diff --git a/broker.go b/broker.go
index 4c44fb1..90da398 100644
--- a/broker.go
+++ b/broker.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slog"
 )
 
-type JBroker struct {
+type Broker struct {
 	subs map[string]chan skylab.BusEvent // contains the channel for each subsciber
 
 	logger  *slog.Logger
@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@ type JBroker struct {
 	bufsize int // size of chan buffer in elements.
 }
 
-func NewBroker(bufsize int, logger *slog.Logger) *JBroker {
-	return &JBroker{
+func NewBroker(bufsize int, logger *slog.Logger) *Broker {
+	return &Broker{
 		subs:    make(map[string]chan skylab.BusEvent),
 		logger:  logger,
 		bufsize: bufsize,
 	}
 }
 
-func (b *JBroker) Subscribe(name string) (ch chan skylab.BusEvent, err error) {
+func (b *Broker) Subscribe(name string) (ch chan skylab.BusEvent, err error) {
 	// get rw lock.
 	b.lock.Lock()
 	defer b.lock.Unlock()
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@ func (b *JBroker) Subscribe(name string) (ch chan skylab.BusEvent, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (b *JBroker) Unsubscribe(name string) {
+func (b *Broker) Unsubscribe(name string) {
 	// remove the channel from the map. We don't need to close it.
 	b.lock.Lock()
 	defer b.lock.Unlock()
 	delete(b.subs, name)
 }
 
-func (b *JBroker) Publish(sender string, message skylab.BusEvent) {
+func (b *Broker) Publish(sender string, message skylab.BusEvent) {
 	b.lock.RLock()
 	defer b.lock.RUnlock()
 	for name, ch := range b.subs {
diff --git a/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go b/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
index 89c44f7..4e4963d 100644
--- a/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
+++ b/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var serveCmd = &cli.Command{
 
 type service interface {
 	fmt.Stringer
-	Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error)
+	Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error)
 	Status()
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (r *rpcService) String() string {
 	return "rpcService"
 }
 
-func (r *rpcService) Start(ctx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *slog.Logger) error {
+func (r *rpcService) Start(ctx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, logger *slog.Logger) error {
 	// TODO: extract port/ip from cli context.
 	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "0.0.0.0:8082")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func (r *rpcService) Start(ctx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *sl
 	}
 }
 
-func handleCon(conn net.Conn, broker *gotelem.JBroker, l *slog.Logger, done <-chan struct{}) {
+func handleCon(conn net.Conn, broker *gotelem.Broker, l *slog.Logger, done <-chan struct{}) {
 	//	reader := msgp.NewReader(conn)
 
 	subname := fmt.Sprint("tcp", conn.RemoteAddr().String())
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (c *canLoggerService) String() string {
 func (c *canLoggerService) Status() {
 }
 
-func (c *canLoggerService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, l *slog.Logger) (err error) {
+func (c *canLoggerService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, l *slog.Logger) (err error) {
 	rxCh, err := broker.Subscribe("canDump")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func (x *xBeeService) String() string {
 func (x *xBeeService) Status() {
 }
 
-func (x *xBeeService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
+func (x *xBeeService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
 	if cCtx.String("xbee") == "" {
 		logger.Info("not using xbee")
 		return
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func (h *httpService) Status() {
 
 }
 
-func (h *httpService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
+func (h *httpService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
 
 	r := gotelem.TelemRouter(logger)
 
diff --git a/cmd/gotelem/cli/socketcan.go b/cmd/gotelem/cli/socketcan.go
index b138a18..39a9e84 100644
--- a/cmd/gotelem/cli/socketcan.go
+++ b/cmd/gotelem/cli/socketcan.go
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ func (s *socketCANService) String() string {
 	return s.name
 }
 
-func (s *socketCANService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
+// Start starts the socketCAN service - emitting packets sent from the broker.
+func (s *socketCANService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.Broker, logger *slog.Logger) (err error) {
 	// vcan0 demo
 
 	if cCtx.String("can") == "" {
@@ -112,8 +113,8 @@ func (s *socketCANService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, broker *gotelem.JBroker, log
 				continue
 			}
 			cde := skylab.BusEvent{
-				Timestamp: float64(time.Now().UnixNano()) / 1e9,
-				Id:        uint64(msg.Id),
+				Timestamp: time.Now(),
+				Id:        msg.Id,
 				Data:      p,
 			}
 			broker.Publish("socketCAN", cde)
diff --git a/cmd/skylabify/skylabify.go b/cmd/skylabify/skylabify.go
index 1e708a8..bc6fb17 100644
--- a/cmd/skylabify/skylabify.go
+++ b/cmd/skylabify/skylabify.go
@@ -100,10 +100,11 @@ func run(ctx *cli.Context) (err error) {
 		hexes := strings.Split(segments[2], "#")
 
 		// get the id
-		cd.Id, err = strconv.ParseUint(hexes[0], 16, 64)
+		id, err := strconv.ParseUint(hexes[0], 16, 64)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		cd.Id = uint32(id)
 
 		// get the data to a []byte
 		rawData, err := hex.DecodeString(hexes[1])
diff --git a/skylab/skylab.go b/skylab/skylab.go
index e10f8f7..41e457b 100644
--- a/skylab/skylab.go
+++ b/skylab/skylab.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"time"
 
 	// this is needed so that we can run make_skylab.go
 	// without this, the yaml library will be removed
@@ -81,25 +82,25 @@ func ToCanFrame(p Packet) (id uint32, data []byte, err error) {
 // ---- other wire encoding business ----
 
 // internal structure for partially decoding json object.
-type jsonRawEvent struct {
-	Timestamp uint32
-	Id        uint32
-	Name      string
-	Data      json.RawMessage
+// includes
+type RawJsonEvent struct {
+	Timestamp uint32          `json:"ts" db:"ts"`
+	Id        uint32          `json:"id"`
+	Name      string          `json:"name"`
+	Data      json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
 }
 
 // BusEvent is a timestamped Skylab packet
 type BusEvent struct {
-	Timestamp uint32 `json:"ts"`
-	Id        uint32 `json:"id"`
-	Name      string `json:"name"`
-	Data      Packet `json:"data"`
+	Timestamp time.Time `json:"ts"`
+	Id        uint32    `json:"id"`
+	Data      Packet    `json:"data"`
 }
 
 func (e *BusEvent) MarshalJSON() (b []byte, err error) {
 	// create the underlying raw event
-	j := &jsonRawEvent{
-		Timestamp: e.Timestamp,
+	j := &RawJsonEvent{
+		Timestamp: uint32(e.Timestamp.UnixMilli()),
 		Id:        uint32(e.Id),
 		Name:      e.Data.String(),
 	}
@@ -114,18 +115,17 @@ func (e *BusEvent) MarshalJSON() (b []byte, err error) {
 }
 
 func (e *BusEvent) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
-	var jRaw *jsonRawEvent
+	j := &RawJsonEvent{}
 
-	err := json.Unmarshal(b, jRaw)
+	err := json.Unmarshal(b, j)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	e.Timestamp = jRaw.Timestamp
-	e.Id = jRaw.Id
-	e.Data, err = FromJson(jRaw.Id, jRaw.Data)
-	e.Name = e.Data.String()
+	e.Timestamp = time.UnixMilli(int64(j.Timestamp))
+	e.Id = j.Id
+	e.Data, err = FromJson(j.Id, j.Data)
 
 	return err
 }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (e *BusEvent) MarshalMsg(b []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	rawEv := &msgpRawEvent{
-		Timestamp: e.Timestamp,
+		Timestamp: uint32(e.Timestamp.UnixMilli()),
 		Id:        uint32(e.Id),
 		Data:      data,
 	}
@@ -153,10 +153,9 @@ func (e *BusEvent) UnmarshalMsg(b []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return remain, err
 	}
-	e.Timestamp = rawEv.Timestamp
+	e.Timestamp = time.UnixMilli(int64(rawEv.Timestamp))
 	e.Id = rawEv.Id
 	e.Data, err = FromCanFrame(rawEv.Id, rawEv.Data)
-	e.Name = e.Data.String()
 
 	return remain, err
 }