diff --git a/led-badge-11x44.py b/led-badge-11x44.py
index da45886..43fe6b3 100755
--- a/led-badge-11x44.py
+++ b/led-badge-11x44.py
@@ -397,32 +397,30 @@ def bitmap(arg):
     return bitmap_text(arg)
 
 
-proto_header = (
-    0x77, 0x61, 0x6e, 0x67, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40,
-    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
-    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
-)
-
+def expand_tuple(l):
+    l = l + (l[-1],) * (8 - len(l))  # repeat last element
+    return l
 
-def header(lengths, speeds, modes, blink, ants, brightness=100, date=datetime.now()):
+def header(lengths, speeds, modes, blinks, ants, brightness=100, date=datetime.now()):
     """ lengths[0] is the number of chars of the first text
 
       Speeds come in as 1..8, but are needed 0..7 here.
   """
-    a = [int(x) for x in re.split(r'[\s,]+', ants)]
-    a = a + [a[-1]] * (8 - len(a))  # repeat last element
-
-    b = [int(x) for x in re.split(r'[\s,]+', blink)]
-    b = b + [b[-1]] * (8 - len(b))  # repeat last element
+    protocol_header_template = (
+        0x77, 0x61, 0x6e, 0x67, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40,
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
+    )
 
-    s = [int(x) - 1 for x in re.split(r'[\s,]+', speeds)]
-    s = s + [s[-1]] * (8 - len(s))  # repeat last element
+    ants = expand_tuple(ants)
+    blinks = expand_tuple(blinks)
+    speeds = expand_tuple(speeds)
+    modes = expand_tuple(modes)
 
-    m = [int(x) for x in re.split(r'[\s,]+', modes)]
-    m = m + [m[-1]] * (8 - len(m))  # repeat last element
+    speeds = [x - 1 for x in speeds]
 
-    h = list(proto_header)
+    h = list(protocol_header_template)
 
     if brightness <= 25:
         h[5] = 0x40
@@ -432,11 +430,11 @@ def header(lengths, speeds, modes, blink, ants, brightness=100, date=datetime.no
         h[5] = 0x10
 
     for i in range(8):
-        h[6] += b[i] << i
-        h[7] += a[i] << i
+        h[6] += blinks[i] << i
+        h[7] += ants[i] << i
 
     for i in range(8):
-        h[8 + i] = 16 * s[i] + m[i]
+        h[8 + i] = 16 * speeds[i] + modes[i]
 
     for i in range(len(lengths)):
         h[17 + (2 * i) - 1] = lengths[i] // 256
@@ -452,6 +450,9 @@ def header(lengths, speeds, modes, blink, ants, brightness=100, date=datetime.no
     return h
 
 
+def split_to_ints(list_str):
+    return [int(x) for x in re.split(r'[\s,]+', list_str)]
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
@@ -546,8 +547,15 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     else:
         print("Type: 11x44")
 
+    lengths = [b[1] for b in msg_bitmaps]
+    speeds = split_to_ints(args.speeds)
+    modes = split_to_ints(args.mode)
+    blinks = split_to_ints(args.blink)
+    ants = split_to_ints(args.ants)
+    brightness = int(args.brightness)
+
     buf = array('B')
-    buf.extend(header(list(map(lambda x: x[1], msg_bitmaps)), args.speed, args.mode, args.blink, args.ants, int(args.brightness)))
+    buf.extend(header(lengths, speeds, modes, blinks, ants, brightness))
 
     for msg_bitmap in msg_bitmaps:
         buf.extend(msg_bitmap[0])
diff --git a/tests/test_led-badge-11x44.py b/tests/test_led-badge-11x44.py
index 12b7cf5..19b6a21 100644
--- a/tests/test_led-badge-11x44.py
+++ b/tests/test_led-badge-11x44.py
@@ -11,17 +11,17 @@ class Test(TestCase):
         self.test_date = datetime.datetime(2022, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24)
 
     def test_header_2msgs(self):
-        buf = testee.header((6, 7), "5,3", "6,2", "0,1", "1,0", 75, self.test_date)
+        buf = testee.header((6, 7), (5, 3), (6, 2), (0, 1), (1, 0), 75, self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 16, 254, 1, 70, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 34, 0, 6, 0, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 22, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
 
     def test_header_8msgs(self):
         buf = testee.header((1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
-                            "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8",
-                            "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8",
-                            "0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1",
-                            "1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0",
+                            (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+                            (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+                            (0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1),
+                            (1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0),
                             25,
                             self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 64, 170, 85, 1, 18, 35, 52, 69, 86, 103, 120, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 3, 0, 4, 0,
@@ -29,26 +29,26 @@ class Test(TestCase):
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
 
     def test_header_brightness(self):
-        buf = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 25, self.test_date)
+        buf = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 25, self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 64, 0, 0, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 22, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
-        buf = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 26, self.test_date)
+        buf = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 26, self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 32, 0, 0, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 22, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
-        buf = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 60, self.test_date)
+        buf = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 60, self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 16, 0, 0, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 22, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
-        buf = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 80, self.test_date)
+        buf = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 80, self.test_date)
         self.assertEqual([119, 97, 110, 103, 0, 0, 0, 0, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 52, 0, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 22, 11, 13, 17, 38, 24, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
                           0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], buf)
 
     def test_header_date(self):
-        buf1 = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 100, self.test_date)
-        buf2 = testee.header((6,), "4", "4", "0", "0", 100)
+        buf1 = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 100, self.test_date)
+        buf2 = testee.header((6,), (4,), (4,), (0,), (0,), 100)
         self.assertEqual(buf1[0:38], buf2[0:38])
         self.assertEqual(buf1[38 + 6:], buf2[38 + 6:])
         self.assertNotEqual(buf1[38:38 + 6], buf2[38:38 + 6])