diff --git a/notebooks/LPD/LPDChar_Darks_NBC.ipynb b/notebooks/LPD/LPDChar_Darks_NBC.ipynb
index 93a53fddc8f7499c0dc15f9e2017525e6dc1116a..819065b38658ae829d80b800a9c6089b461e2f21 100644
--- a/notebooks/LPD/LPDChar_Darks_NBC.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/LPD/LPDChar_Darks_NBC.ipynb
@@ -72,25 +72,24 @@
     "local_output = True # output constants locally\n",
     "db_output = True # output constants to database\n",
     "bias_voltage = 250 # detector bias voltage\n",
-    "cal_db_interface = \"tcp://max-exfl016:8017\" # the database interface to use\n",
+    "cal_db_interface = \"tcp://max-exfl016:8015#8025\" # the database interface to use\n",
+    "cal_db_timeout = 300000 # timeout on caldb requests\"\n",
     "\n",
     "thresholds_offset_sigma = 3. # bad pixel relative threshold in terms of n sigma offset\n",
     "thresholds_offset_hard = [400, 1500] # bad pixel hard threshold\n",
     "thresholds_noise_sigma = 7. # bad pixel relative threshold in terms of n sigma noise\n",
     "thresholds_noise_hard = [1, 35] # bad pixel hard threshold\n",
     "skip_first_ntrains = 10 # Number of first trains to skip\n",
-    "use_dir_creation_date = False # use the creation date of the directory for database time derivation\n",
+    "not_use_dir_creation_date = False # do not use the creation date of the directory for database time derivation\n",
     "instrument = \"FXE\" # instrument name\n",
-    "ntrains = 10 # number of trains to use\n",
+    "ntrains = 300 # number of trains to use\n",
     "high_res_badpix_3d = False # plot bad-pixel summary in high resolution"
    ]
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "from collections import OrderedDict\n",
@@ -165,15 +164,18 @@
     "DET_FILE_INSET = \"LPD\"\n",
     "\n",
     "creation_time = None\n",
-    "if use_dir_creation_date:\n",
+    "if not not_use_dir_creation_date:\n",
     "    creation_time = get_dir_creation_date(in_folder, run_high)\n",
     "    print(\"Using {} as creation time\".format(creation_time))\n",
     "\n",
     "run, prop, seq = run_prop_seq_from_path(in_folder)\n",
     "logger = InfluxLogger(detector=\"LPD\", instrument=instrument, mem_cells=mem_cells,\n",
     "                      notebook=get_notebook_name(), proposal=prop)\n",
-    "    \n",
+    "\n",
+    "cal_db_interface = get_random_db_interface(cal_db_interface)\n",
+    "\n",
     "display(Markdown('## Evaluated parameters'))\n",
+    "print('CalDB Interface {}'.format(cal_db_interface))\n",
     "print(\"Proposal: {}\".format(prop))\n",
     "print(\"Memory cells: {}/{}\".format(mem_cells, max_cells))\n",
     "print(\"Runs: {}, {}, {}\".format(run_high, run_med, run_low))\n",
@@ -187,9 +189,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# set everything up filewise\n",
@@ -210,9 +210,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# the actual characterization - to not eded this without consultation\n",
@@ -360,9 +358,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# save everything to file.\n",
@@ -386,16 +382,14 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Retrieve existing constants for comparison\n",
     "clist = [\"Offset\", \"Noise\", \"BadPixelsDark\"]\n",
     "old_const = {}\n",
     "old_mdata = {}\n",
-    "creation_time = dateutil.parser.parse(\"2019-02-14\")\n",
+    "\n",
     "print('Retrieve pre-existing constants for comparison.')\n",
     "for cap in capacitor_settings:\n",
     "    for qm in offset_g[cap].keys():\n",
@@ -409,7 +403,7 @@
     "                                      condition,\n",
     "                                      None,\n",
     "                                      cal_db_interface, creation_time=creation_time,\n",
-    "                                      verbosity=2, timeout=30000)\n",
+    "                                      verbosity=2, timeout=cal_db_timeout)\n",
     "\n",
     "            old_const[const] = data\n",
     "\n",
@@ -423,9 +417,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "res = OrderedDict()\n",
@@ -443,9 +435,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Save constants in the calibration DB\n",
@@ -474,7 +464,7 @@
     "                    else:\n",
     "                        metadata.calibration_constant_version = Versions.Timespan(device=device,\n",
     "                                                                                  start=creation_time)\n",
-    "                    metadata.send(cal_db_interface)\n",
+    "                    metadata.send(cal_db_interface, timeout=cal_db_timeout)\n",
     "                    msg = 'Const {} for module {} was injected to the calibration DB. Begin at: {}'\n",
     "                    print(msg.format(const, qm,\n",
     "                                     metadata.calibration_constant_version.begin_at))"
@@ -483,9 +473,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "qm = \"Q{}M{}\".format(modules[0]//4+1, modules[0] % 4+1)\n",
@@ -557,9 +545,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "fig, grid = plt.subplots(3, 1, sharex=\"col\", sharey=\"row\", figsize=(10, 7))\n",
@@ -648,9 +634,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Loop over capacitor settings, modules, constants\n",
@@ -723,7 +707,6 @@
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
    "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false,
     "scrolled": true
    },
    "outputs": [],
@@ -828,9 +811,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "cols = {BadPixels.NOISE_OUT_OF_THRESHOLD.value: (BadPixels.NOISE_OUT_OF_THRESHOLD.name, '#FF000080'),\n",
@@ -872,9 +853,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "display(Markdown('The following pre-existing constants are used for comparison: \\n'))\n",
@@ -885,9 +864,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Loop over capacitor settings, modules, constants\n",
@@ -983,9 +960,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Loop over capacitor settings, modules, constants\n",
@@ -1018,9 +993,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Loop over capacitor settings, modules, constants\n",
@@ -1074,9 +1047,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Loop over capacitor settings, modules, constants\n",
@@ -1166,9 +1137,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "table = []\n",
@@ -1222,9 +1191,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": false
-   },
+   "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "\n",
@@ -1280,7 +1247,7 @@
    "name": "python",
    "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
    "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
-   "version": "3.4.3"
+   "version": "3.6.7"
   }
  },
  "nbformat": 4,