diff --git a/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/devices/beam.py b/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/devices/beam.py
index 1d879d0eb8facfa3d56ee2aebdc6b2b359b370ca..3330d3a3b2be83035d9915ccb5b421e7912a995b 100644
--- a/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/devices/beam.py
+++ b/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/devices/beam.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class Beam(lofar_device):
         for rcu in range(96):
             if mask[rcu]:
                 self._hbat_pointing_direction[rcu] = pointing_direction[rcu]
-                self._hbat_pointing_timestamp[rcu] = timestamp
+                self._hbat_pointing_timestamp[rcu] = timestamp.timestamp()
 
     # --------
     # Commands