Hey Austronomer/John B - way harsh!
Dannat secured my Meade 140 for a song, he he ! - so I believe he got a good deal. Agreed, it's no Powermate, but it does the job. I never noticed any 'darkening' in the Meade sample that I sold onto Dannat - although the Powermate is certainly well above the Meade 140.
With respect to EP selection, for the money you wish to spend Stonewalled, those TMB Planetary's and Hyperions are both excellent suggestions within your budget - you would not go wrong with either, particularly considering the eye relief you want.
Cheers, Fox (aka 'michael')
