diff --git a/src/app/backend-selection.service.ts b/src/app/backend-selection.service.ts
index 6af57f0cf1162207c71fe70c2574c505efbcb2e2..7c3fb7bf8c8b6354beaea3ecf455ad21532df1e9 100644
--- a/src/app/backend-selection.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/backend-selection.service.ts
@@ -29,11 +29,12 @@ export class BackendSelectionService {
     var obs: Observable<any>[] = [];
     let headers = new HttpHeaders();
     let options = { headers: headers, withCredentials: false};
+    console.log('entering testAPIServers');
     for (let server of servers) {
       //obs.push( this.http.get(s.tes+'/sshagent',options).pipe(map((r) => {return {'server':s,'check':r}})));
       obs.push( this.http.get<string>(server.tes+'/sshagent',options).pipe(
         timeout(2000),
-        catchError(e=> {return of(null)}),
+        catchError(e=> {console.error('testing api server',server); console.error(e); return of(null)}),
         map((v) => {return {'server':server,'query':v}}),
         ));
     }
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ export class BackendSelectionService {
        let options = { headers: headers, withCredentials: false};
        this.http.get<APIServer[]>('./assets/config/apiservers.json',options).pipe(
          switchMap((v) => this.testApiServers(v)),
+         tap((v) => console.log('testapiservers observable fired',v)),
          map((list, idx) => (<any[]>list)
                               .filter(function (v) { return v.query != null})
                               .map(function (v) {return v.server})) // Note the two maps are not the same one is an rxjs observable map one is a list map