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Agena 11" Dovetail Bar for Vixen/EQ5 Mounts

4.6 (12 Reviews) Read Reviews Write Review
Brand Agena AstroProducts
Part Number PAMA-AG-CRHEQ5L
Availability available

Product Info

Manufacturer Description

The Agena Vixen-style 11" dovetail bar is made of aluminum and features a gunmetal gray finish similar to the color of many equatorial mounts sold today. This will allow you to couple telescope tubes to a telescope mount. It will fit most Vixen, Synta and other mounts that use a Vixen standard mounting base. The dovetail bar is 11" long and 1.57" wide. The 4 holes are all non-threaded and will allow 1/4"-20 screws to pass through. The two holes in the center of the plate are 1.38" apart (center-to-center) and the two holes at the edges are 9.45" apart. Please check the detailed product dimensions in photo 3 above to determine compatibility with your mount. Weight = 10.9oz / 309g.

Reviews

4.6 (Based on 12 Reviews) 92% of reviewers recommended this product.
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    1. Guest

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      Review by AtomB of Phoenix, AZ.
      1413590400
      Oct 17, 2014

      4.0 Well-thought out design

      Pros:

      Easy to Use,Lightweight

      Cons:

      Comments:

      What sets this dovetail apart from the typical dovetail that is included with many scopes is its design features: 1) it 'nests' in the saddle of many common EQ mounts, like the EQ-3 and EQ-5, which is very helpful in the dark. 2) it holds the centerline of the OTA closer to the mount, reducing the moment arm of the entire balanced system. 3) the mounting holes on the backside are recessed, so the tube ring mounting bolts/screws do not protrude.

      Only one small negative: the 'nesting' design doesn't allow the dovetail to be adjusted fore/aft within the mount's saddle to compensate for small balance adjustments. This must be done by sliding the OTA fore/aft within the tube rings, which can be a challenge with shorter OTAs.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    2. hdtran

      hdtran New Member

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      Review by hdt of Albuquerque, NM.
      1413504000
      Oct 16, 2014

      2.0 Not a good fit for Celestron AVX mounts

      Pros:

      Lightweight

      Cons:

      Unstable

      Comments:

      The Celestron AVX uses a Vixen-style dovetail. However, while this dovetail fits, it's not an accurate fit. I used it to mount a newtonian; the cradle rings fit on the dovetail, but if you're not extra careful in putting the dovetail into the mount, the lips on the front or back can put your OTA in a strange orientation on the mount itself. The width does fit the Vixen-style mount on the AVX, but the inset of the middle is not a good fit with the AVX.

      I am returning this for a different dovetail. I will add that Agena Astro has good communications for their return policy.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? No
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    3. Paul Schofield

      Paul Schofield New Member

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      Review by Paul of North Carolina.
      1402704000
      Jun 13, 2014

      5.0 Works great!

      Pros:

      Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Lightweight,Accurate

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I bought this dovetail bar to use with my 6" Newtonian on my LXD75 mount. Usually my refractors are on the mount but now I have the flexibility to use the AR5, my 80mm f/11.4, or the Newtonian. The bar holds the rings low so the optical tube is closer to the mount head for greater stability. It's well made, lightweight, inexpensive, and works perfectly. Thanks again, Agena, for a great product at a low price.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    4. Guest

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      Review by wsouza of Brazil.
      1392336000
      Feb 13, 2014

      5.0 Very good quality product

      Pros:

      Strong Construction,Lightweight,Easy to Use,Accurate

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Fits well my Celestron 102mm f/5 refractor.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    5. Jeff B

      Jeff B New Member

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      Review by Jeff K9YR of Lindenhurst, IL.
      1380499200
      Sep 29, 2013

      5.0 Vixen 8" and 11" Dovetail Bars

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Strong Construction,Easy to Use

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I needed a few Vixen Dovetail Bars to use on my Meade LXD-75 mount and my Canadian Telescopes Alt Az mount. I have several small telescopes OTAs that needed to be used, ranging from a 4" refractor to 6"and 8" reflectors. I mounted rings to the Dovetail Bars for all the OTA's and now have great versatility on what scope to use on either mount.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    6. Guest

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      Review by Matt T of San Francisco area.
      1375488000
      Aug 2, 2013

      5.0 Good design

      Pros:

      Compact,Strong Construction,Lightweight

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Perfectly adequate and very lightweight. The design does not allow the bar to slide back and forth on the mount for balance, but on the plus side it lowers the OTA's center of gravity reducing the necessary counterweighting. Nice finish, especially considering the price. Great service from Agena, as always.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    7. Guest

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      Review by AstroGuy000001 of Sydney, Australia.
      1369440000
      May 24, 2013

      5.0 Awesome economical lighweight design

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Accurate,Compact

      Cons:

      Comments:

      Bought 2 of these a couple of years ago. Still have them mounted and going strong. Attached them to my Saxon 8" Mak tube rings and mounted my Canon dslr on one of them. The pre drilled holes are real handy to attach stuff to. I was really amazed how light and strong they are, a real bargain! :-)

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    8. Guest

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      Review by Chuck of Brook Park, Ohio.
      1348272000
      Sep 21, 2012

      5.0 Dovetail Bar

      Pros:

      Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Accurate

      Cons:

      Comments:

      I used this to adapt an older 4.5" reflector to my Celestron CG4 mount. Worked out perfect after attaching the tube rings to the bar.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    9. Guest

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      Review by sdwest of NW IL.
      1320451200
      Nov 4, 2011

      5.0 A Must In Certain Applications

      Pros:

      Cons:

      Comments:

      When you need to use higher quality tube rings with a wider 2-bolt base on a Vixen type mount, this is the adapter you need.

      A little pricey, but it works perfectly.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    10. Guest

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      Review by jrouyer of Milwaukie, OR.
      1319846400
      Oct 28, 2011

      4.0 Good mount required some minor mod.

      Pros:

      Lightweight,Easy to Use

      Cons:

      Minor Modification

      Comments:

      Nice design which offers structural strength and light weight. Because of its notched design where it mates with the mount (Kronus Em 10), I had to grind it down a bit for it to fit. After that, it was a solid flush low profile fit.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    11. hdelano1

      hdelano1 New Member

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      Review by Scott of Lowell, NC 28098.
      1249603200
      Aug 6, 2009

      5.0 Vixen dovetail

      Pros:

      Compact

      Cons:

      None

      Comments:

      Easy to mount. Sturdy construction.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

    12. hdelano1

      hdelano1 New Member

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      Review by Scott Holland of Lowell, NC 28098.
      1249516800
      Aug 5, 2009

      5.0 Excellent Vixen/EQ5 Dovetail Bar

      Pros:

      Compact,Strong Construction

      Cons:

      None noted

      Comments:

      I bought this to match up with a scope I purchased that came with tube rings but no dovetail. I has a couple of Vixen dovetails, but they weren't standard. Either too long or slightly too wide for the saddle. This one fits perfectly on several different scopes. Buy two... they are a real bargain.

      Bottom Line: Would you recommend this item? Yes
      Was this review helpful? Yes / No

      This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

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