diff --git a/script/local.py b/script/local.py
index 1d6a717..d8ae499 100644
--- a/script/local.py
+++ b/script/local.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #  Deployment specific global definitions - executed after startup.py
 ###################################################################################################
 
-NO_BEAM_CHECK = False    # setting this to true disables the waiting for the beam before starting energy or hyst scan
 """
 OTF_START = "X11MA-OTF:GO"
 OTF_E1 = "X11MA-OTF:E1"
@@ -51,7 +50,11 @@ def get_next_fid(folder, prefix):
 def wait_channel(name, value, timeout =None, type='s'):
     print "Waiting " + str(name) + " = " + str(value)
     cawait(name, value, timeout = timeout, type=type)
-    print "Done"          
+    print "Done"
+
+def wait_device(dev, value, timeout=-1):
+    timeout = int(timeout *1000) if timeout>0 else timeout
+    dev.waitValue(value,timeout)
 
 def open_vg10():
     if caget (VG10_GET,'i') != 1: