diff --git a/examples/load_datasets.py b/examples/load_datasets.py
index cbe78ff..b9c4aa1 100644
--- a/examples/load_datasets.py
+++ b/examples/load_datasets.py
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
+# %%
+
 from hdxms_datasets import DataVault
+from pathlib import Path
+
 
-# Creating a DataVault without giving a cache path name uses $home/.hdxms_datasets by default
-vault = DataVault()
+# %%
+# create a data vault, specify cache_dir to download datasets to
+cache_dir = Path.home() / ".hdxms_datasets"
+vault = DataVault(cache_dir=cache_dir)
+vault
 
+# %%
 # Download a specific HDX dataset
 vault.fetch_dataset("20221007_1530_SecA_Krishnamurthy")
+vault.datasets
 
+# %%
 # Load the dataset
 ds = vault.load_dataset("20221007_1530_SecA_Krishnamurthy")
 
@@ -24,3 +34,5 @@
 # States can also be referenced by their index, used here to load the peptides corresponding to
 # the experiment.
 peptides = ds.load_peptides(0, "experiment")
+
+# %%
diff --git a/examples/load_from_yaml.py b/examples/load_from_yaml.py
index 9a2d063..cfeb3ba 100644
--- a/examples/load_from_yaml.py
+++ b/examples/load_from_yaml.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 hdx_spec = yaml.safe_load((data_pth / data_id / "hdx_spec.yaml").read_text())
 metadata = yaml.safe_load((data_pth / data_id / "metadata.yaml").read_text())
 
-#%%
+# %%
 
 dataset = HDXDataSet.from_spec(hdx_spec, data_dir=data_pth / data_id, metadata=metadata)
 
diff --git a/examples/load_to_pyhdx.py b/examples/load_to_pyhdx.py
index 547ab5b..0b4b859 100644
--- a/examples/load_to_pyhdx.py
+++ b/examples/load_to_pyhdx.py
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
 test_pth = Path("../tests").resolve()
 data_pth = test_pth / "datasets"
 
-vault = DataVault()
+vault = DataVault(cache_dir=data_pth)
 ds = vault.load_dataset("20221007_1530_SecB_Krishnamurthy")
 
-# Not implemented yet
+# not yet in latests release
 hdxm = HDXMeasurement.from_dataset(ds)
 
 print(hdxm)
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py b/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
index cdc14a4..28cc266 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Top-level package for HDXMS Datasets."""
 
 from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
-from hdxms_datasets.config import cfg
 from hdxms_datasets.datasets import HDXDataSet, DataFile
 from hdxms_datasets.datavault import DataVault
 from hdxms_datasets.process import (
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/config.py b/hdxms_datasets/config.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d4e724d..0000000
--- a/hdxms_datasets/config.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,131 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import os
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any
-
-from omegaconf import OmegaConf, DictConfig, DictKeyType
-from packaging import version
-
-PACKAGE_NAME = "hdxms_datasets"
-
-
-def reset_config():
-    """Create a new config.yaml file in the user home dir/.hdxms_datasets folder"""
-
-    with open(conf_home_pth, "w") as target:
-        from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
-
-        version_string = f"# {PACKAGE_NAME} configuration file " + __version__ + "\n\n"
-        target.write(version_string)
-
-        with open(current_dir / "config.yaml") as source:
-            for line in source:
-                target.write(line)
-
-
-class Singleton(type):
-    _instances: dict[type, Singleton] = {}
-
-    def __call__(cls, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
-        if cls not in cls._instances:
-            cls._instances[cls] = super(Singleton, cls).__call__(*args, **kwargs)
-        return cls._instances[cls]
-
-    def instance(cls: Any, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
-        return cls(*args, **kwargs)
-
-
-class HDXMSDatasetsConfig(metaclass=Singleton):
-    __slots__ = ["conf"]
-
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self.conf = None
-
-    def __getattr__(self, item: str) -> Any:
-        return getattr(self.conf, item)
-
-    def __setattr__(self, key: str, value: Any) -> None:
-        if key in self.__slots__:
-            super().__setattr__(key, value)
-        elif key in self.conf.keys():
-            setattr(self.conf, key, value)
-        else:
-            raise AttributeError(f"Config has no attribute {key}")
-
-    def load_config(self, config_file: os.PathLike[str]):
-        conf = OmegaConf.create(Path(config_file).read_text())
-        self.set_config(conf)
-
-    def set_config(self, conf: DictConfig) -> None:
-        self.conf = conf
-
-    def get(self, key: DictKeyType, default_value: Any = None) -> Any:
-        return self.conf.get(key, default_value)
-
-    @property
-    def database_dir(self) -> Path:
-        pth = self.conf.database_dir
-        if "~" in pth:
-            database_dir = Path(pth.replace("~", str(Path.home())))
-        elif "$home" in pth:
-            database_dir = Path(pth.replace("$home", str(Path.home())))
-        else:
-            database_dir = Path(pth)
-
-        return database_dir
-
-
-def valid_config() -> bool:
-    """Checks if the current config file in the user home directory is a valid config
-    file for the current hdxms_datasets version
-
-    """
-    if not conf_home_pth.exists():
-        return False
-    else:
-        with open(conf_home_pth, "r") as f:
-            version_string = f.readline().strip("; ").split(" ")[-1]
-
-        from hdxms_datasets.__version__ import __version__
-
-        hdxms_datasets_version = version.parse(__version__)
-        cfg_version = version.parse(version_string)
-
-        return hdxms_datasets_version.public == cfg_version.public
-
-
-# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6198372/most-pythonic-way-to-provide-global-configuration-variables-in-config-py/25880082
-class CfgClass(metaclass=Singleton):
-    def __init__(self, config=None):
-        self._config = {} if config is None else config
-
-    def __getitem__(self, item):
-        return self._config[item]
-
-
-home_dir = Path.home()
-config_dir = home_dir / f".{PACKAGE_NAME}"
-config_dir.mkdir(parents=False, exist_ok=True)
-conf_home_pth = config_dir / "config.yaml"
-
-current_dir = Path(__file__).parent
-conf_src_pth = current_dir / "config.yaml"
-
-# Current config version is outdated
-if not valid_config():
-    try:
-        reset_config()
-        conf = OmegaConf.load(conf_home_pth)
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        # This will happen on conda-forge docker build.
-        # When no config.yaml file is in home_dir / '.{PACKAGE_NAME}'
-        # ConfigurationSettings will use the hardcoded version
-        conf = OmegaConf.load(conf_src_pth)
-        # (this is run twice due to import but should be OK since conf is singleton)
-else:
-    conf = OmegaConf.load(conf_home_pth)
-
-
-cfg = HDXMSDatasetsConfig()
-cfg.set_config(conf)
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/config.yaml b/hdxms_datasets/config.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 829ac54..0000000
--- a/hdxms_datasets/config.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-database_dir: $home/.hdxms_datasets/datasets
-database_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jhsmit/HDX-MS-datasets/master/datasets/
-time_unit: s
-
-dynamx:
-  time_unit: min
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/datasets.py b/hdxms_datasets/datasets.py
index 8d551c9..b83daff 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/datasets.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/datasets.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import pandas as pd
 import yaml
 
-from hdxms_datasets.config import cfg
 from hdxms_datasets.process import filter_peptides, convert_temperature, parse_data_files
 from hdxms_datasets.reader import read_dynamx
 
@@ -24,13 +23,14 @@ class DataFile(object):
 
     filepath_or_buffer: Union[Path, StringIO]
 
+    time_conversion: tuple[Literal["h", "min", "s"], Literal["h", "min", "s"]] = ("min", "s")
+    # from, to time conversion
+
     @cached_property
     def data(self) -> pd.DataFrame:
+        # TODO convert time after reading
         if self.format == "DynamX":
-            # from, to time conversion
-            time_conversion = (cfg.dynamx.time_unit, cfg.time_unit)
-
-            data = read_dynamx(self.filepath_or_buffer, time_conversion=time_conversion)
+            data = read_dynamx(self.filepath_or_buffer, time_conversion=self.time_conversion)
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"Invalid format {self.format!r}")
 
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/datavault.py b/hdxms_datasets/datavault.py
index eef0725..22cb983 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/datavault.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/datavault.py
@@ -10,22 +10,22 @@
 import requests
 import yaml
 
-from hdxms_datasets.config import cfg
 from hdxms_datasets.datasets import HDXDataSet
 
 
+DATABASE_URL = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jhsmit/HDX-MS-datasets/master/datasets/"
+
+
 class DataVault(object):
     def __init__(
         self,
-        cache_dir: Optional[Union[Path[str], str]] = None,
+        cache_dir: Union[Path, str],
+        remote_url: str = DATABASE_URL,
     ):
-        if cache_dir is None:
-            self.cache_dir = cfg.database_dir
-            self.cache_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
-        else:
-            self.cache_dir: Path = Path(cache_dir)
-            if not self.cache_dir.exists():
-                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Cache directory '{self.cache_dir}' does not exist")
+        self.cache_dir = Path(cache_dir)
+        self.cache_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
+
+        self.remote_url = remote_url
 
     def filter(self, *spec: dict):
         # filters list of available datasets
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def filter(self, *spec: dict):
     def remote_index(self) -> list[str]:
         """List of available datasets in the remote database"""
 
-        url = urllib.parse.urljoin(cfg.database_url, "index.txt")
+        url = urllib.parse.urljoin(self.remote_url, "index.txt")
         response = requests.get(url)
         if response.ok:
             index = response.text.split("\n")[1:]
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def fetch_dataset(self, data_id: str) -> bool:
         else:
             output_pth.mkdir()
 
-        dataset_url = urllib.parse.urljoin(cfg.database_url, data_id + "/")
+        dataset_url = urllib.parse.urljoin(self.remote_url, data_id + "/")
 
         files = ["hdx_spec.yaml", "metadata.yaml"]
         optional_files = ["CITATION.cff"]
diff --git a/hdxms_datasets/process.py b/hdxms_datasets/process.py
index 8c173f4..1065e2e 100644
--- a/hdxms_datasets/process.py
+++ b/hdxms_datasets/process.py
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 
 import pandas as pd
 
-from hdxms_datasets.config import cfg
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from hdxms_datasets import DataFile
 
@@ -71,6 +69,7 @@ def filter_peptides(
     exposure: Optional[dict] = None,
     query: Optional[list[str]] = None,
     dropna: bool = True,
+    time_unit: str = "s",
 ) -> pd.DataFrame:
     """
     Convenience function to filter a peptides DataFrame. .
@@ -82,6 +81,7 @@ def filter_peptides(
             exposure value, and "unit" for the time unit.
         query: Additional queries to pass to [pandas.DataFrame.query][].
         dropna: Drop rows with `NaN` uptake entries.
+        time_unit: Time unit for exposure column of supplied dataframe.
 
     Examples:
         Filter peptides for a specific protein state and exposure time:
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def filter_peptides(
         df = df[df["state"] == state]
 
     if exposure is not None:
-        t_val = convert_time(exposure, target_unit=cfg.time_unit)
+        t_val = convert_time(exposure, time_unit)  # type: ignore
         if isinstance(t_val, list):
             df = df[df["exposure"].isin(t_val)]
         else:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4fed193..8050c9d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ classifiers = [
 ]
 
 dependencies = [
-    "omegaconf",
     "pandas",
     "PyYAML",
     "requests",
@@ -73,3 +72,4 @@ line-length = 100
 
 [tool.ruff]
 line-length = 100
+target-version = "py310"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.10.txt b/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.10.txt
index 1eaff81..e6785ae 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.10.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.10.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-macOS-latest-3.10.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.9.txt b/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.9.txt
index 112a551..3269571 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.9.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-macOS-latest-3.9.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-macOS-latest-3.9.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.10.txt b/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.10.txt
index a30d65c..ab71574 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.10.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.10.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.10.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.9.txt b/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.9.txt
index f9b1082..89b1ad3 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.9.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.9.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-ubuntu-latest-3.9.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.10.txt b/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.10.txt
index 2f9ee84..8a4e9c7 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.10.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.10.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-windows-latest-3.10.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.9.txt b/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.9.txt
index 506e84d..23282ba 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.9.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-windows-latest-3.9.txt
@@ -4,35 +4,29 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile --output-file=requirements-windows-latest-3.9.txt pyproject.toml
 #
-antlr4-python3-runtime==4.9.3
-    # via omegaconf
-certifi==2023.7.22
+certifi==2023.11.17
     # via requests
-charset-normalizer==3.2.0
+charset-normalizer==3.3.2
     # via requests
-idna==3.4
+idna==3.6
     # via requests
-numpy==1.25.2
+numpy==1.26.2
     # via pandas
-omegaconf==2.3.0
+packaging==23.2
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-packaging==23.1
-    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-pandas==2.0.3
+pandas==2.1.4
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 python-dateutil==2.8.2
     # via pandas
-pytz==2023.3
+pytz==2023.3.post1
     # via pandas
 pyyaml==6.0.1
-    # via
-    #   hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
-    #   omegaconf
+    # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 requests==2.31.0
     # via hdxms-datasets (pyproject.toml)
 six==1.16.0
     # via python-dateutil
-tzdata==2023.3
+tzdata==2023.4
     # via pandas
-urllib3==2.0.4
+urllib3==2.1.0
     # via requests