diff --git a/geomagio/edge/RawInputClient.py b/geomagio/edge/RawInputClient.py
index 0afe29c58703cc3869e23c4cb5962c65e58b3deb..0c79ab28c9f6f4ec0659646cf8934ef9ca885843 100644
--- a/geomagio/edge/RawInputClient.py
+++ b/geomagio/edge/RawInputClient.py
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class RawInputClient():
         ratemantissa, ratedivisor = self._get_mantissa_divisor(rate)
 
         packStr = '%s%d%s' % (PACKSTR, nsamp, 'i')
-        bpackStr = str.encode(packStr)
+        bpackStr = str(packStr).encode()
         buf = struct.pack(bpackStr, PACKETHEAD, nsamp, self.seedname, yr, doy,
                 ratemantissa, ratedivisor, self.activity, self.ioclock,
                 self.quality, self.timingquality, secs, usecs, self.sequence,
diff --git a/geomagio/imfv283/GOESIMFV283Factory.py b/geomagio/imfv283/GOESIMFV283Factory.py
index 474c321492b9bb904ec6c9c0123ee1d1a1378cf1..2e87512dcb2b62fd51591da8404422b9eb950963 100644
--- a/geomagio/imfv283/GOESIMFV283Factory.py
+++ b/geomagio/imfv283/GOESIMFV283Factory.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class GOESIMFV283Factory(IMFV283Factory):
         self.server = server
         self.user = user
         self.password = password
-        self.javaerror = 'FATAL'
+        self.javaerror = b'FATAL'
 
     def get_timeseries(self, starttime, endtime, observatory=None,
             channels=None, type=None, interval=None):