diff --git a/da/ct/obs.py b/da/ct/obs.py
index de64614754cf2dbec665b55c1e99195ec969a015..b23d9113a5cf125482c4c0625424366a48b1391f 100755
--- a/da/ct/obs.py
+++ b/da/ct/obs.py
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ File created on 28 Jul 2010.
 """
 import os
 import sys
+sys.path.append(os.getcwd())
+sys.path.append('../../')
 import logging
 import datetime
-sys.path.append(os.getcwd())
 
 identifier = 'CarbonTracker CO2 mixing ratios'
 version = '0.0'
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         flags       = [s.tostring().lower() for s in flags]
         flags       = map(strip,flags)
         flags       = [int(f == '...') for f in flags]
-        dummy       = ncf.close()
+        status       = ncf.close()
 
         msg         = "Successfully read data from obs file (%s)"%self.ObsFilename ; logging.debug(msg)
 
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         ncf         = io.CT_Read(filename,method='read')
         ids         = ncf.GetVariable('obs_num')
         simulated   = ncf.GetVariable('flask')
-        dummy       = ncf.close()
+        status       = ncf.close()
         msg         = "Successfully read data from model sample file (%s)"%filename ; logging.info(msg)
 
         obs_ids     = self.Data.getvalues('id')
@@ -142,7 +143,9 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
                 
                 index = obs_ids.index(id)
                 #print id,val,val.shape
-                dummy = self.Data[index].simulated = val  # in mol/mol
+                status = self.Data[index].simulated = val*1e-6  # in mol/mol
+                msg   = "Converting observed values from ppm to mol/mol!!!!"; logging.warning(msg)
+                msg   = "Converting observed values from ppm to mol/mol!!!!"; logging.info(msg)
 
             else:     
 
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['comment']     = "Unique index number within this dataset ranging from 0 to UNLIMITED."
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data =  [[d.year,d.month,d.day,d.hour,d.minute,d.second] for d in self.Data.getvalues('xdate') ]
 
@@ -199,10 +202,9 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid+dimcalcomp
         savedict['values']      = data
         savedict['missing_value'] = -9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -9
         savedict['comment']     = "Calendar date components as integers. Times and dates are UTC." 
         savedict['order']       = "year, month, day, hour, minute, second"
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data =  self.Data.getvalues('lat')
 
@@ -212,8 +214,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['missing_value'] = -999.9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -999.9
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data =  self.Data.getvalues('lon')
 
@@ -223,8 +224,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['missing_value'] = -999.9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -999.9
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data =  self.Data.getvalues('height')
 
@@ -234,8 +234,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['missing_value'] = -999.9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -999.9
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data =  self.Data.getvalues('samplingstrategy')
 
@@ -246,8 +245,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['missing_value'] = -9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -9
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data = self.Data.getvalues('evn')
 
@@ -257,11 +255,10 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['units']       = "NOAA database identifier"
         savedict['dims']        = dimid+dim200char
         savedict['values']      = data
-        savedict['missing_value'] = '-'
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = '-'
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        savedict['missing_value'] = '!'
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
-        dummy       = f.close()
+        status       = f.close()
 
         msg         = "Successfully wrote data to obs file" ;logging.debug(msg)
         msg         = "Sample input file for obs operator now in place [%s]"%obsinputfile ; logging.info(msg)
@@ -280,6 +277,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
 
         """
         import da.tools.rc as rc
+        from da.tools.general import NameConvert
 
         filename            = self.DaCycle.DaSystem['obs.sites.rc']
 
@@ -332,11 +330,11 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
 
             if SiteInfo.has_key(obs.code): 
                 msg                 = "Observation found (%s)" % obs.code ; logging.debug(msg)
-                obs.mdm             = SiteInfo[obs.code]['error']
+                obs.mdm             = SiteInfo[obs.code]['error']* self.global_R_scaling
                 obs.may_localize    = SiteInfo[obs.code]['may_localize']
                 obs.may_reject      = SiteInfo[obs.code]['may_reject']
             else:
-                msg= "Observation NOT found (%s), please check sites.rc file  (%s)  !!!" % (obs.code, self.SitesFile,) ; logging.warning(msg)
+                msg= "Observation NOT found (%s, %s), please check sites.rc file  (%s)  !!!" % (obs.code, identifier, self.SitesFile,) ; logging.warning(msg)
                 obs.flag            = 99
 
             # Add SiteInfo dictionary to the Observation object for future use
@@ -388,7 +386,6 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid+dimcalcomp
         savedict['values']      = data
         savedict['missing_value'] = -9
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = -9
         savedict['comment']     = "Calendar date components as integers. Times and dates are UTC." 
         savedict['order']       = "year, month, day, hour, minute, second"
         status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
@@ -402,7 +399,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['comment']     = 'Observations used in optimization'
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data = self.Data.getvalues('mdm') 
 
@@ -413,7 +410,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['comment']     = 'Variance of mole fractions resulting from model-data mismatch'
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data = self.Data.getvalues('simulated') 
 
@@ -426,7 +423,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid+dimmembers
         savedict['values']      = data.tolist()
         savedict['comment']     = 'simulated mixing ratios based on optimized state vector'
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         data = self.Data.getvalues('fromfile') 
 
@@ -437,8 +434,7 @@ class CtObservations(Observation):
         savedict['dims']        = dimid+dim200char
         savedict['values']      = data
         savedict['missing_value'] = '!'
-        savedict['_FillValue']    = '!'
-        dummy                   = f.AddData(savedict)
+        status                   = f.AddData(savedict)
 
         status       = f.close()