diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/PyData.py b/awips/dataaccess/PyData.py
index 9c5b313..1a6e1d6 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/PyData.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/PyData.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-##
-##
-
 #
 # Implements IData for use by native Python clients to the Data Access
 # Framework.
@@ -11,6 +8,7 @@
 #    Date            Ticket#       Engineer       Description
 #    ------------    ----------    -----------    --------------------------
 #    06/03/13                      dgilling      Initial Creation.
+#    10/05/18                      mjames@ucar   Encode/decode attribute names.
 #
 #
 
@@ -25,7 +23,8 @@ class PyData(IData):
         self.__attributes = dataRecord.getAttributes()
 
     def getAttribute(self, key):
-        return self.__attributes[key]
+        value = self.__attributes[key.encode('utf-8')]
+        return value.decode('utf-8')
 
     def getAttributes(self):
         return list(self.__attributes.keys())
diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py b/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
index 7ad2539..c7bec79 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-##
-##
-
 #
 # Implements IGeometryData for use by native Python clients to the Data Access
 # Framework.
@@ -16,6 +13,7 @@
 #                                                 is called for data that is not a
 #                                                 numeric Type.
 #    06/09/16        5574          mapeters       Handle 'SHORT' type in getNumber().
+#    10/05/18                      mjames@ucar    Encode/decode string, number val, and type
 #
 #
 
@@ -39,25 +37,29 @@ class PyGeometryData(IGeometryData, PyData.PyData):
         return list(self.__dataMap.keys())
 
     def getString(self, param):
+        param = param.encode('utf-8')
         value = self.__dataMap[param][0]
-        return value
+        return value.decode('utf-8')
 
     def getNumber(self, param):
-        value = self.__dataMap[param][0]
         t = self.getType(param)
-        if t == 'INT' or t == 'SHORT':
-            return int(value)
-        elif t == 'LONG':
+        param = param.encode('utf-8')
+        value = self.__dataMap[param][0]
+        if t == 'INT' or t == 'SHORT' or t == 'LONG':
             return int(value)
         elif t == 'FLOAT':
             return float(value)
         elif t == 'DOUBLE':
             return float(value)
         else:
-            raise TypeError("Data for parameter " + param + " is not a numeric type.")
+            raise TypeError("Data for parameter " + param.decode('utf-8') + " is not a numeric type.")
 
     def getUnit(self, param):
-        return self.__dataMap[param][2]
+        param = param.encode('utf-8')
+        unit = self.__dataMap[param][2]
+        return unit.decode('utf-8')
 
     def getType(self, param):
-        return self.__dataMap[param][1]
+        param = param.encode('utf-8')
+        type = self.__dataMap[param][1]
+        return type.decode('utf-8')