marker = '1'
msg_list = []
while marker != '\\n':
    marker = ser.read(1)
    msg_list.append(marker)

#i get a list of bytes.
#then if i do

f = open('filename', 'wb')
for i in msg_list:
    f.write(i)
f.close()


# now when i do this

msg = ser.read(24)
f = open('filename', 'wb')
f.write(msg)
f.close()

if i do in a linux term
file filename, it says data
 but says something like ascii file if i do it the earlier way.

does this make sense?