Meade ET-80AT-TC Astro Telescope with AutoStar on Tripod. Stark white and black look designed with portability and ease-of-use in mind, with remote control and computer connection access ports. 

Size: 40 x 18 x 20 in. 

Meade Instruments Corporation was founded in Watsonville, California in 1972 by John Diebel, and was a multinational company that manufactured and distributed various optical products, at one point holding the title of the world’s largest telescope manufacturer. The company began as a mail-order business before moving into manufacturing its own line of products, but began dealing with patent litigation almost immediately, brought by the companies they had once distributed for. Although Meade merged with the Chinese manufacturer Ningbo Sunny Electronic in 2013 to deal with the worsening financial conditions, they were found guilty of anti-trust violations in 2019, leading to a bankruptcy filing. In 2024 the last owner of Meade and Orion Telescopes, Optronic Technologies, officially closed their facilities and laid off all employees. 

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.