diff --git a/examples/asc_test/master.py b/examples/asc_test/master.py
index 02d8d72ed5c0efde0b845590653e12c982f36c57..f7f91f062eae87103648c76c453b2aec97bacb8a 100644
--- a/examples/asc_test/master.py
+++ b/examples/asc_test/master.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from pykat import finesse
 from pykat.commands import *
-#import pylab as pl
 import copy
 import shelve
 import sys
@@ -106,7 +105,6 @@ def pd_phase(tmpkat):
     
     code_det = """
     pd1 PDrefl_q 9M 90 nWFS1
-    %scale 2 PDrefl_q
     """
     
     kat.parseKatCode(code_det)
diff --git a/examples/asc_test/master2.py b/examples/asc_test/master2.py
index 6ea631c2fd6c951c2e9b6ce5c8b3ba5042ffcdaa..16f843b7027c2bb349cc7f4f0037a197362c2974 100644
--- a/examples/asc_test/master2.py
+++ b/examples/asc_test/master2.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 from pykat import finesse
 from pykat.commands import *
 import pylab as pl
@@ -52,15 +51,16 @@ def main():
     # overwriting some variables
     kat.maxtem=3
     Lambda=1064.0e-9
-    
-    print "--------------------------------------------------------"
-    print " 5. checking wavefronts for ITM/ETM tilt of 0.1nrad"
 
-    # this does not work yet due to the scale command
-    #kat.PDrefl_p.enabled = False
-    #kat.PDrefl_q.enabled = False
+    # disable PDH photo diode as we won't need it for most of this
+    kat.PDrefl_p.enabled = False
+    kat.PDrefl_q.enabled = False
 
+    # simulating a tuned cavity
     kat.ETM.phi=result['phi_tuned']
+    
+    print "--------------------------------------------------------"
+    print " 5. checking wavefronts for ITM/ETM tilt of 0.1nrad"
     tilt(kat)
 
     print "--------------------------------------------------------"
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ def main():
     print "--------------------------------------------------------"
     print " 7. compute optimal demodulation phase of WFS1 and WFS2"
 
+    # adding wave front sensors to global kat object, will need them later
+    # on as well.
+    
     code_WFS1 = """
     pd1 WFS1_I 9M 0 nWFS1
     pdtype WFS1_I y-split
@@ -103,6 +106,10 @@ def main():
     
     print "--------------------------------------------------------"
     print " Saving results in temp. files to be read by master3.py"
+    # re-enable PDH photo diode for savinf
+    kat.PDrefl_p.enabled = True
+    kat.PDrefl_q.enabled = True
+
     tmpkatfile = "asc_base3.kat"
     tmpresultfile = "myshelf2.dat"
     print " kat object saved in: {0}".format(tmpkatfile)
@@ -128,6 +135,9 @@ def asc_signal(tmpkat):
     """
     
     kat.parseKatCode(code_lock)
+    # need to re-enable the photo diode for lock
+    kat.PDrefl_p.enabled = True
+
     kat.parseKatCode('yaxis abs')
     kat.noxaxis = True
     kat.maxtem=1
@@ -313,8 +323,6 @@ def tilt(tmpkat):
     kat.parseKatCode(code_WFS1)
     kat.ITM.ybeta=1e-10
     kat.ETM.ybeta=0.0
-    #kstr=kat.generateKatScript()
-    #print kstr
     (a1, a2) = compute_tilt(kat)
 
     print " ETM ybeta -0.1nm"
diff --git a/examples/asc_test/master3.py b/examples/asc_test/master3.py
index 1e727affff6db171fc1487975f131ab4fe211e43..8565e1c140973449bef16c4f8030f484b9a2c0ca 100644
--- a/examples/asc_test/master3.py
+++ b/examples/asc_test/master3.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from pykat import finesse
 from pykat.commands import *
-import pylab as pl
 import numpy as np
 import shelve
 import copy
@@ -49,7 +48,11 @@ def main():
         result=tmpfile['result']
         tmpfile.close()
     except: raise Exception("Could not open temprary results file {0}".format(tmpresultfile))
-        
+
+    kat.PDrefl_q.enabled = False
+    kat.WFS1_Q.enables = False
+    kat.WFS2_Q.enables = False
+
     print "--------------------------------------------------------"
     print " 9. ASC signals for large misalignments (ITM)"
     asc_large(kat)
diff --git a/examples/asc_test/master4.py b/examples/asc_test/master4.py
index 90ebdecdbf9ad5e34c6453b7facffd2e4cd3d679..0c3c6ed5a4d872d714db6c72fe4ccfe479a0e822 100644
--- a/examples/asc_test/master4.py
+++ b/examples/asc_test/master4.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from pykat import finesse
 from pykat.commands import *
-import pylab as pl
 import numpy as np
 import shelve
 import copy
@@ -50,7 +49,11 @@ def main():
         result=tmpfile['result']
         tmpfile.close()
     except: raise Exception("Could not open temprary results file {0}".format(tmpresultfile))
-        
+    
+    kat.PDrefl_q.enabled = False
+    kat.WFS1_Q.enables = False
+    kat.WFS2_Q.enables = False
+
     print "--------------------------------------------------------"
     print " 10. ASC signals for large misalignments (ETM)"
     asc_large(kat)
@@ -73,7 +76,6 @@ def asc_large(tmpkat):
     #kat.verbose=1
     xscale = 1e6
     yscale = 1e6
-    global out
     tmpfilename = "datashelf2.dat"
     backupname = "datashelf2.dat.bck"
     out={}