diff --git a/gs232a/gs232a.c b/gs232a/gs232a.c
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 0b317e5e1..24a4db757
--- a/gs232a/gs232a.c
+++ b/gs232a/gs232a.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
  */
 static int
 gs232a_transaction (ROT *rot, const char *cmdstr,
-				char *data, size_t data_len)
+				char *data, size_t data_len, int no_reply)
 {
     struct rot_state *rs;
     int retval;
@@ -84,11 +84,14 @@ transaction_write:
     if (!data_len)
         data_len = BUFSZ;
 
-    retval = read_string(&rs->rotport, data, data_len, REPLY_EOM, strlen(REPLY_EOM));
-    if (retval < 0) {
-        if (retry_read++ < rot->state.rotport.retry)
-            goto transaction_write;
-        goto transaction_quit;
+    if (!no_reply) {
+        memset(data,0,data_len);
+        retval = read_string(&rs->rotport, data, data_len, REPLY_EOM, strlen(REPLY_EOM));
+        if (retval < 0) {
+            if (retry_read++ < rot->state.rotport.retry)
+                goto transaction_write;
+            goto transaction_quit;
+        }
     }
 
 #if 0
@@ -123,7 +126,7 @@ gs232a_rot_set_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t az, elevation_t el)
     int retval;
     unsigned u_az, u_el;
 
-    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called: %f %f\n", __FUNCTION__, az, el);
+    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called: %.02f %.02f\n", __FUNCTION__, az, el);
     if (az < 0.0) {
     az = az + 360.0;
     }
@@ -131,7 +134,7 @@ gs232a_rot_set_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t az, elevation_t el)
     u_el = (unsigned)rint(el);
 
     sprintf(cmdstr, "W%03u %03u" EOM, u_az, u_el);
-    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0, 0);
 
     if (retval != RIG_OK) {
         return retval;
@@ -148,7 +151,7 @@ gs232a_rot_get_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t *az, elevation_t *el)
 
     rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called\n", __FUNCTION__);
 
-    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, "C2" EOM, posbuf, sizeof(posbuf));
+    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, "C2" EOM, posbuf, sizeof(posbuf), 0);
     if (retval != RIG_OK || strlen(posbuf) < 10) {
         return retval < 0 ? retval : -RIG_EPROTO;
     }
@@ -180,7 +183,7 @@ gs232a_rot_stop(ROT *rot)
     rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called\n", __FUNCTION__);
 
     /* All Stop */
-    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, "S" EOM, NULL, 0);
+    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, "S" EOM, NULL, 0, 0);
     if (retval != RIG_OK)
         return retval;
 
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@ gs232a_rot_move(ROT *rot, int direction, int speed)
 
     /* between 1 (slowest) and 4 (fastest) */
     sprintf(cmdstr, "X%u" EOM, x_speed);
-    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0, 1);
     if (retval != RIG_OK)
         return retval;
 
@@ -225,7 +228,7 @@ gs232a_rot_move(ROT *rot, int direction, int speed)
         return -RIG_EINVAL;
     }
 
-    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+    retval = gs232a_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0, 1);
     if (retval != RIG_OK)
         return retval;
 
@@ -241,7 +244,7 @@ const struct rot_caps gs23_rot_caps = {
   .rot_model =      ROT_MODEL_GS23,
   .model_name =     "GS-23",
   .mfg_name =       "Yaesu/Kenpro",
-  .version =        "0.1",
+  .version =        "0.2",
   .copyright = 	    "LGPL",
   .status =         RIG_STATUS_ALPHA,
   .rot_type =       ROT_TYPE_AZEL,
@@ -278,7 +281,7 @@ const struct rot_caps gs232_rot_caps = {
   .mfg_name =       "Yaesu/Kenpro",
   .version =        "0.1",
   .copyright = 	    "LGPL",
-  .status =         RIG_STATUS_ALPHA,
+  .status =         RIG_STATUS_BETA,
   .rot_type =       ROT_TYPE_AZEL,
   .port_type =      RIG_PORT_SERIAL,
   .serial_rate_min =   150,
diff --git a/gs232a/gs232b.c b/gs232a/gs232b.c
index b7002b3ac..c8aaeacf2 100644
--- a/gs232a/gs232b.c
+++ b/gs232a/gs232b.c
@@ -60,12 +60,11 @@
  */
 static int
 gs232b_transaction(ROT *rot, const char *cmdstr,
-                   char *data, size_t data_len)
+                   char *data, size_t data_len, int no_reply)
 {
   struct rot_state *rs;
   int retval;
   int retry_read = 0;
-  int noreply = 0;
   char replybuf[BUFSZ];
 
   rs = &rot->state;
@@ -86,10 +85,11 @@ transaction_write:
     if (!data)
     {
       write_block(&rs->rotport, EOM, strlen(EOM));
-      noreply = 1;    // we will check for connectivity though
     }
   }
 
+  if (no_reply) return RIG_OK; // nothing expected so return
+
   /* Always read the reply to know whether the cmd went OK */
   if (!data)
   {
@@ -101,8 +101,9 @@ transaction_write:
     data_len = BUFSZ;
   }
 
-  retval =
-    read_string(&rs->rotport, data, data_len, REPLY_EOM, strlen(REPLY_EOM));
+
+  memset(data, 0, data_len);
+  retval = read_string(&rs->rotport, data, data_len, REPLY_EOM, strlen(REPLY_EOM));
 
   if (retval < 0)
   {
@@ -134,19 +135,15 @@ transaction_write:
 
 #endif
 
-
-  if (noreply)
+  // If asked for we will check for connection
+  // we don't expect a reply...just a prompt return
+  // Seems some GS232B's only echo the CR
+  if (data == replybuf && (strncmp(data, "?>", 2) != 0) && data[0] != 0x0d)
   {
-    // we don't expect a reply...just a prompt return
-    if (strncmp(data, "?>", 2) != 0)
-    {
-      rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_VERBOSE,
-                "%s: Expected '?>' but got '%s' from cmd '%s'\n",
-                __FUNCTION__, data, cmdstr);
-      return -RIG_EPROTO;
-    }
-
-    return RIG_OK;
+    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_VERBOSE,
+              "%s: Expected '?>' but got '%s' from cmd '%s'\n",
+              __FUNCTION__, data, cmdstr);
+    return -RIG_EPROTO;
   }
 
   if (data[0] == '?')
@@ -167,11 +164,12 @@ transaction_quit:
 static int
 gs232b_rot_set_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t az, elevation_t el)
 {
+  char buf[32];
   char cmdstr[64];
   int retval;
   unsigned u_az, u_el;
 
-  rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called: az=.0f el=%.0f\n", __FUNCTION__, az, el);
+  rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called: az=%.02f el=%.02f\n", __FUNCTION__, az, el);
 
   if (az < 0.0)
   {
@@ -182,7 +180,7 @@ gs232b_rot_set_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t az, elevation_t el)
   u_el = (unsigned) rint(el);
 
   sprintf(cmdstr, "W%03u %03u" EOM, u_az, u_el);
-  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, buf, sizeof(buf), 0);
 
   if (retval != RIG_OK)
   {
@@ -200,7 +198,7 @@ gs232b_rot_get_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t *az, elevation_t *el)
 
   rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called\n", __FUNCTION__);
 
-  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, "C2" EOM, posbuf, sizeof(posbuf));
+  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, "C2" EOM, posbuf, sizeof(posbuf), 0);
 
   if (retval != RIG_OK || strlen(posbuf) < 10)
   {
@@ -231,12 +229,13 @@ gs232b_rot_get_position(ROT *rot, azimuth_t *az, elevation_t *el)
 static int
 gs232b_rot_stop(ROT *rot)
 {
+  char buf[32];
   int retval;
 
   rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called\n", __FUNCTION__);
 
   /* All Stop */
-  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, "S" EOM, NULL, 0);
+  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, "S" EOM, buf, sizeof(buf), 0);
 
   if (retval != RIG_OK)
   {
@@ -261,7 +260,7 @@ gs232b_rot_move(ROT *rot, int direction, int speed)
 
   /* between 1 (slowest) and 4 (fastest) */
   sprintf(cmdstr, "X%u" EOM, x_speed);
-  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0, 1);
 
   if (retval != RIG_OK)
   {
@@ -292,7 +291,7 @@ gs232b_rot_move(ROT *rot, int direction, int speed)
     return -RIG_EINVAL;
   }
 
-  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0);
+  retval = gs232b_transaction(rot, cmdstr, NULL, 0, 1);
 
   if (retval != RIG_OK)
   {
@@ -312,9 +311,9 @@ const struct rot_caps gs232b_rot_caps =
   .rot_model = ROT_MODEL_GS232B,
   .model_name = "GS-232B",
   .mfg_name = "Yaesu",
-  .version = "0.4",
+  .version = "0.5",
   .copyright = "LGPL",
-  .status = RIG_STATUS_BETA,
+  .status = RIG_STATUS_STABLE,
   .rot_type = ROT_TYPE_OTHER,
   .port_type = RIG_PORT_SERIAL,
   .serial_rate_min = 1200,
diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index b38d5925d..54004233f 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -385,7 +385,8 @@ const char * HAMLIB_API rig_strrmode(rmode_t mode)
 {
     int i;
 
-    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called mode=0x%"PRXll"\n", __func__, mode);
+    // only enable it needed for debugging -- too verbose otherwise
+    //rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s called mode=0x%"PRXll"\n", __func__, mode);
 
     if (mode == RIG_MODE_NONE)
     {
@@ -572,7 +573,8 @@ const char * HAMLIB_API rig_strfunc(setting_t func)
 {
     int i;
 
-    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_VERBOSE, "%s called\n", __func__);
+    // too verbose to keep on unless debugging this in particular
+    //rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_VERBOSE, "%s called\n", __func__);
 
     if (func == RIG_FUNC_NONE)
     {