diff --git a/protozfits/VERSION b/protozfits/VERSION
index 7dea76e..a315b1b 100644
--- a/protozfits/VERSION
+++ b/protozfits/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.0.1
+1.0.1a0
diff --git a/protozfits/digicam.py b/protozfits/digicam.py
index 436c6a5..f62f61d 100644
--- a/protozfits/digicam.py
+++ b/protozfits/digicam.py
@@ -78,26 +78,26 @@ def __init__(self, event, run_id):
             self._event.pixels_flags)[Event._sort_ids]
         self.adc_samples = self._samples[Event._sort_ids]
 
-        try:
-            self.trigger_output_patch7 = _prepare_trigger_output(
-                trafo(self._event.trigger_output_patch7))
-        except ValueError:
+        top7 = trafo(self._event.trigger_output_patch7)
+        if len(top7) > 0:
+            self.trigger_output_patch7 = _prepare_trigger_output(top7)
+        else:
             warnings.warn('trigger_output_patch7 does not exist: --> nan')
             self.trigger_output_patch7 = np.zeros(
                 (432, self.num_samples)) * np.nan
 
-        try:
-            self.trigger_output_patch19 = _prepare_trigger_output(
-                trafo(self._event.trigger_output_patch19))
-        except ValueError:
+        top19 = trafo(self._event.trigger_output_patch19)
+        if len(top19) > 0:
+            self.trigger_output_patch19 = _prepare_trigger_output(top19)
+        else:
             warnings.warn('trigger_output_patch19 does not exist: --> nan')
             self.trigger_output_patch19 = np.zeros(
                 (432, self.num_samples)) * np.nan
 
-        try:
-            self.trigger_input_traces = _prepare_trigger_input(
-                trafo(self._event.trigger_input_traces))
-        except ValueError:
+        tit = trafo(self._event.trigger_input_traces)
+        if len(tit) > 0:
+            self.trigger_input_traces = _prepare_trigger_input(tit)
+        else:
             warnings.warn('trigger_input_traces does not exist: --> nan')
             self.trigger_input_traces = np.zeros(
                 (432, self.num_samples)) * np.nan
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ def _prepare_trigger_input(_a):
 
 def _prepare_trigger_output(_a):
     A, B, C = 3, 18, 8
-
     _a = np.unpackbits(_a.reshape(-1, A, B, 1), axis=-1)
     _a = _a[..., ::-1]
     _a = _a.reshape(-1, A*B*C).T