diff --git a/uvk5.py b/uvk5.py
index 8eb8142..f28ace9 100644
--- a/uvk5.py
+++ b/uvk5.py
@@ -1907,12 +1907,12 @@ class UVK5Radio(chirp_common.CloneModeRadio):
         else:
             # this memory was't empty, save some bits that we don't know the
             # meaning of, or that we don't support yet
-            prev_0a = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0a]) & SAVE_MASK_0A
-            prev_0b = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0b]) & SAVE_MASK_0B
-            prev_0c = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0c]) & SAVE_MASK_0C
-            prev_0d = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0d]) & SAVE_MASK_0D
-            prev_0e = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0e]) & SAVE_MASK_0E
-            prev_0f = ord(_mem.get_raw()[0x0f]) & SAVE_MASK_0F
+            prev_0a = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0a] & SAVE_MASK_0A
+            prev_0b = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0b] & SAVE_MASK_0B
+            prev_0c = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0c] & SAVE_MASK_0C
+            prev_0d = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0d] & SAVE_MASK_0D
+            prev_0e = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0e] & SAVE_MASK_0E
+            prev_0f = _mem.get_raw(asbytes=True)[0x0f] & SAVE_MASK_0F
             _mem.set_raw("\x00" * 10 +
                          chr(prev_0a) + chr(prev_0b) + chr(prev_0c) +
                          chr(prev_0d) + chr(prev_0e) + chr(prev_0f))