The DX Mentor

Bill Salyers
  • 4.7 (23)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

The DX Mentor podcast is directed towards any amateur radio operator (Ham) or Short Wave Listener (SWL) who has an interest in listening to or communicating with stations that are not in your country, or DX.

  1. This Week in DX 03/14/2026

    8H AGO

    This Week in DX 03/14/2026

    The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How’s DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com Let’s start with on update on the 3YØK DXpedition from Bouvet Island: Bouvetøya, March 10th 2026  While the previous days weather has been good, thecurrent weather at Bouvetøya has strong winds at 25 m/s and rain and we have difficulties to walk and stand up while outdoor. The 160m antenna broke today and the 20M Yagi is also damaged and not in use. We have spare parts ready forthe antennas, but currently it is deemed unsafe to raise the Yagi in this strong wind. We will get it up as soon as the weather allows it. We currently have 6-7 stations up and running and willkeep this until the weekend. It is likely we will see a partial tear down if there is a weather window this weekend or early next week. We still plan to stay as long as possible next week, but the weather window will dictate when wemust return to vessel. We have currently logged more than 70.000 contacts, and we thank everyone for being in the pileup! - 73, 3YØK.  J5 - Guinea-Bissau –As of Monday, they had made 164,500 QSOs with 31,600 different callsigns in 10.9 days of operation. (As of this writing, at 1930 UTC, the number of QSOs logged had increased to 168,085.) There are still nine days to go. They experienced a 30-minute generator outage yesterday, but“apart from that, operation is going on smoothly.” They also reported that they would be on 80M SSB, but not 160M or 60M SSB.    YJ – Vanuatu - VK2YUS, Chris Ayres, plans an operation, YJ0CA.  He will be at Port Vila March 18 to April 2, SSB only, the same gear as previously, an IC-7300 to small amplifier,and simple wire antennas, 40-10.  He says his main operating times will likely be between 2100-1000Z.  Chris logs on paper and then has "a high quality physical card for confirmation."  Cards will be sent out air mail in  April from Australia.  Check QRZ.com for the details on QSL address, etc.   FJ - St. Barthelemy –Andreas, DK6AS,is now active from St. Barts as FJ/DK6AS for the month of March. He is QRV on CW, FT4 and FT8 on 3.5 through 50 MHz. VP2E – Anguilla – Jack, M0PLX, SP9FIH and SQ2RAD, will be QRV from Anguilla until March 22nd. They will use the callsigns VP2ELX, VP2EWE, and VP2EAD, respectively. Theiractivities will cover the 160-6 meter bands. ZC4 - UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus The planned (ZC4C and ZC4Z) trip to Cyprus was canceled by the travel company just 12 hours before departure, leaving the group deeply disappointed.  Attempts to rebook flights were unsuccessful due to limited availability and  ongoing travel restrictions. The team, who had remained determined to travel  despite recent safety concerns, is now seeking an extension to theirlicense to reschedule for a later date. After a year of preparation, the sudden cancellation is a significant letdown.   VP0/O - South Orkney Islands - Sergeant RamonAlberto Matinez, will operate as LU1DMZ/Z from the LU1ZA station at Orcadas Antarctic Base on Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands, throughout 2026. The South Orcadas Base, established in 1904, is the oldest Antarctic base. In 1927, the first all-Argentine crew led by JosÇ Moneta arrived,and the first official radiotelegraph station in Antarctica was opened.Since 1951, the Orcadas Observatory has been under the Argentine Navy as the South Orcadas Naval Detachment. QRX for more details.

    11 min
  2. Episode 88 - The S21WD DXpedition to Bangladesh

    MAR 7

    Episode 88 - The S21WD DXpedition to Bangladesh

    Hello and welcome to episode 88 of The DX Mentor – a discussion about the upcoming S21WD DXpedition with Sven, DJ4MX. We are also going to discuss the Next Generation DX Club. If this is the first time you are joining us, Welcome! We have a back catalog covering many aspects of DX in both podcast and YouTube format. Please check us out.  If you like what you find, please subscribe to always be notified about upcoming episodes!     If you have a comment or a question, please drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com Below are the links that we alluded to: Next Generation DX Association https://www.next-generation-dx.com/ https://www.qrz.com/db/S21WD Aj8b@arrl.net WhatsApp - +5135039901 Website: www.aj8b.com Youtube & Podcast TheDXMentor Real Time DX Info (DailyDX https://www.dailydx.com/ Southwest Ohio DX Assoc. https://www.swodxa.org Daily DX https://www.dailydx.com/ DX Engineering https://www.dxengineering.com/ Icom https://www.icomamerica.com/ IC-7760 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7760 IC-PW2 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-PW2 IC-7300 MK2 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7300MK2/ IC-9700 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-9700/ IC-905 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-905/ IC-R8600 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-R8600/ IC-52A Plus Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/ID-52APLUS/

    1h 4m
  3. This Week in DX - 03/04/26

    MAR 7

    This Week in DX - 03/04/26

    Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for your weekly Dose of DX. I’m Bill, AJ8B. 5N – Nigeria – Bodo, DF8DX, will be in Abuja, Nigeria, working at the Voice of Nigeria broadcasting station from March 1-10,. Operating under his new callsign 5N7QBR he plans to be active on the air as time allows and will participate in the ARRL DX SSB Contest. J5 - Guinea-Bissau – 124,600 QSOs and 23,800 different callsigns after 7.24 days of operation. Still 13 days to go. YJ – Vanuatu - JK1JXZ (also known as A35JK, T2JK), Aki, is QRV from Port Vila, Vanuatu as YJ1JXZ until April 3, 2026. He  will operate on the 80-6m bands, with activity after 5 p.m. Vanuatu time on weekdays and all day during weekends. The web page https://www.qrz.com/db/YJ1JXZ will beupdated  once the specific dates are confirmed.   FJ - St. Barthelemy –Andreas, DK6AS, is now active from St. Barts as FJ/DK6AS for the month of March. He is QRVon CW, FT4 and FT8 on 3.5 through 50 MHz, including participation in the ARRL International DX CW Contest. QSL via DK6AS either direct or via the bureau.3B8 - Mauritius & 3B9 - Rodrigues - So far reported as 3B8G on 20, 15 and 10 CW, and the operator is VU3OPT, akaOM0GA, Suvarna.  This is a 48-day trip will end on March 30. The Rodrigues portion, callsign 3B9N, will run from April 3 to May 20.  It appears he also plans visits to Sri Lanka (4S) and Bangladesh (S2) in the second half of 2026.   JD1/M - Minami Torishima – Take, JG8NQJ, will be working again on Minami Torishima as JG8NQJ/JD1 now to mid-May, operating with 50 watts and a  HB9CV style 17/15M 2-element antenna. QSL via JA8CJY.    VP2E – Anguilla – Jack, M0PLX, SP9FIH and SQ2RAD, will be QRV from Anguilla until March 22nd. They will use the callsigns VP2ELX, VP2EWE, and VP2EAD, respectively. Theiractivities will cover the 160-6 meter bands, with each operator focusing on specific frequencies; Jack will concentrate on 15m, 40m, and 80m SSB.Operations will take place on SSB and CW, utilizing multiple transceivers, amplifiers, and both vertical and directional antennas. During the three-week stay, Jack also plans short sightseeing and possible radio activities from St. Maarten (FS), Saba (PJ6), and St. Barthelemy (FJ).ZC4 - UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus - The ZC4C and ZC4Z team are scheduled to depart Edinburgh, Scotland Wednesday morning heading for Cyprus and will probably begin operations early Thursday.   VE – Canada - It's VO2LAB/VY0 from Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Nunavut  Territory, where Jim, WB2REM, is operating remotely from the VY0IRC station.  QSL via Club Log, QRZ, LOTW but no paper confirmations. V5 - Namibia – Gunter, DK2WH, is currently operating as V51WH from a farm near Omaruru, Namibia, and will remain active until March 24, covering frequencies from 160 to 6 meters, including 60 meters.   FO/A - Austral Islands - "The excitement is mounting, just over a week to go until departure!" – from the TX5EU group.  A lot of the prep work is done, extensive radios, antennas, spare parts, etc., "everything has been planned in detail, tested, and packed."  The German and Dutch ops have been meeting regularly, mostly on video conferences.   On March 11, the six ops from Germany and The Netherlands will meet at the airport in Paris and fly to San Francisco and onward to the Austral Islands.  They expect to be on the air March 13, with operations  continuing to March 25.

    12 min
  4. This Week in DX - 02/28/2026

    FEB 28

    This Week in DX - 02/28/2026

    Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for your weekly Dose of DX. I’m Bill, AJ8B. The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How’s DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com To say that the world has been waiting on this would be an understatement. We have an update on the Bouvet DXpedition, 3Y0K - They have left Cape Town! The 3YØK team has departed Cape Town aboard the Danish registered vessel Argus from Icetugs, beginning the 1,500‑nautical‑mile transit to Bouvetøya.  Argus completed scheduled maintenance and survey work prior to her arrival in Cape Town, ensuring full readiness for the voyage. Earlier this week, the expedition helicopter was loaded, inspected, and secured on deck. Both the vessel and the aircraft have successfully passed all required inspections. We appreciate the strong commitment demonstrated by the pilots, mechanics, expedition guides, and vessel crew as we move forward together as one team to make this a successful expedition.  The captain and crew are performing excellently, and the team is enjoying good meals prepared by the ship’s chef. Despite encountering rough seas during the first day at sea, preparations continue onboard as we expect to arrive atBouvetøya on February 26th at 08:00 local time.  We extend our sincere thanks to all contributors for your continued support!  73, 3YØK Team    5N – Nigeria – Bodo, DF8DX, will be in Abuja, Nigeria, working at the Voice of Nigeria broadcasting station from March 1-10,. Operating under his new callsign 5N7QBR he plans to be active on the air as time allows and will participate in the ARRL DX SSB Contest.  Using 100 watts and possibly Voice of Nigeria's large curtain antenna (about 19dB gain), he will operate CW, SSB, and FT8 on 10-80m bands. QSLs are accepted via LoTW, direct, bureau, or OQRS after the activity. For more information, see his QRZ.com profiles for 5N0OCH and 5N7Q.9G – Ghana – Arno, DL1CW, is QRV until March 3rd. He ismostly on CW with some RTTY possible through March 3. He is running 100 atts to a dipole and plans to be active on 3.5 through 50 MHz. QSL via LoTW and via the bureau to DL1CW.   J5 - Guinea-Bissau – We have over 25.000 QSOs in the log after the first 24 hours of operation. We already logged more than 5.000 QSOs in CW. Only some 100+ SSB QSOs yet. Manymore CW and SSB to come in the coming days, don't worry...  We have an Update on KP5/NP3VI, Desecheo Island- Asreported last week, KP5/NP3VI, the Desecheo Island DXpedition, has been extended to March 3. As of February 25th, they had exceeded 97,000 QSO milestone, “all generated using our fully solar-powered, unattended RemoteDeployment Unit.”  FJ - St. Barthelemy – On February 12, Andreas, DK6AS, began his February/March 2026 FJ/DK6AS operation from St. Barts. He'll be QRV on CW, FT4 and CT8 on 3.5 through 50 MHz,including participation in the ARRL International DX CW Contest. QSL via DK6AS either direct or via the bureau.  This week, the DX Mentor YouTube episode will feature Hal, W8HC. Hal will be discussing the 9U1RU DXpedition that logged almost 180,000 QSOs. Give it a watch and let me know what you think. Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week!

    11 min
  5. Episode 87 - The 9U1RU DXpedition

    FEB 21

    Episode 87 - The 9U1RU DXpedition

    Hello and welcome to episode 87 of The DX Mentor – A discussion about the 9U1RU DXpedition to Burundi. If this is the first time you are joining us, Welcome! We have a back catalog covering many aspects of DX in both podcast and YouTube format. Please check us out. If you like what you find, please subscribe to always be notified about upcoming episodes! If you have a comment or a question, please drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com From the press 9U1RU release: "An international team of 9 operators will run a DXpedition from the Republic of Burundi as 9U1RU during October 31 to November 17, 2025. QRV with at least 7 high-power stations 24/7 on all HF bands during 20 days. Their goal is to work as many stations as possible, paying attention to distant regions and low-pistols. They have found a good location with a clear take-off to all most common directions. " Below are the links that we alluded to: Indexa Newsletter: https://indexa.org/documents/newsletters/Newsletter-Issue-147-Winter2025.pdf 9U1RU Website: https://www.rudxt.org/9u1ru Aj8b@arrl.net WhatsApp - +5135039901 Website: www.aj8b.com Youtube & Podcast TheDXMentor Real Time DX Info (DailyDX https://www.dailydx.com/ Southwest Ohio DX Assoc. https://www.swodxa.org Daily DX https://www.dailydx.com/ DX Engineering https://www.dxengineering.com/ Icom https://www.icomamerica.com/ IC-7760 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7760 IC-PW2 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-PW2 IC-7300 MK2 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7300MK2/ IC-9700 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-9700/ IC-905 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-905/ IC-R8600 Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-R8600/ IC-52A Plus Product Page: https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/ID-52APLUS/

    56 min
  6. This Week in DX 02/21/2026

    FEB 21

    This Week in DX 02/21/2026

    Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for yourweekly Dose of DX. I’m Bill, AJ8B. The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How’s DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com 5X - Uganda – Richard, HB9FHV,is currently in Uganda for a brief visit with basic radio equipment until February 28, 2026. He plans limited activity as 5X4TA almost daily on the 10, 15, and 20 meter bands between 1500Z and 1600Z.   TZ - Mali - Ulmar, DK1CE, should be QRV as TZ1CE until March 1.  He will be doing mostly FT8 and SSB and says when he's on FT8 he gives stations outside Europe precedent at alltimes.  He plans special attention to 160M FT8, 80M FT8 and 6M and will update daily on Club Log, the LoTW log will be after the operation.   FJ - St. Barthelemy – On February 12, Andreas, DK6AS, began his February/March 2026 FJ/DK6AS operation from St. Barts. He'll be QRV on CW, FT4 and CT8 on 3.5 through 50 MHz, including participation in the ARRL International DX CW Contest. QSL via DK6AS either direct or via the bureau.VP5 - Turks and Caicos Islands - The Russell family (WD5JR, N5VOF and KJ5CMP) are in the Turks and Caicos Islands until February 23. They have an IC-7300 and KX2 running 5 to 100 watts into a 17 foot whip with coil and EFHW. They are active as VP5/HC on 7 through 50 MHz on SSB and CW. They areuploading videos to their YouTube channel Radio Roamers and Facebook page Radio Roamers.  QSL via their home calls with SASE.   J5 - Guinea-Bissau - The J51A DXpedition team, heading for Bijagos Archipelago (AF-020) in the February-March time frame giving the following update.  "J51A on QO-100: We were asked to be active on QO-100 satellite, too. We learnt that J5 has NEVER been active on QO-100 before.So, we decided to give it a try for a lot of ATNO contacts on SSB, CW and FT8. However, none of us has operated over  satellite before. Please bear with us if we do something stupid or unexpected. Just let us know by E-Mail ( j51a@gmx.de ) and we'llfix any misbehavior  A.S.A.P. Technically; we will use 50 MHz as the IF band. It means that we  cannot do 50 MHz when on QO-100, and vice versa. QO-100 operation will start a  couple of days after the other bands. Please watch the "News" sectionon  www.qrz.com/db/J51A for more info."   OX – Greenland - From February 17th to March 9th, 2026, Bo, OZ1DJJ, will be active as OX3LX from Aasiaat City/Island (GP38NQ, NA-134) during this period. Please note, this is nota DXpedition but rather a business trip, so activity may be limited.   8Q - Maldives – Alex, OE5AUH, is planning a holiday operation as 8Q7AH from Rasdhoo Atoll March 1-10.   RI1F - Franz Jozef Land - The Russian DX Team is preparing a major DXpedition to Franz Josef Land (RI1FJL), The Arctic Ocean archipelago, ranked 44th globally and 26th in North America. The operation will feature at least five high-power radio stations running continuously on all HF bands for 15 days in September 2026, aiming to contact as many stations as possible, including those in distant areas.The total budget for this trip is close to $80,000, making it their most expensive expedition yet, and financial support from DX clubs and individuals is crucial for its success. Donations are encouraged and can be made through the team's website - https://www.rudxt.org/ri1fjl or directlyvia PayPal un7jid@mail.ru. In addition to the previously mentioned KP5/NP3VI interview, the DX Mentor podcast will be with Hal, W8HC. Hal will bediscussing the 9U1RU DXpedition that logged almost 180,000 QSOs. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

    12 min
  7. This Week in DX - 02/07/2026

    FEB 7

    This Week in DX - 02/07/2026

    We have two operations from J5 - Guinea-BissauFirst - DA1DX, Ben, the organizer of the J51A DXpedition to Guinea-Bissau in February/March 2026, shares several updates. The ARRL has approved the J51A license for DXCC, and the LoTW certificate has been received. After clarifying frequency and mode permissions with the national authority and confirming alignment with IARU Region 1 Band Plans, all standard bands and modes-including 160m, 60m, WARC bands, and 50 MHz-are confirmed valid for DXCC, IOTA, and other awards. The DXpedition is entirely privately funded, with RF-POWER lending five amplifiers and all other equipment privately owned. Ben invites donations via Club Log OQRS and provides a link for more information. https://www.qrz.com/db/J51A Secondly, J52EC is on until February 28th by operator IZ3BUR, Livio. He has an IC-7410, 100 watts, to a 3-element Yagi on 20, 15 and 10. TL - Central African Republic & TT – Chad - TJ1GD, Darek, has established permanent amateur radio stations in the Central African Republic and in Chad, which are maintained locally. These stations (TL8GD and TT1GD), licensed to Darek, operate periodically-often remotely using FT8, CW, and SSB. QSL confirmations are available via LoTW and Club Log. KP5/NP3VI, Desecheo Island - KP5/NP3VI is now 2 weeks into its planned 30-day operation. Their latest published statistics are as follows: Over 55,000 QSOs are in the log, with 91.1 percent of the QSOs with North American and Europe. CN - Morocco - F6FYD, Yannick, expects to return to Morocco next week. In early March he also has plans to go to Mogador Island (AF-065), Agadir, and El Jadida and has the callsign CN2YD. FG – Guadeloupe - TF1OL, Olafur, will be live from Guadeloupe starting Wednesday next week for approximately seven days. No word on what callsign he will be using. Following the stay in Guadeloupe, plans to visit other islands are pending permission to operate. TZ - Mali - The next TZ1CE by DK1CE, Ulmar, is February 10 to March 1. He will be doing mostly FT8 and SSB and says when he's on FT8 he gives stations outside Europe precedent at all times. He plans special attention to 160M FT8, 80M FT8 and 6M and will update daily on Club Log, the LoTW log will be after the operation, and in Mali 60M operation is not allowed. FG - Guadeloupe - FG/F6HMQ, Tildas, and FG/F6GWV, Mike, are there for another week or so, with a pair of IC-7300 radios, to vertical wires. "Holiday style," they are 60-10M SSB, FT4 and FT8. LoTW confirmations will be available within a few days. YU – Serbia - This year is the 170th anniversary of Nikola Tesla's birth. Stations in the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia are authorized to use callsign YT170TESLA through the end of this year. XU - Cambodia - DL7BO, Tom, will once again be QRV as XU7O from February 7-21, reports DX News. S9 - Sao Tome & Principe – S53BV is QRV as S9BV until February 20, holiday style "from a quiet location," Borut, will be on with an IC-7000 to verticals and dipoles. He plans to be on 60, 40, 30 and 15 CW and SSB. On 30, 40 and 60M CW, target frequencies are 10110, 7005 and 5351.5. Direct QSLs will be answered when he's back home. Club Log OQRS will be available, with limited internet access while there and "postal challenges." He will apparently give special instructions later. Until next week, this is Bill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. I Hope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week!

    12 min
  8. This Week in DX - 01/31/2026

    JAN 31

    This Week in DX - 01/31/2026

    The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How’s DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com V4 - St. Kitts - The 425 DX News reports that V47JA by W5JON is QRV from the island until February 3, SSB andFT8 on HF.  QSL direct to W5JON, or  use Logbook of the World.   TL - Central African Republic & TT –Chad - TJ1GD, Darek, has established permanent amateur radio stations in the Central African Republic and in Chad, which are maintained locally. These stations (TL8GD and TT1GD), licensed to Darek, operate periodically-often remotely using FT8, CW, and SSB. QSL confirmations are available via LoTW and Club Log.J5 - Guinea-Bissau – Livio, IZ3BUR, is once again QRV as J52EC starting January 24. He has been reported on SSB on 10 and 15 meters. Numerous sources report he is there until March. QSL direct only via IZ3BUR.  C2 - Nauru – Phil, FK1TS, is back on Nauru Island and expects to be active as C21TS on FT8 by the weekend, after setting up his vertical antenna. He will operate until July 2026, and Club Log Livestream will indicate when he is on the air.   KP5/NP3VI, Desecheo Island - KP5/NP3VI is now 2 weeks into its planned 30-day operation. Their latest published statistics are as follows: 29,418 QSOs with 8,291 unique callsigns; ATNO for 1,66 stations. Six continents are represented in the log, with 91.1 percent of the QSOs with North American and Europe. However, North America contacts continue to decrease in percentage as they increase activity with other regions.   C5 - The Gambia - C5SP, Przemyslaw and C5MB, Magdalena are QRV from Sanyang, Gambia (Grid Square IK13pf) until March 2026. QSL cards are available via SP3PS Direct, but not through LoTW. H4 - Solomon Islands - DL2GAC, Bernhard now in the Solomon Islands as H44MS until mid-May.  He departed India last Wednesday, arriving in the Solomons' capital on Friday.  He is renewing his H44MS license, which was scheduled to expire in early February.  He will move to his "usual QTH" there tomorrow or Wednesday.  He has taken with him a Hexbeam that covers 20-6, to replace his old tri-bander that covered 20-10.  He says the weather is poor, lots of rain, no sunshine.  He plans to mostly be on 40M this time, with a dipole 20M high in a palm tree near the ocean.

    13 min
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About

The DX Mentor podcast is directed towards any amateur radio operator (Ham) or Short Wave Listener (SWL) who has an interest in listening to or communicating with stations that are not in your country, or DX.

Information

  • Creator
    Bill Salyers
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bill Salyers
  • Show Website
    The DX Mentor

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