Index: /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psModules/src/objects/pmPCMdata.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psModules/src/objects/pmPCMdata.c	(revision 36297)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psModules/src/objects/pmPCMdata.c	(revision 36298)
@@ -43,5 +43,9 @@
 
 # define USE_DELTA_PSF 0
-# define KERNEL_NSIGMA 3.0
+# define KERNEL_NSIGMA 5.0
+
+// TEST: factor to increase the convolution sigma. psphot modifies this global variable.
+// Should be removed before commitng to the tag
+psF32 BILLS_SCALE_FACTOR = 1.0;
 
 static void pmPCMdataFree (pmPCMdata *pcm) {
@@ -344,5 +348,5 @@
     }
     if (modelPSF->type == modelType_PS1_V1) {
-	*sigma = 0.5 * (axes.major + axes.minor);
+	*sigma = 0.5 * (axes.major + axes.minor) * BILLS_SCALE_FACTOR;
 	*kappa = PAR[PM_PAR_7];
     }
Index: /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psphot/src/psphotExtendedSourceFits.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psphot/src/psphotExtendedSourceFits.c	(revision 36297)
+++ /branches/eam_branches/ipp-20130904/psphot/src/psphotExtendedSourceFits.c	(revision 36298)
@@ -100,4 +100,11 @@
     assert (status && fitIter > 0);
 
+    float billsScaleFactor = psMetadataLookupF32 (&status, recipe, "BILLS.SCALE.FACTOR");
+    if (isfinite(billsScaleFactor)) {
+        // this lives in psModules/src/objects/pmPCMdata.c and defaults to 1.0
+        extern psF32 BILLS_SCALE_FACTOR;
+        BILLS_SCALE_FACTOR = billsScaleFactor;
+    }
+        
     float fitMinTol = psMetadataLookupF32 (&status, recipe, "EXT_FIT_MIN_TOL"); // Fit tolerance
     if (!status || !isfinite(fitMinTol) || fitMinTol <= 0) {