diff --git a/aurora/pipelines/process_mth5.py b/aurora/pipelines/process_mth5.py
index 564597f1..1acea698 100644
--- a/aurora/pipelines/process_mth5.py
+++ b/aurora/pipelines/process_mth5.py
@@ -288,6 +288,60 @@ def save_fourier_coefficients(dec_level_config, row, run_obj, stft_obj):
     return
 
 
+def get_spectrogams(tfk, i_dec_level, units="MT"):
+    """
+    Can be make a method of TFK
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    tfk: TransferFunctionKernel
+    i_dec_level: integer
+    units: "MT" or "SI", likely to be deprecated
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    dict of short time fourier transforms
+    """
+
+    stfts = {}
+    stfts["local"] = []
+    stfts["remote"] = []
+
+    # Check first if TS processing or accessing FC Levels
+    for i, row in tfk.dataset_df.iterrows():
+        # This iterator could be updated to iterate over row-pairs if remote is True,
+        # corresponding to simultaneous data
+
+        if not tfk.is_valid_dataset(row, i_dec_level):
+            continue
+
+        run_obj = row.mth5_obj.from_reference(row.run_reference)
+        if row.fc:
+            stft_obj = load_stft_obj_from_mth5(i_dec_level, row, run_obj)
+            stfts = append_chunk_to_stfts(stfts, stft_obj, row.remote)
+            continue
+
+        run_xrds = row["run_dataarray"].to_dataset("channel")
+
+        # Musgraves workaround for old MT data
+        triage_run_id(row.run_id, run_obj)
+
+        stft_obj = make_stft_objects(
+            tfk.config,
+            i_dec_level,
+            run_obj,
+            run_xrds,
+            units,
+        )
+
+        # Pack FCs into h5
+        dec_level_config = tfk.config.decimations[i_dec_level]
+        save_fourier_coefficients(dec_level_config, row, run_obj, stft_obj)
+        stfts = append_chunk_to_stfts(stfts, stft_obj, row.remote)
+
+    return stfts
+
+
 def process_mth5(
     config,
     tfk_dataset=None,
@@ -343,42 +397,9 @@ def process_mth5(
     for i_dec_level, dec_level_config in enumerate(tfk.valid_decimations()):
         # if not tfk.all_fcs_already_exist():
         tfk.update_dataset_df(i_dec_level)
-        dec_level_config = tfk.apply_clock_zero(dec_level_config)
-
-        stfts = {}
-        stfts["local"] = []
-        stfts["remote"] = []
+        tfk.apply_clock_zero(dec_level_config)
 
-        # Check first if TS processing or accessing FC Levels
-        for i, row in tfk.dataset_df.iterrows():
-            # This iterator could be updated to iterate over row-pairs if remote is True,
-            # corresponding to simultaneous data
-
-            if not tfk.is_valid_dataset(row, i_dec_level):
-                continue
-
-            run_obj = row.mth5_obj.from_reference(row.run_reference)
-            if row.fc:
-                stft_obj = load_stft_obj_from_mth5(i_dec_level, row, run_obj)
-                stfts = append_chunk_to_stfts(stfts, stft_obj, row.remote)
-                continue
-
-            run_xrds = row["run_dataarray"].to_dataset("channel")
-
-            # Musgraves workaround for old MT data
-            triage_run_id(row.run_id, run_obj)
-
-            stft_obj = make_stft_objects(
-                tfk.config,
-                i_dec_level,
-                run_obj,
-                run_xrds,
-                units,
-            )
-            # Pack FCs into h5
-            save_fourier_coefficients(dec_level_config, row, run_obj, stft_obj)
-
-            stfts = append_chunk_to_stfts(stfts, stft_obj, row.remote)
+        stfts = get_spectrogams(tfk, i_dec_level, units=units)
 
         local_merged_stft_obj, remote_merged_stft_obj = merge_stfts(stfts, tfk)