I didn't manage to resolve the problem with multirate having an indeterminate return length (especially with 1:2 ratio and variabe filter lengths)
However I did locate an open source version of the upfirdn() function used in Octave and MatLab, which I have coded for comparison.
I can now use this function within my updated wavelet calculations, which are based on public versions in matlab..
\\ correct mistake in Ly calc at 17.18 GMT+1 12/Aug/09
Philip Oakley