diff --git a/examples/ha-mqtt.js b/examples/ha-mqtt.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a370475
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/ha-mqtt.js
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+import Base from  '../src/base'
+
+const BROKER = 'nas.kebler.net'
+const TOPICS = ['set/testing/+']  // listen for a set command
+
+const commands = {
+  on: function(packet){
+    return new Promise( async (resolve) => {
+      console.log(`turning switch on for id ${packet.id||packet.data}`)
+      console.log('entire packet',packet)
+      // call switch on here
+      let res = {}
+      res.cmd='status'
+      res.state='on'
+      res.id = packet.id
+      this.push(packet)
+      return resolve(res)
+    })
+  },
+  off: function(packet){
+    return new Promise( async (resolve) => {
+      console.log(packet)
+      console.log(`turning switch off for id ${packet.id||packet.data}`)
+      // call switch on here
+      let res = {}
+      res.cmd='status'
+      res.state='off'
+      res.id = packet.id
+      return resolve(res)
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+let  relays = new Base({id:'homeassistant-example'})
+
+relays.commands = relays.bindFuncs(commands)
+
+;
+(async () => {
+  await relays.addSocket('mqs','s','m', {host:BROKER, topics:TOPICS})
+  relays.addNamespace('commands','s')
+  register.call(relays,'mqs')
+  await relays.init()
+
+})().catch(err => {
+  console.error('FATAL: UNABLE TO START SYSTEM!\n',err)
+  process.kill(process.pid, 'SIGTERM')
+})
+
+
+
+
+///***************** HOME ASSISTANT ************************
+// formats incoming and outgoing packets for HA convention
+
+const STATUS_TOPIC = 'status/testing'
+
+function register(name) {
+
+  this.beforeProcessHook(async (packet) => {
+    console.log('incoming mqtt packet to modify')
+    console.dir(packet)
+    let modified = Object.assign({},packet)
+    let cmd = packet.cmd.split('/')
+    modified.cmd = `${packet.data.toLowerCase()}`
+    modified.id = cmd[2]
+    delete modified.data
+    console.log('translated to uci packet')
+    console.dir(modified)
+    return modified
+    // return packet
+  },
+  {name:name})
+
+  this.afterProcessHook(async (packet) => {
+    console.log('processed packet available to modify again', packet)
+    if (packet.error) {
+      let npacket = {}
+      npacket.cmd = 'error'
+      npacket.payload = JSON.stringify(packet)
+      return npacket
+    }
+    if (packet.cmd === 'status') {
+      packet.cmd = `${STATUS_TOPIC}/${packet.id}`
+      packet.payload = packet.state.toUpperCase()
+      console.log('=============modified packet sent to broker================')
+      console.dir(packet)
+      console.log('================')
+    }
+    return packet
+  },
+  {name:name})
+
+  // this.beforeSendHook(async (packet) => {
+  //   console.log('beforeSendHook', packet)
+  // if (packet.cmd === 'status') {
+  //   let num = Object.keys(packet.pins)[0]
+  //   packet.cmd = `${STATUS_TOPIC}/${num}`
+  //   packet.payload = packet.pins[num] ? 'ON' : 'OFF'
+  //   console.log('=============modified packet sent to broker================')
+  //   console.dir(packet)
+  //   console.log('================')
+  // }
+  //   return packet
+  // },
+  // {name:name})
+
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 57765fa..28719c3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci/base",
-  "version": "0.1.24",
+  "version": "0.1.25",
   "description": "Multi type and transport JSON packet communication base class.  Used in UCI extended classes",
   "main": "src/base",
   "scripts": {
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     "dy": "node -r esm examples/dynamic",
     "web": "UCI_DEV=true nodemon -r esm examples/web",
     "mqtt": "nodemon -r esm examples/mqtt",
+    "ha-mqtt": "nodemon -r esm examples/ha-mqtt",
     "testw": "mocha -r esm test/*.test.mjs --watch --recurse --watch-extensions mjs",
     "test": "mocha -r esm test/*.test.mjs",
     "testci": "istanbul cover ./node_modules/.bin/_mocha  --report lcovonly -- -R spec --recursive && codecov || true"
@@ -31,16 +32,16 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/uCOMmandIt/message#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
-    "esm": "^3.0.84",
-    "mocha": "^5.2.0",
-    "nodemon": "^1.18.6"
+    "esm": "^3.2.25",
+    "mocha": "^6.2.0",
+    "nodemon": "^1.19.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@uci-utils/bind-funcs": "^0.2.3",
-    "@uci-utils/logger": "^0.0.14",
-    "@uci/mqtt": "^0.1.11",
-    "@uci/socket": "^0.2.15",
-    "@uci/websocket": "^0.3.7",
+    "@uci-utils/bind-funcs": "^0.2.4",
+    "@uci-utils/logger": "^0.0.15",
+    "@uci/mqtt": "^0.1.12",
+    "@uci/socket": "^0.2.17",
+    "@uci/websocket": "^0.3.8",
     "await-to-js": "^2.1.1",
     "p-settle": "^3.1.0"
   }
diff --git a/src/base.js b/src/base.js
index 6447bab..feb1505 100644
--- a/src/base.js
+++ b/src/base.js
@@ -402,8 +402,9 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
     if (packet.error)  return packet  // hook invalidated the packet abort further processing
     let processor =  packet._processor || this._processors[socket_name] ? socket_name : '_default'
     let res = await this._processors[processor].call(this,packet,socket_name)
+    log.debug({ socket:socket_name, response:res, msg:'processed packet ready for hook'})
     if (this._socket[socket_name].afterProcess) res = await this._socket[socket_name].afterProcess.call(this,res)
-    log.debug({ socket:socket_name, response:res, msg:'processed packet ready for return'})
+    log.debug({ socket:socket_name, response:res, msg:'packet after hook complete  ready for return'})
     return res
   }