....just need the bloody clouds to clear now...

If you need a long Vixen bar, this is the one to go for.

I'm wondering if "James"  is on these forums and could explain the 'slight adaptation' since I find the costs of a lot of these astronomical accessories well..... astronomical. ADM for example.  Just one example. It's a metal bar with a few holes!

Sorry  about the background. I don't know how to remove it once you've copied and pasted from a website.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetails-saddles-clamps/stellamira-universal-vixen-style-dovetail-bar.html

Another thing is, for anyone who's actually deforked their LX200  or LX90 or LX10 (as I have), I've heard people saying they've reused the original screws from the telescope to fit the dovetail but it seems to me those screws must then be pretty long so I would imagine that, as is, they must extend into the tube quite a way. Others have said they couldn't reuse the screws and have had to find the correct size and length. Has anyone any experience here?

Edited September 1, 2023 by Cornelius Varley
Background colour removed

[Cornelius Varley]

13 minutes ago, Mark2022 said:

Sorry  about the background. I don't know how to remove it once you've copied and pasted from a website.

Text fixed. To avoid importing the formatting from other sources use the option "paste as plain text".

[RT65CB-SWL]

1 hour ago, Mark2022 said:

Sorry  about the background. I don't know how to remove it once you've copied and pasted from a website.

There is usually a ‘Paste as plain text’ pop-up in the bottom right corner or you can highlight the text and then select ‘Paste as plain text’.

I use either option.

Edited September 1, 2023 by RT65CB-SWL

[Mark2022]

15 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Text fixed. To avoid importing the formatting from other sources use the option "paste as plain text".

Thank  you.

[Mandy D]

@Mark2022 Have a look at the comment from Geo (5th down).

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/661376-how-to-fix-dovetail-bar-to-lx90-8-ota/

Screws can always be cut down with a slitting disc on a small grinder or with a hacksaw. Or (yuck!) use a stack of washers or nuts as spacers.

Here is the bar that the OP is using. It is the same one I use on my 200P.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-universal-dovetail-bars.html

You need the 33.5 cm version.

[Mark2022]

10 hours ago, Mandy D said:

@Mark2022 Have a look at the comment from Geo (5th down).

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/661376-how-to-fix-dovetail-bar-to-lx90-8-ota/

Screws can always be cut down with a slitting disc on a small grinder or with a hacksaw. Or (yuck!) use a stack of washers or nuts as spacers.

Here is the bar that the OP is using. It is the same one I use on my 200P.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-universal-dovetail-bars.html

You need the 33.5 cm version.

Had a look Mandy, thanks. If you have that dovetail, what is the measurement between centres of the two central end holes? Also the diameter of those two holes and are they threaded at all?

[Mandy D]

9 hours ago, Mark2022 said:

Had a look Mandy, thanks. If you have that dovetail, what is the measurement between centres of the two central end holes? Also the diameter of those two holes and are they threaded at all?

@Mark2022 The centres distance between the end most holes is 309 mm according to my steel rule. My dovetail is bolted to the tube rings on the 200P with M6 bolts, so I assume they are M6 clearance holes and unthreaded, but I have not unbolted it to check. I guess 6.5 mm, but could be 1/4" (6.35 mm). They would be easy enough to drill out, though.

[Mark2022]

9 hours ago, Mandy D said:

The centres distance between the end most holes is 309 mm according to my steel rule.

Too bad. I need 320mm.