diff --git a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
index 91a063e460a1c315daba658fb406f88608b90135..5b335443d88785eda7dbf610e841cab89bdad4cd 100755
--- a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
+++ b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ def link_DART_binaries_and_RTTOV_files():
 
         print('prepared DART & RTTOV links in', cluster.dart_rundir)
     except Exception as e:
-        if any([hasattr(obscfg, 'sat_channel') for obscfg in exp.observations]):
+        if any(['sat_channel' in obscfg for obscfg in exp.observations]):
             raise e
         else:
             pass  # we dont need RTTOV anyway