Short dovetail bar around 100mm?

[MortonH]

I'm after a short Vixen-style dovetail bar for my ZS66. I don't want to remove the 'foot' and use rings, so I'm looking for something that will attach to the bottom of the foot and also have a 'spare' 1/4"-20 hole for attaching to a camera tripod without removing the dovetail. This way I can use the scope on my alt-az mounts or camera tripod without any fuss.

Desert Sky Astro in the US makes exactly what I need (see attachment) but I'm wondering if any local vendors stock something similar.

Any ideas?

[LewisM]

I have one you can have for $10 Morton - it's not the same as above, but does the trick. I modified it SLIGHTLY by widening one hole, but it is still fine - I used it with my Tak FS60 (hole space was just a wee bit off)

Message me.

[MortonH]

Still looking (thanks anyway, Lewis).

To clarify:

The main reason for wanting a dovetail is to move the balance point of the scope. It's light enough for a camera tripod but with most eyepieces it's rear-heavy. So the dovetail needs to be longer than the existing foot so I can shift the balance point. I reckon a 4" (100mm) dovetail is the ideal size.

I would also like the dovetail itself to be capable of direct attachment to a camera tripod, if possible.

[LewisM]

Let me scrounge - I have an old Skywatcher bar you could cut as required - I think it's a 6" one, so you could get 2 for the price of one :)

[MortonH]

Thanks, Lewis. Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure I have a 30cm one myself that I could cut. Was just hoping for something "nice" to complement the scope :D

[Kunama]

Here is a nice one Morton:
http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Dovetail-Plates---Adapters/Lunt-Dovetail--br-Bar-150mm/1039/productview.aspx

[killswitch]

Bintel has this 100mm one but theres no holes for the ZS66 feet.

http://www.bintel.com.au/Mounts---Tripods/Mount-Accessories/Orion-Adapter-1/4--20-for-Dovetail-Mount/177/productview.aspx

Drill holes? lol

[astro744]

Something like this http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=43&Tab=_avt#.U0JqCKiSySo

Click on the camera icon for a close-up.

There is also the balance aids. http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=43&Tab=_bal#.U0Jq7qiSySo

Again click on the camera icons for close-ups.

BINTEL could order for you.

[MortonH]

Losmandy has a new dovetail that's exactly what I need:

$25 for the dovetail and $100 to ship :lol:

[LewisM]

ADM make some short universal Vixen rails for a good price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vixen-Style-Dovetail-Universal-Dovetail-Bar-for-Refractor-Telescope-/281154427372?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41761c19ec

That's a start. Type "Vixen bar" in ebay.com (NOT ebay.com.au)

[MortonH]

Thanks again, Lewis.

The new Losmandy one is even better as it has a central threaded hole that could be used to attach a quick release plate for a camera tripod, which is exactly what I'm after. I'm emailing them to clarify their shipping costs!

http://store.losmandy.com/vup4/

[Stardrifter_WA]

pm'd

Cheers Peter

[MortonH]

If the PM was to me, I haven't received it :shrug:

[Stardrifter_WA]

Have resent pm Morton.

I have sent pm's before from WA and they don't always arrive. Maybe we are just too far away and they get lost. :lol:

Cheers Peter

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Morton,

Have answered your pm.

Cheers Pete

[MortonH]

:thumbsup:

[LewisM]

Shipping charges now from the USA are insane. They want to charge SO much just to have their staff fill out a 5 second CN22 customs declaration!!!

Opt Corp charged me $40 shipping on a small adapter. Another company yesterday wanted to charge me $34 shipping on 2 screws (5mm long) that cost $4.10 for the pair!!! Then again, Germany based Teleskop-Express minimum postage seems to be 45 Euro also, which is frustrating.

Times, they are a-changing...

[MortonH]

With margins so thin these days I wonder if they make more profit off shipping costs than the items themselves.

[Kunama]

Bulk and Group buying is the answer!

I have a standing order at Telescope Express to which I just add things as I find I need them, then at the end of the month they send it out to me for 36 Euro.

[LewisM]

I bought myself a drill press (my last one was pilfered by some a-hole) this morning, so I can now make all the universal plate spacing I need :) Was a bargain at $74 at Bunnings, with a 3 year warranty! Just hoping it drills ON centre, unlike another Chinese wobble-matic I had.

Now to buy some decent 6mm and 1/4" drill bits. Drill out all those damned threaded holes that I need unthreaded :)

[killswitch]

It costs about $20~ to get that bar forwarded to Australia.

I buy a lot of items from Amazon that cant be shipped to Aus, so i get them forwarded from a US address instead.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Morton, pm sent.

Cheers Peter

[Stardrifter_WA]

I have known a few people that do the redirect thing through a company in the US and they have had issues regarding not receiving their items.

I wouldn't involve a redirect company, as they take no responsibility. Once it is sent to them, by Amazon say, as far as Amazon is concerned it is delivered. The redirect company may have insurance, but try making a claim. Furthermore, using a friend, just adds more insurance to the item. You get insurance from the dealer until it is delivered friends place, but not beyond that, if you are resending, so you have to add a second layer of insurance.

I know of one person who lost around 3k that way, and to take legal action was going to cost more than it would have recovered.

So, beware, as it certainly isn't without risks. It is not a risk I would take.

Cheers Pete

[LewisM]

Wife and I used to do redirects to US based friends a LOT. I still do, wife won't.

She bought around $1.5K worth of baby clothes, items etc off Amazon for Bub No1. Sent them to our US friend in Florida. Said friend, who had sent items previously NO PROBLEM, suddenly decided what a wonderful gift for his new-borne nephew...

Needless to say we got the Florida Sheriff look into it, and the municipal court, and we ended up hiring a US lawyer (another friend - a Mississippi lawyer - you DON'T want to mess with one of them!). In the end, we won, it cost the guy MUCH more than the $1.5K he ripped us. My lawyer friend did the whole thing - quite a bit of fiddling around, legal demands etc for the cost of a few uncommon firearms parts I had (around $400 worth).

I still have a mate in Ohio who sends me ANYTHING :) He's done Orion ordering for me amongst MANY others. All he asks me for is fuel money to go to the PO extra.

[Stardrifter_WA]

All well and good Lewis, it is one thing to win a judgement against someone, and have the additional costs awarded to that person, it is entirely another matter trying to actually get that money out of them. If they have no realisable assets to seize, you get squat! If they declare themselves bankrupt, you get squat! If they simply disappear, you get squat!

So, I think that giving the impression that you can just sue someone, if that happens, as being an easy solution, isn't always that easy. I sued someone and won, and they were awarded costs, but I never saw a cent. It was a long time ago, so I have long written if off.

You may have been lucky having a friend that is a lawyer, but most people don't have that luxury. Suing someone can be time consuming exercise, and I don't know about you, but my time is valuable. If it is a sizeable amount, it may be worth it, but only if you actually can get recovery, and that isn't guaranteed. Winning the court case is only the first step, recovery can be a very long process.

The more people involved in the transaction process, the more risk you run. As I found out a long time ago, trusting someone explicitly, particularly where money is concerned, isn't always a prudent thing to do.

Having friend send you stuff, is a great idea, but you still need to add insurance, in case you do not receive it, if it goes missing in transit.

Caveat Emptor still applies! :)