The Eagle design has been the most open in the history of AMSAT.
As we all know, there are certain limitations to who can discuss what with whom due to the way our governement views spacecraft and related technology. So, if certain parties make an observation to certain other parties, this information has to be distilled and then shared in mandated ways. This may result in some lag before the larger community is generally aware of such information.
Further, if two or three members of the Eagle team have a beer and discuss certain things, and they have not come to any well-defined suggestions, it is not being "closed" to continue to discuss (maybe over another beer) before floating the idea(s) to the group.
We are all in this together, we are partner-volunteers trying to create a significant technical resource, and we need to always give one another the benefit of the doubt and attribute only the highest and best possible reasons for any particular event.
I choose to not believe anyone is deliberately trying to hide anything from anyone else. Further, if I get a phone call and discuss something or field a question, I don't necessarily feel obligated to transcribe (or even summarize) the conversation and report it here.
I know, and I think everyone else does (if not, they do now) that IHU-3 development has been stalled for a while for various reasons. I am the guy most at fault for this delay. Bob, Rick and others are looking at ways to get it moving forward again. I don't think Rick was announcing a major change to the IHU-3 as some secret conclave's conclusions. He simply mentioned that some aspects of it are being thought about by some members of the team in the context of the larger issues surrounding it. His mention of the fact that this is being thought about is *sharing* -- not hiding.
I saw no specific proposal, nor did I get the impression that there is a specific proposal being hidden.
This is a hobby, guys.
Let's have fun!
73,
Lyle KK7P