diff --git a/LCS/ApplCommon/src/Observation.cc b/LCS/ApplCommon/src/Observation.cc
index eeabd57aa1967f6a11a97acb41e3ba504d966a4a..52db959bc9861d5e57eba6586bb2652153563bc7 100644
--- a/LCS/ApplCommon/src/Observation.cc
+++ b/LCS/ApplCommon/src/Observation.cc
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ bitset<MAX_RCUS> Observation::getRCUbitset(int nrLBAs, int nrHBAs, int nrRSPs, b
 {
 	#define MAX2(a,b) ((a) > (b) ? (a) : (b))
 
-	if (antennaSet.empty()) {		// old ParameterSet?
+	if (antennaSet.empty() || ((nrLBAs+nrHBAs+nrRSPs) == 0)) {		// old ParameterSet or force no interpretation?
 		return (RCUset);			// return old info.
 	}
 
diff --git a/MAC/APL/MainCU/src/MACScheduler/ObsClaimer.cc b/MAC/APL/MainCU/src/MACScheduler/ObsClaimer.cc
index bcd27149b90909eb1d09ccf3e69900b9a50bbce9..acff4e8dd75a3022a214b5b675d339563432ea72 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/MainCU/src/MACScheduler/ObsClaimer.cc
+++ b/MAC/APL/MainCU/src/MACScheduler/ObsClaimer.cc
@@ -238,9 +238,13 @@ GCFEvent::TResult ObsClaimer::preparePVSS_state (GCFEvent& event, GCFPortInterfa
 			theObsPS->setValue(PN_OBS_BGL_NODE_LIST, 	GCFPVString (theObs.BGLNodeList), 	  0.0, false);
 			theObsPS->setValue(PN_OBS_STORAGE_NODE_LIST,GCFPVString (theObs.storageNodeList), 0.0, false);
 
+#if defined(THERE_IS_NO_REMOTE_STATION_CONFIG_ON_MCU001)
 			// the receiver bitmap can be derived from the RCUset.
 			StationConfig		config;
 			bitset<MAX_RCUS>	theRCUs(theObs.getRCUbitset(config.nrLBAs, config.nrHBAs, config.nrRSPs, config.hasSplitters));
+#endif
+			// TODO: this code should be moved to the StationController
+			bitset<MAX_RCUS>	theRCUs(theObs.getRCUbitset(96, 48, 12, true));
 			string	rbm;
 			rbm.resize(MAX_RCUS, '0');
 			for (int i = 0; i < MAX_RCUS; i++) {
diff --git a/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/ActiveObs.cc b/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/ActiveObs.cc
index 585fcd9a39e4de0bf5ce275653deec075b0ad2ef..a4efe77922bf4915b6437bc1310524eef55f8185 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/ActiveObs.cc
+++ b/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/ActiveObs.cc
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 //# Includes
 #include <Common/LofarLogger.h>
 #include <Common/SystemUtil.h>
+#include <ApplCommon/StationConfig.h>
+#include <GCF/PVSS/GCF_PVTypes.h>
 #include <GCF/TM/GCF_Protocols.h>
 #include <APL/APLCommon/ChildControl.h>
 #include <APL/APLCommon/ControllerDefines.h>
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 	using namespace APLCommon;
 	using namespace MACIO;
 	using namespace GCF::TM;
+	using namespace GCF::PVSS;
 	using namespace GCF::RTDB;
 	namespace StationCU {
 
@@ -166,6 +169,22 @@ GCFEvent::TResult	ActiveObs::starting(GCFEvent&	event, GCFPortInterface&	port)
 
 	switch (event.signal) {
 	case F_ENTRY:  {
+		// first make a mapping of the receivers that are used.
+		// the StationController already modified the set to reflect the available receivers
+		// So askfor this 'core' set by passed zeros.
+		// the receiver bitmap can be derived from the RCUset.
+		StationConfig		config;
+		bitset<MAX_RCUS>	theRCUs(itsObsPar.getRCUbitset(0, 0, 0, config.hasSplitters));
+		string	rbm;
+		rbm.resize(MAX_RCUS, '0');
+		for (int i = 0; i < MAX_RCUS; i++) {
+			if (theRCUs[i]) {
+				rbm[i] = '1';
+			}
+		}
+		itsPropertySet->setValue(PN_OBS_RECEIVER_BITMAP,GCFPVString (rbm), 0.0, false);
+
+		// Startup the right controllers.
 		itsReqState = CTState::CREATED;
 		LOG_DEBUG_STR("Starting controller " << itsCalCntlrName);
 		ChildControl::instance()->startChild(CNTLRTYPE_CALIBRATIONCTRL,
diff --git a/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/StationControl.cc b/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/StationControl.cc
index 62d5a0b37098071f554e994fc0ff404a1b50b055..63d89cdaca189300b8b6058e9859bf09bae2c79a 100644
--- a/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/StationControl.cc
+++ b/MAC/APL/StationCU/src/StationControl/StationControl.cc
@@ -1069,6 +1069,7 @@ LOG_DEBUG_STR("theOBS=" << theObs);
 	LOG_INFO_STR("Available receivers for observation " << theObs.obsID << ":" << 
 				string(realReceivers.to_string<char,char_traits<char>,allocator<char> >()));
 
+
 	// create an activeObservation object that will manage the child controllers.
 	ActiveObs*	theNewObs = new ActiveObs(name, (State)&ActiveObs::initial, &theObsPS, *this);
 	if (!theNewObs) {