Re: AP 130 vs TV 102--not a sure bet!

I think a good 4" will almost keep up with a good 5", which seems like in general what you observed. As far as the double star thing, that's puzzling, but there are a lot of factors that could affect your results:
-Larger aperture results in larger exit pupil at a given power, making any aberration in your eye more troblesome.
-Faster scope challenges the EP more; supposedly not an issue for Naglers, but maybe just a little?
-Telescope cooldown.
-Larger aperture, shorter focal ratio is slghtly more sensitive to seeing and defocus.
-Possible local variation in seeing.
-Differences between your eyepieces - maybe the 22 is just better or cleaner than the others?
-Viewing position. A comfortable viewing position and correct eye position can affect how well you see.
-Familiarity with the instrument; it can take a few sessions to get comfortable with a new scope, so you can find the perfect focus, etc.

In any case, you probably need a few more double star comparisons before you can draw a firm conclusion.

I can't believe my eyes. High priced apo's showing false color, when I see none on the moon with my lowly Celestron 80mm f11 achromat!!!

David,

If you are talking about relatively large exit pupils, I would agree. However, you also get into problems with very small exit pupils, but in this case the larger scope is helpful. Most older folks start seeing floaters and other junk when the exit pupil gets down to 1mm or less. At equivalent powers, a larger scope gives a larger exit pupil, and this can be a real benefit for us older folks. Of course, the difference between a 5.1" and a 4" scope is not very great in either situation.

Clear skies, Alan