diff --git a/examples/example.js b/examples/example.js
index e9b9e77..613a087 100644
--- a/examples/example.js
+++ b/examples/example.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ let emitter = new EventEmitter()
 
 // let verbose = process.env.VERBOSE==='true'
 
-let combo = false
+let combo = true
 
 // handler: (r)=> console.log('result:',r)
 
@@ -74,11 +74,19 @@ if (combo) {
     )
 
   if (combo){
+    console.log('a combination of e and pr was made\n','combinations are not added to \'all\' list')
     console.log('subscribing to sub combination e, pr')
     example.subscribe('combo',val => console.log('combo e, pr is:',val))
   }
 }
 
+let madeonly = example.makeObserver('madeonly')
+
+console.log('observer \'madeonly\' was only made and was not added so not in list \n',madeonly)
+console.log('list of observers made and added to the all combination\n',example.observerNames)
+
+
+
 emitter.emit('ec',{ready:true})
 emitter.emit('pe','yup')
 emitter.emit('e')
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0dfea0a..f8f7bf3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci-utils/ready",
-  "version": "0.1.5",
+  "version": "0.1.6",
   "description": "A Class to Observe the reduced to boolean combined state of a map of observables",
   "main": "src/ready.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/ready.js b/src/ready.js
index c9669af..2617e5a 100644
--- a/src/ready.js
+++ b/src/ready.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { createBoolean } from '@uci-utils/to-boolean'
 class Ready extends Map {
   constructor(opts) {
     super(opts.observables)
-    this.emitter = typeof opts.emitter.on ==='function' ? opts.emitter : null
+    this.emitter = isEmitter(opts.emitter) ? opts.emitter : null
     const toBool = createBoolean(opts.boolean)  // e.g. {undefined:true}
     this.condition = opts.condition || ( (ev) => toBool(ev) )
     this.subscriptions = new Map()
@@ -70,17 +70,17 @@ class Ready extends Map {
     })
   }
 
-  addObserver(name, obs, opts={} ) {
+  makeObserver(obs, opts={}) {
+
     // validation and defaults, obs can be emitter, osbserver, or promise
-    if (!name || typeof(name)!=='string') return false // name required
     if (isPlainObject(obs)) { opts = obs; obs=null }
     if (!(obs || this.emitter)) return false // some observable requried
-    let { condition, event, details } = opts
+    let { condition, event, name} = opts
     condition = condition || this.condition
-    if (typeof (obs ||{}).on ==='function') obs = fromEvent(obs, event || name)  // it's an emitter
+    if (isEmitter(obs) && (event || name)) obs = fromEvent(obs, event || name )  // it's an emitter
     if (isPromise(obs)) obs = from(obs) // it's a promise
     if (obs && !isObservable(obs) && typeof obs==='function' && arguments.length===2) condition = obs
-    if (!obs && this.emitter) obs = fromEvent(this.emitter,event || name)
+    if (!obs && this.emitter && (event || name)) obs = fromEvent(this.emitter,event || name)
     if (!obs || !isObservable(obs)) return false
     let xobs = obs.pipe(
       tap(val => this.log(`${name} emitted/resolved the value =>${JSON.stringify(val)}`)),
@@ -88,17 +88,27 @@ class Ready extends Map {
       tap(val => this.log(`boolean: ${val}`)),
       startWith(false),
       shareReplay(1),
-      // multicast(new Subject())
     )
-    let sub = xobs.subscribe()
-    this.set(name, {obs:xobs, sub:sub})
-    this.setObserverDetails(name,details)
-    this.combineObservers('__all__') // update total combo
-    if (this.subscriptions.has('__all__')) this.subscribe() // will resubscribe
+    xobs._readyType = true
     return xobs
   }
 
-  combineObservers(name,list) {
+  addObserver(name, obs, opts={} ) {
+    // validation and defaults, obs can be emitter, osbserver, or promise
+    if (!name || typeof(name)!=='string') return false // name required
+    opts.name = name
+    if (!(obs || {})._readyType) obs = this.makeObserver(obs, opts)
+    if (!isObservable(obs)) return false
+    let { details } = opts
+    let sub = obs.subscribe()
+    this.set(name, {obs:obs, sub:sub})
+    this.setObserverDetails(name,details)
+    this.combineObservers('__all__',opts) // update total combo
+    if (this.subscriptions.has('__all__')) this.subscribe() // will resubscribe
+    return obs
+  }
+  // TODO add option for whether changed is enabled (default) or not and store with combo for remake
+  combineObservers(name,list,opts={}) {
     if (Array.isArray(name)) {list = name; name = null}
     name = name || '__all__'
     if (name==='__all__') list = Array.from(this.keys())  // get list of all observers
@@ -136,7 +146,7 @@ class Ready extends Map {
     this.subscribe()  // resubscribe to changed combo
   }
 
-  subscribe(name, handler) {
+  subscribe(name, handler, save) {
     // only one subscription at a time per observer or combination from this method
     if (typeof name ==='function') {
       handler=name
@@ -148,7 +158,7 @@ class Ready extends Map {
     if (!obs) return false
     if (this.subscriptions.has(name)) this.subscriptions.get(name).subs.unsubscribe()
     let subs = obs.subscribe(handler)
-    this.subscriptions.set(name,{subs:subs,handler:handler})
+    if (save) this.subscriptions.set(name,{subs:subs,handler:handler})
     return subs
   }
 
@@ -179,7 +189,14 @@ function map(fn) {
   return isAsync(fn) ? switchMap.call(this,fn) : simpleMap.call(this,fn)
 }
 
+function isEmitter(emitter) {
+  if (!emitter) return false
+  let check = ['on','emit']
+  return check.reduce((acc,fn)=> acc && typeof emitter[fn] ==='function',true)
+}
+
 function isAsync(fn) {
+  if (typeof fn !== 'function') return false
   return (isPromise(fn) || fn.constructor.name === 'AsyncFunction')
 }