I used the "String" keyword because this seemed the only solution for what i wanted, a string array.
A String and a string are NOT the same thing. Quit writing this crap like they are the same thing.
You have an array of Strings. There are three elements in the array. How many elements do you want in the byte array?
Since the first String is "FF", what value do you want in the byte array?
Why is the data in an array of Strings now? Is it just laziness or incompetence, or is there some VALID reason?