On 2/26/2025 3:04 AM, Michael Mandell via groups.io wrote:
First, thanks for taking this on. I think it's a great project and
DStar is not going away now with yet another new radio from Kenwood
supporting it.
Actually the only thing in D-Rats that is D-Star specific is the code that translates GPS symbols from D-Star to and from APRS.
D-Rats will work over any radio that can transmit serial data.
I plan to be testing the new port with LoRa radios.
These low cost radios are also available in the 433 Mhz band.
LoRa has an unlicensed mode at low power and an Amateur licensed mode.
As part of my planned attachments, I am planning on having a way for ratflectors to be able to filter the unlicensed users to prevent accidental relays over Amateur Radio links.
I am looking at which can only use a few bytes from each packet to prevent forgeries, and allows authentication of senders over a public radio link with out anyone able to spoof them.
This could get larger usage of D-Rats than what we have now.
I know nothing about programming but am wondering
whether one of the AI coding devices might help. I see Gemini for
coding is going to be free. Have you looked at this?
No, one of the problems with AI can end up provided code that may be under copyright by others and illegal to put in an Open source project.
For my professional programming, my employers have strict policies on the use of AI for work to avoid leaking company data, or creating a copyright violation.
The AI answers that search engines are now providing are most of the time returning the same web pages that the search engines normally provide, except in two significant cases, the AI engine generated examples with significant syntax errors.
There are many web sites that provide free python self paced training.
Currently Drats2 is still at in the setup of the boilerplate stage, this boilerplate is just setting up the framework needed for organizing the project.
It is at a state where a beginning python programmer can clone the repository and learn the structure.
There is a developer_notes.txt that I cam keeping notes of what I plan and what did not work. The intent is that content from it can be put in the drats2 wiki. This is something that volunteers can assist with.
73,
-John
wb8tyw
