Yes, Dan, I did get that bit.

The other half of the "twisted pair" is GM1SXX, IT engineer by trade and software guru.

If my proposal does bear fruit, would you be interested in giving D-Rats a haircut?. (read: produce a dedicdated cut-down 'space' version).

As per today, we're still in the concept thrashing department.

The first dedicated D-Star satellite launch is slated for October 2010.

Another 'notable' is Alexander Zaitzev, director of IZMIRAN Russia. - (Ionospheric sounding studies for the University of Moscow) - by small satellites.

Information about IZMIRAN can also be found on the Observation website.

73 John.

.........................................................................

Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:42:11 -0700 From: dsmith@danplanet.com To: la2qaa@amsat.org CC: kn0n@whatcomradio.org Subject: Re: Desert Rat Query.

...

As I have previously mentioned, I run EU-Amsat (Amateur satellites) and I noticed that our store-and-forward fleet is on it's last legs. I have PE1RAH who designed and built the current VO-52 back-up transponder - and whom has just built a Picoponder ... details at my website <http://www.Observations.biz) designing a dedicated transponder for future emergency communications.

I mentioned to Brian that D-Rats would be the software of choice.

That's very interesting, although I'm quite sure that someone (perhaps myself) would need to work on a separate piece of software that would be suitable for embedding in such a device. D-RATS itself is rather large and depends on a wide range of additional components that you wouldn't want to put on a resource-constrained satellite. However, the protocol and all the data formats are open, so crafting a "satellite edition" of the message parts of D-RATS shouldn't be too hard.

Good luck!

-- Dan Smith dsmith#danplanet.com, s/#/@/ www.danplanet.com KK7DS