diff --git a/lib/tdm_termite.cpp b/lib/tdm_termite.cpp
index cc12196..9b60371 100644
--- a/lib/tdm_termite.cpp
+++ b/lib/tdm_termite.cpp
@@ -445,6 +445,11 @@ void tdm_termite::process_localcolumns(bool showlog, pugi::xml_document& xml_doc
     {
       locc.values_ = vl.at(0);
     }
+    else if ( vl.size() == 0 )
+    {
+      //std::cerr<<"localcolumn ("<<locc.id_<<","<<locc.name_<<") misses any value-ids"<<"\n";
+      locc.values_ = "none";
+    }
     else
     {
       throw std::logic_error("localcolumn with out/multiple values id(s)");
@@ -460,7 +465,7 @@ void tdm_termite::process_localcolumns(bool showlog, pugi::xml_document& xml_doc
       {
         throw std::runtime_error(std::string("measurement_quantity: ")
                                  + locc.measurement_quantity_
-                                 + std::string(" is ambiguous") );
+                                 + std::string(" is missing/ambiguous") );
       }
       std::string dt = tdmchannels_.at(locc.measurement_quantity_).datatype_;
       std::string sequence_type;
@@ -482,8 +487,10 @@ void tdm_termite::process_localcolumns(bool showlog, pugi::xml_document& xml_doc
 
       if ( locc.external_id_.empty() )
       {
-        throw std::logic_error( std::string("no external id found for ")
-                              + sequence_type + std::string(" with ") + locc.values_ );
+        //throw std::logic_error( std::string("no external id found for ")
+        //                      + sequence_type + std::string(" with ") + locc.values_ );
+        //std::cerr<<"no external id found for "<<sequence_type<<" with "<<locc.values_<<"\n";
+        locc.external_id_ = "none";
       }
     }
 
@@ -508,8 +515,8 @@ std::string tdm_termite::get_channel_overview(format chformatter)
 
   // compose header
   chformatter.set_header(true);
-  tdm_channelgroup grp;
-  channels_summary += grp.get_info(chformatter);
+  //tdm_channelgroup grp;
+  //channels_summary += grp.get_info(chformatter);
   tdm_channel chn;
   channels_summary += chn.get_info(chformatter);
   std::string rule; // = std::string("#");
@@ -526,8 +533,9 @@ std::string tdm_termite::get_channel_overview(format chformatter)
                                                    it!=tdmchannels_.end(); ++it)
   {
     // get corresponding group
-    tdm_channelgroup grp = tdmchannelgroups_.at(it->second.group_);
-    channels_summary += grp.get_info(chformatter);
+    // tdm_channelgroup grp = tdmchannelgroups_.at(it->second.group_);
+    // channels_summary += grp.get_info(chformatter);
+
     // ...and actual channel
     channels_summary += it->second.get_info(chformatter);
     channels_summary += std::string("\n");
@@ -619,7 +627,7 @@ std::vector<tdmdatatype> tdm_termite::get_channel(std::string& id)
     // retrieve full channel info
     tdm_channel chn = tdmchannels_.at(id);
 
-    // extract (first) "localcolumn" for channel
+    // extract (first) "localcolumn" for channel TODO there should only be a single!! local_column!!
     if ( chn.local_columns_.size() != 1 )
     {
       throw std::runtime_error(std::string("invalid local_columns_ of channel: ") + id);
@@ -636,6 +644,12 @@ std::vector<tdmdatatype> tdm_termite::get_channel(std::string& id)
     }
 
     // use "values" id to map to external block
+    if ( loccol.external_id_ == "none" )
+    {
+      //throw std::runtime_error(std::string("missing external_id in local_column ")+loccol.id_);
+      //std::cerr<<"missing external_id in local_column "<<loccol.id_<<"\n";
+      return std::vector<tdmdatatype>(0);
+    }
     block blk = tdx_blocks_.at(loccol.external_id_);
 
     // declare vector of appropriate length
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 82da2ea..f618926 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ GHSH := $(shell git rev-parse HEAD | head -c8)
 PIPYVS := $(shell grep "version" pip/setup.py | tr -d 'version=,\#\" ')
 PICGVS := $(shell grep "version" pip/setup.cfg | tr -d 'version=,\#\" ')
 
+# current timestamp
+TMS = $(shell date +%Y%m%dT%H%M%S)
+
 # define install location
 INST := /usr/local/bin
 
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ main.o : src/main.cpp lib/$(SRC).hpp $(HPP)
 	@if [ $(OST) = "Linux" ]; then\
 		sed -i 's/TAGSTRING/$(GTAG)/g' $<.cpp; \
 		sed -i 's/HASHSTRING/$(GHSH)/g' $<.cpp; \
+		sed -i 's/TIMESTAMPSTRING/$(TMS)/g' $<.cpp; \
 	fi
 	@if [ $(OST) = "Darwin" ]; then\
 		sed -i '' 's/TAGSTRING/$(GTAG)/g' $<.cpp; \
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 0b31a31..79c2d11 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@
 
 const std::string gittag("TAGSTRING");
 const std::string githash("HASHSTRING");
+const std::string timestamp("TIMESTAMPSTRING");
 
 void show_usage()
 {
   std::cout<<"\n"
-           <<"tdmtermite ["<<gittag<<"-g"<<githash<<"] (github.com/RecordEvolution/TDMtermite.git)"
+           <<"tdmtermite ["<<gittag<<"-g"<<githash<<"-"<<timestamp<<"] (https://github.com/RecordEvolution/TDMtermite.git)"
            <<"\n\n"
            <<"Decode TDM/TDX files and dump data as *.csv"
            <<"\n\n"
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ optkeys parse_args(int argc, char* argv[], bool showargs = false)
     else if ( std::string(argv[1]) == std::string("--version")
            || std::string(argv[1]) == std::string("-v") )
     {
-      std::cout<<"tdmtermite "<<gittag<<"-g"<<githash<<"\n";
+      std::cout<<"tdmtermite "<<gittag<<"-g"<<githash<<"-"<<timestamp<<"\n";
     }
     else
     {
@@ -284,13 +285,13 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     if ( showroot ) std::cout<<"\n"<<jack.get_root().get_info()<<"\n";
 
     // get complete channel(-group) overview
-    format grpformatter(26,false,false,' ');
+    format grpformatter(16,false,false,' ');
     if (listgroups) std::cout<<"\n"<<jack.get_overview<tdm_channelgroup>(grpformatter)<<"\n";
-    format chformatter(14,false,false,' ');
+    format chformatter(16,false,false,' ');
     if (listchannels) std::cout<<"\n"<<jack.get_channel_overview(chformatter)<<"\n";
 
     // get complete submatrix/localcolumns overview
-    format formatter(18,false,false,' ');
+    format formatter(16,false,false,' ');
     if (listblocks) std::cout<<jack.get_overview<block>(formatter)<<"\n";
     if (listsubmatrices) std::cout<<jack.get_overview<submatrix>(formatter)<<"\n";
     if (listlocalcolumns) std::cout<<jack.get_overview<localcolumn>(formatter)<<"\n";