diff --git a/config/cfg.py b/config/cfg.py
index 91c91dc7c34cdbb34b96e490e729274c30e6aea6..9bb0369803d1f40bc64889090102e95319ff073c 100755
--- a/config/cfg.py
+++ b/config/cfg.py
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 from . import clusters
 cluster = clusters.vsc  # change cluster configuration here
 
+
 class ExperimentConfiguration(object):
     def __init__(self):
         pass
 
+
 exp = ExperimentConfiguration()
 exp.expname = "exp_v1.12_LMU_so_VIS"
 exp.model_dx = 2000
@@ -13,16 +15,14 @@ exp.timestep = 10
 exp.n_ens = 40
 exp.n_nodes = 10
 
-n_obs = 81  # radar: n_obs for each observation height level
+n_obs = 64  # radar: n_obs for each observation height level
 
-vis = dict(sat=True, channel=1, n_obs=n_obs, err_std=0.03, 
-           distance_between_obs_km=50, 
+vis = dict(sat=True, channel=1, n_obs=n_obs, err_std=0.03,
            cov_loc_radius_km=10)
 radar = dict(sat=False, kind='radar', n_obs=n_obs, err_std=5.,
-             distance_between_obs_km=50, 
              cov_loc_radius_km=10)
 
-exp.observations = [vis,]
+exp.observations = [vis, ]
 
 # directory paths depend on the name of the experiment
 cluster.expname = exp.expname
diff --git a/scripts/gen_synth_obs.py b/scripts/gen_synth_obs.py
index c655b85558e3bc9fe3cff1c5d0298d9c10dd89b8..ec21526354673e6e61f9e6bb91eee83dfc53dc23 100755
--- a/scripts/gen_synth_obs.py
+++ b/scripts/gen_synth_obs.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         n_obs = obscfg['n_obs']
         error_var = (obscfg['err_std'])**2
         sat_channel = obscfg.get('channel', False)
-        cov_loc = obscfg.get['cov_loc_radius_km']
+        cov_loc = obscfg['cov_loc_radius_km']
         dist_obs = obscfg.get('distance_between_obs_km', False)
 
         # generate obs_seq.in
diff --git a/templates/input.nml b/templates/input.nml
index 5fd6d27d321f7769b1a08f1189cc39071f97eece..a016646b7447825c68a5835d437e74c52a48a2b5 100644
--- a/templates/input.nml
+++ b/templates/input.nml
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@
 # This can greatly improve the performance in IO if
 # tasks_per_node is set to match your hardware
 &ensemble_manager_nml
-   layout = 2,
+   layout = 1,
    tasks_per_node = 48
    communication_configuration = 1
    debug                       = .true.