PrimaLuceLab Vixen Plate 140mm PLUS
- 140mm Vixen-style dovetail plate
- Compatible with both Vixen and Arca-Swiss style clamps
- Integrates with the modular PrimaLuceLab PLUS system
- CNC-machined from a solid block of aluminum
- Lightweight at only 0.2 kg
The PrimaLuceLab Vixen Plate 140mm PLUS provides a rigid mounting solution for telescopes, weighing just 0.2 kg and offering dual compatibility with both Vixen-style mounts and Arca-Swiss photographic heads. This 140mm plate is the foundation of the PrimaLuceLab PLUS system, featuring multiple threaded holes and slots to eliminate the single-point flexure common with other plates.
This plate's primary function is to securely connect your telescope or camera to your mount, and its dual-profile design accomplishes this for two distinct standards. You can attach the 140mm plate to any astronomical mount that uses a Vixen-style saddle, or slide it directly into an Arca-Swiss clamp on a photographic ball head, eliminating the need for adapter plates.
Beyond simple compatibility, this plate is a core component of the PrimaLuceLab PLUS ecosystem. It features a pattern of threaded holes designed to connect directly to other PLUS accessories like support rings, guide rings, and EAGLE computers. This system uses multiple connection points, creating a mechanically rigid structure that prevents the twisting and sagging that can ruin a long exposure.
Every Vixen Plate 140mm PLUS is machined from a single block of aluminum, ensuring structural integrity that cast or folded metal plates cannot match. The plate is then sandblasted to create a smooth surface and hard-anodized to increase surface durability and prevent corrosion. This meticulous process results in a solid, flex-free mounting plate that weighs only 0.2 kg.
A standard Vixen bar typically has only a few holes or a central slot for attaching rings with one or two screws. The PrimaLuceLab Vixen Plate 140mm PLUS features a comprehensive pattern of threaded holes designed for the PLUS system, allowing you to bolt accessories together with multiple screws for a far more rigid, flex-free connection. It also features a dual Vixen and Arca-Swiss profile, which most standard bars lack.
Yes. The plate includes central slots that are designed to provide compatibility with a wide range of third-party support rings and other mechanical accessories. You can use standard screws to fix your existing equipment onto the plate.
The primary advantage is the elimination of mechanical flexure. By connecting components like the main plate, tube rings, guide rings, and accessories like the EAGLE computer with multiple, precisely-spaced screws, the entire telescope assembly becomes a single, rigid unit. This prevents differential movement and sag that can cause guiding errors and misaligned images during an exposure.
Yes, absolutely. The dovetail is machined with a profile that fits perfectly into standard Arca-Swiss style clamps. This makes it easy to move a small telescope or a camera with a telephoto lens from your astronomical mount to a photographic tripod without changing plates.
To create a side-by-side system, you would typically use this 140mm PLUS plate as the base, attached to your mount. You would then attach two PLUS Dovetail Clamps onto the plate. These clamps would, in turn, hold the separate dovetail bars of your two instruments (for example, a main imaging scope and a guide scope), allowing them to sit in parallel.
The 140mm length is ideal for compact telescopes, such as refractors up to 100mm in aperture, or for mounting cameras and guide scopes. For larger or heavier optical tubes, PrimaLuceLab offers longer PLUS plates (e.g., 240mm or 350mm) to provide more contact points with the tube rings and ensure proper balance on the mount.
| Length | 140mm |
| Weight | 0.2 kg |
| Material | CNC-Machined Aluminum |
| Finish | Hard Anodized |
| Mounting Profile | Vixen & Arca-Swiss compatible |
| System Compatibility | PrimaLuceLab PLUS |
Vixen Plate 140mm PLUS
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