diff --git a/mesh_bot.py b/mesh_bot.py
index 161a0e7..ad6b958 100755
--- a/mesh_bot.py
+++ b/mesh_bot.py
@@ -293,6 +293,19 @@ def handle_motd(message, message_from_id, isDM):
     return msg
 
 def handle_echo(message, message_from_id, deviceID, isDM, channel_number):
+
+    echoBinary = False
+    if echoBinary:
+        try:
+            #send_raw_bytes echo the data to the channel with synch word:
+            port_num = 256
+            synch_word = b"echo:"
+            raw_bytes = synch_word + message.encode('utf-8')
+            send_raw_bytes(message_from_id, raw_bytes, nodeInt=deviceID, channel=channel_number, portnum=port_num)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"System: Echo Exception {e}")
+        return f"Sent binary echo message to {message_from_id} to {port_num} on channel {channel_number} device {deviceID}"
+
     if "?" in message.lower():
         return "command returns your message back to you. Example:echo Hello World"
     elif "echo " in message.lower():
@@ -301,15 +314,6 @@ def handle_echo(message, message_from_id, deviceID, isDM, channel_number):
             echo_msg = parts[1]
             if channel_number != echoChannel and not isDM:
                 echo_msg = "@" + get_name_from_number(message_from_id, 'short', deviceID) + " " + echo_msg
-                testing = False
-                if testing:
-                    try:
-                        #testing send_raw_bytes echo the data to the channel
-                        raw_bytes = b"echo:" + echo_msg.encode('utf-8')
-                        send_raw_bytes(message_from_id, raw_bytes, nodeInt=deviceID, channel=channel_number)
-                        time.sleep(2) # give it a second to send
-                    except Exception as e:
-                        logger.error(f"System: Echo Exception {e}")
             return echo_msg
         else:
             return "Please provide a message to echo back to you. Example:echo Hello World"