diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/CommsSession.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/CommsSession.cs
index dc9889ca03..04bac3bdde 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/CommsSession.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/CommsSession.cs
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.IO.Ports;
 using System.Text;
-using System.Threading;
-using ArducopterConfigurator.PresentationModels;
 
 namespace ArducopterConfigurator
 {
@@ -43,11 +41,14 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
         {
             _sp.BaudRate = 115200;
             _sp.PortName = CommPort;
+            _sp.NewLine = "\n";
+            _sp.Handshake = Handshake.None;
 
             try
             {
                 _sp.Open();
                 _sp.ReadTimeout = 50000;
+                
 
                 // start the reading BG thread
                 _bgWorker = new BackgroundWorker();
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
             return true;
         }
 
+     
 
         public bool DisConnect()
         {
@@ -76,19 +78,20 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
         void bgWorker_ProgressChanged(object sender, ProgressChangedEventArgs e)
         {
             // Thanks to BG worker, this should be raised on the UI thread
-
             var lineReceived = e.UserState as string;
 
-   
-//            for (int i = 0; i < lineReceived.Length; i++)
-//            {
-//                var c = lineReceived[i];
-//                Console.WriteLine("{0}]  U+{1:x4} {2}", i, (int)c, (int)c);
-//            }
-//
-//            
-//
+            // TODO: POSSIBLE MONO ISSUE
+            // Weird thing happening with the serial port on mono; sometimes the first
+            // char is nulled. Work around for now is to drop it, and just send the remaining 
+            // chars up the stack. This is of course exteremely bogus
+            if (lineReceived[0] == 0)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine("Warning - received null first character. Dropping.");
+                lineReceived = lineReceived.Substring(1);
+            }
 
+            //Console.WriteLine("Processing Update: " + lineReceived);
+            
             if (LineOfDataReceived != null)
                  LineOfDataReceived(lineReceived);
         }
@@ -132,6 +135,4 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
                 _sp.Write(send);
         }
     }
-
-    
 }
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/ConfigWithPidsBase.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/ConfigWithPidsBase.cs
index 6f936b1585..09d4002497 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/ConfigWithPidsBase.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/ConfigWithPidsBase.cs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator.PresentationModels
 
         protected override void OnStringReceived(string strRx)
         {
-            Console.WriteLine("Badoosh strnig rxd");
             PopulatePropsFromUpdate(strRx,true);
         }
     }
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/FlightDataMonitorVm.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/FlightDataMonitorVm.cs
index 38598dca48..05f0edff8f 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/FlightDataMonitorVm.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/FlightDataMonitorVm.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator.PresentationModels
                 int val;
                 if (!int.TryParse(s, out val))
                 {
-                    Debug.WriteLine("Could not parse expected integer: " + s);
+                    Debug.WriteLine("(Flight Data) Could not parse expected integer: " + s);
                     return;
                 }
                 ints.Add(val);
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MainVm.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MainVm.cs
index 47a772f2b9..6d33398fae 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MainVm.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MainVm.cs
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator.PresentationModels
             ConnectionState = SessionStates.Disconnected;
 
             AvailablePorts = new BindingList<string>();
+            
+            RefreshPorts();
+
+            // Initially have selected the last discovered com port.
+            // I think this is more likely to be the correct one, as 
+            // the built in comports come first, then the usb/serial
+            // converter ports
+            if (AvailablePorts.Count > 0)
+                SelectedPort = AvailablePorts[AvailablePorts.Count-1];
         }
 
         private void RefreshPorts()
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MonitorVm.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MonitorVm.cs
index 52357affa3..50542385f6 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MonitorVm.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/PresentationModels/MonitorVm.cs
@@ -87,12 +87,9 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
         // property update order, and reflection to get the property type
         protected void PopulatePropsFromUpdate(string strRx, bool fireInpc)
         {
-           
 
             var strs = strRx.Split(',');
             
-
-
             if (PropsInUpdateOrder.Length!=strs.Length)
             {
                 Console.WriteLine("Processing update with only " + strs.Length 
@@ -112,7 +109,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
                     float val;
                     if (!float.TryParse(s, out val))
                     {
-                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing float: " + s);
+                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing float: {0}, VM: {1}" + s, Name);
                         break;
                     }
                     value = val;
@@ -122,7 +119,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
                     float val;
                     if (!float.TryParse(s, out val))
                     {
-                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing float (bool): " + s);
+                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing float (bool): {0}, VM: {1}" + s, Name);
                         break;
                     }
                     value = val != 0.0;
@@ -133,7 +130,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
                     int val;
                     if (!int.TryParse(s, out val))
                     {
-                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing int: " + s);
+                        Console.WriteLine("Error parsing int:{0}, VM: {1}" + s, Name);
                         break;
                     }
                     value = val;
@@ -141,9 +138,6 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
 
                 prop.SetValue(this, value, null);
 
-                Console.WriteLine("Badoosh firing inpc");
-
-
                 if (fireInpc)
                     FirePropertyChanged(PropsInUpdateOrder[i]);
             }
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/StableConfigView.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/StableConfigView.cs
index f7b644a802..204858ae88 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/StableConfigView.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/StableConfigView.cs
@@ -22,11 +22,7 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator.Views
             StableModeConfigVmBindingSource.DataSource = model;
 
             if (Program.IsMonoRuntime)
-                model.PropertyChanged += (delegate
-                                              {
-                                                  Console.WriteLine("Badoosh1");
-                                                  StableModeConfigVmBindingSource.ResetBindings(false);
-                                              });
+                model.PropertyChanged += ((sender, e) => StableModeConfigVmBindingSource.ResetBindings(false));
         }
 
     }
diff --git a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/mainForm.cs b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/mainForm.cs
index 2d2ea5ef7c..f7305882e4 100644
--- a/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/mainForm.cs
+++ b/Configurator/Configurator.Net/Views/mainForm.cs
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ namespace ArducopterConfigurator
         {
             _vm = model;
             mainVmBindingSource.DataSource = model;
+            
             availablePortsBindingSource.DataSource = model.AvailablePorts;
+            
 
             foreach (var monitorVm in _vm.MonitorVms)
             {