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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 21, No. 44
November 8, 2002
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +HR 4720 sponsor, hams in Congress survive election
* +FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force issues recommendations
* +Last Expedition 5 ARISS school contact a success
* +FCC suspends Ohio ham following repeater interference
* +MARS "Operation Holidays" turns 12
* +Well-known contester Dan Robbins, KL7Y, SK
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +No comments filed on multiple vanity applications petition
     Attention all ARRL-affiliated clubs!
     Jean R. Cebik, N4TZP, SK
     Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award
     Veterans' Day special event set

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================

==>TWO HAMS IN US HOUSE, HR 4720 SPONSOR, MOST COSPONSORS SURVIVE ELECTION

The only two Amateur Radio operators in the US House of Representatives as
well as the sponsor and most cosponsors of the CC&R bill, HR 4720, were
returned to office in this week's mid-term election. HR 4720 sponsor, Rep
Steve Israel--a New York Democrat--beat back a challenge from Joseph
Finley in that state's second congressional district. An original HR 4720
cosponsor, Texas Republican Rep Pete Sessions, of the 32nd congressional
district, defeated Democratic challenger Pauline Dixon.

Elsewhere, Rep Greg Walden, WB7OCE, an Oregon Republican, handily won
re-election in a three-way race in that state's second congressional
district. Also re-elected was Arkansas fourth-district Democrat, Rep Mike
Ross, WD5DVR, who defeated Republican Jay Dickey for another term. Walden
and Ross are both HR 4720 cosponsors and the only hams in Congress.

Of the 34 HR 4720 cosponsors signed on to date, only three won't be back
in January when the new Congress convenes. Although Rep Patsy Mink, the
Hawaii Democrat died September 28, her name remained on the ballot, and
she defeated Republican Bob McDermott. A special election will be held to
fill the vacancy. Another cosponsor, Rep Bob Schaffer, a Colorado
Republican, did not seek a new term, and a third, Maryland Republican Rep
Constance Morella, was defeated for re-election by Democrat Christopher
Van Hollen.

Although at least one "lame duck" session of Congress is scheduled between
now and the time the new Congress convenes, action on HR 4720--"The
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act"--is considered
highly unlikely. Technically, the measure remains alive until Congress
formally adjourns.

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, has called HR 4720 "probably the most
important thing the League has done in a long time." The League's effort
to secure a congressional solution to the issue of CC&Rs--deed convenants,
conditions and restrictions as they affect the ability of amateurs to
erect outdoor antenna systems--will re-start after the new Congress is
gaveled into session in January.

The measure was referred to the House Telecommunications and Internet
Subcommittee, to which Walden was appointed. It would require private
land-use regulators--such as homeowners' associations--to "reasonably
accommodate" Amateur Radio communication consistent with the PRB-1 limited
federal preemption. PRB-1 now applies only to states and municipalities.

For more information, visit the HR 4720, The Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Consistency Act of 2002 page
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr4720> on the ARRL Web site.

==>FCC SPECTRUM POLICY TASK FORCE PRESENTS RECOMMENDATIONS

The FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force this week presented recommendations to
modernize the rules that guide how the nation's spectrum is managed and
utilized. The panel recommended that spectrum management evolve from a
traditional government "command-and-control" model to a more flexible,
consumer-oriented approach. Created by FCC Chairman Michael Powell last
June, the Task Force--after research and extensive public input--concluded
that the time is ripe for spectrum policy reform.

"The foundations of our current spectrum policy are cracking beneath the
weight of innovation and widespread consumer use of spectrum-based
services," Powell said. "This is no surprise, since most of our policies
date from the 1920s." The FCC said in a Public Notice
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-228242A1.doc> that
the Task Force's report will provide a starting point for a long-term
review of spectrum policy approaches.

The ARRL was among the entities and individuals commenting in the FCC's
Task Force initiative, ET Docket 02-135, earlier this year. The League
told the FCC that marketplace forces should not determine Amateur Radio
spectrum allocations, and that interference management is a technical, not
an economic, issue.

"The value to the public of a vital, growing Amateur Radio Service, while
perhaps only indirectly measurable in market terms, cannot translate to a
marketplace ability to pay for spectrum, no matter what the mechanism,"
the ARRL asserted in its comments. A market-oriented allocation processes
could preclude Amateur Radio communications, the League asserted.

In its comments, the ARRL compared Amateur Radio spectrum to a public park
or right-of-way. "Given the wide availability of Amateur Radio to the
general public and its value as an educational and public service
resource, the concept fits well," the League said.

The Task Force said some bands are heavily used while many are not in use
in all geographic areas or are used only part of the time. "Thus, there
may be opportunities for spectrum-based services or devices to operate in
the resulting 'white spaces,'" the Task Force suggested. The Task Force
said that technological advances--such as the increased use of digital
technologies and the development of software-defined radios--are providing
some potential answers to current spectrum policy challenges. "These
technological advances enable spectrum rights to be parceled as a function
of time," the FCC panel said. "Also, they allow systems to be much more
tolerant of interference than in the past."

The Task Force also concluded that spectrum rights and responsibilities
are not always clearly defined and that users need more certainty. "In
addition, the rights and responsibilities that are defined need to better
reflect more market-based models and policies," it said. Among its
specific recommendations was to adopt "interference temperature" to
quantify and manage interference.

The Task Force said using an "interference temperature" standard to
establish maximum permissible interference levels on a band-by-band basis
would place a limit on the noise environment in which receivers would be
required to operate. "To the extent, however, that the interference
temperature in a particular band is not reached, users who emit energy
below that temperature could operate more flexibly," the panel said, "with
the interference temperature serving as the maximum cap on the potential
RF energy they could introduce into the band."

The Task Force said it found that new technological developments now
permit access to unused or underused spectrum through time-sharing of
spectrum between multiple users and lead to more efficient use of the
spectrum resource."

Concluded FCC Chairman Powell, "The Commission is chartered to serve the
public interest. The public has made their desire for interference-free
spectrum-based services quite clear. The challenge now rests with us to
deliver."

==>PARENT BAILS OUT LAST EXPEDITION 5 ARISS SCHOOL CONTACT

Despite some last-minute anxiety due to equipment failure, an October 28
Amateur Radio contact between Colorado youngsters and the International
Space Station was successful. The contact between ISS astronaut Peggy
Whitson, KC5ZTD, and middle school students at Silverheels Middle School
in Fairplay was arranged as part of the Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) program.

"It's an experience we'll never forget, and we appreciate all the
volunteers who made this possible," coordinating teacher Marcy Wilkins
said. "I've been looking forward to this and so have the kids. They have
been so excited about this since school started." The ARISS school contact
was the last scheduled with a member of the ISS Expedition 5 crew.

Because the QSO was handled via a WorldCom teleconferencing link between
the school and Earth station op Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN, in Hawaii, all the
school needed on its end was a working speakerphone. But, with all else
ready, the school's speakerphone failed at the appointed hour. A parent
rushed home and returned with a substitute unit, and the conversation went
ahead as scheduled.

Student Jacob Reese wanted to know how long it takes Whitson to swim
across the entire space station. Whitson said "swimming" in zero gravity
is one of her favorite pastimes. "I actually can get across the station in
probably less than a minute if I'm in a hurry," Whitson, said. "But
sometimes high speed can get you in trouble, especially if someone happens
to be in  your way."

Replying to another question, Whitson took another mild swipe at the
repetitious menu crewmembers consume while on ISS duty. "Every eight days
we start over with the same foods we had the previous eight days," Whitson
said. "So I think I'm looking forward to anything that's not on those
eight days."

Whitson said it was an "amazing feeling" to lift off in the space shuttle.
"It was a pretty exciting moment for me," she said. The first few days in
space were another matter altogether. "You tend to feel like you have a
head cold because the fluid has shifted toward your head, and a backache
from having the fluid redistribute in your spine," Whitson explained. But,
she said, those effects disappear quickly.

Toward the end of the contact, Whitson again reflected on the enjoyment
she derives from living and working in zero gravity. "Living up here on
space station gives me an opportunity to enjoy the feeling of floating,"
she said. "It's an amazing feeling." Working outside the space station,
she added, made her feel like "a very very fast bird." As she's told other
students, Whitson said she hopes to one day return to space after her
current ISS tour ends later this month.

Whitson and her Expedition 5 crewmates, Valery Korzun, RK3FZ, and Sergei
Treschev, RK3FU, have been in space since June 5. The Expedition 6 crew of
Kenneth Bowersox, KD5JBP, Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, and Donald Petit,
KD5MDT, will launch aboard the shuttle Endeavour November 11. Bowersox
will serve as the crew commander, Petit will be the NASA ISS science
officer, and Budarin will serve as a flight engineer. The Expedition 6
crew will be the third all-ham crew to serve aboard the ISS.

ARISS is an international project with US participation by NASA, ARRL and
AMSAT.

==>OHIO HAM SUSPENDED FOLLOWING REPEATER INTERFERENCE

An Ohio amateur accused of interfering with a local repeater system has
agreed to stay off the air for one year. FCC Special Counsel for
Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth notified Gary R. Weiler, KI8DI, of
Loveland by letter October 22 to confirm the voluntary license suspension.

"The interference consisted of sound effects, harassment and unidentified
communications," Hollingsworth said in his letter. In late September,
Hollingsworth had served Weiler with a Warning Notice citing monitoring
information alleging that on several occasions since last March Weiler had
"deliberately interfered" with the K8CLA repeater in Cincinnati, Ohio. The
Warning Notice also threatened him with enforcement action up to and
including a fine of up to $7500 and revocation of his amateur license.

Hollingsworth credited the Cincinnati Amateur Radio Club with helping to
pin down the source of the interference to Weiler's location. In his reply
September 30, Hollingsworth said, Weiler owned up to the infractions and
said they'd involved a personal dispute of some kind. "He said he realized
he shouldn't have done it," Hollingworth said.

After reviewing his reply, Hollingsworth said Weiler agreed to the
proposed one-year suspension, during which he will not maintain an Amateur
Radio station. FCC said the suspension will end at midnight October 30,
2003, and that Weiler's amateur license would be returned automatically on
or before that date.

On October 24, Hollingsworth issued a welcome reminder to Danny A.
Kenwood, WA6CNQ, of San Francisco. In November 2000, Kenwood agreed to a
modification of his ham ticket that prohibited all but CW operation below
30 MHz for two years. It was not the first FCC sanction Kenwood had
endured. In the fall of 1999, Kenwood lost his VHF and UHF privileges for
90 days following allegations of profanity, obscenity and deliberate
interference directed at users of the K7IJ Grizzly Peak repeater, and of
failure to properly identify.

In the spring of 2000, the FCC issued Kenwood a Warning Notice on the
basis of reports from the K7IJ repeater system control operator that the
repeater had to be shut down due to what Hollingsworth called Kenwood's
"interference and harassment to other operators on the repeater system."
Kenwood subsequently agreed to the HF CW-only sanction. The modification
of Kenwood's General license expires December 1.

==>US ARMY MARS OPERATION HOLIDAYS NOW IN 12TH YEAR

The holiday season offers plenty of opportunity for good deeds by hams in
general and members of the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) in
particular. "Operation Holidays," sponsored by US Army MARS, marks its
12th year in 2002. The program offers the chance for families and loved
ones to send US servicemen away from home free MARSgrams and phone
patches.

In addition, "any servicemember" messages also will be delivered to
selected overseas bases, and "any veteran" messages now can be sent to
veterans in participating Veterans' Administration hospitals. The "any
veteran" program inaugurated in Michigan and California two years ago is
the newest wrinkle in MARS morale and welfare traffic.

Initiated by Frank Wegori, WD8NIK/AAA9AX, the Army MARS auxiliary
membership coordinator, the new--and expanding--program is aimed at
bringing recognition and hope to the 100,000 hospitalized veterans who may
not have family or friends nearby during the holiday season.

Any Amateur Radio operator can participate by either initiating or
relaying traffic through a MARS member or via the Internet. For many, the
simplest way to send a MARSgram is to connect to the United States Army
Military Affiliate Radio System Web site
<http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars>, click on "MARSgrams" in the lefthand
column and follow the instructions. Each message must include the full
military address and, if available, the addressee's telephone number.

Radio phone patch connections must be arranged by the overseas service
member, and, in most cases, are available only where there no public
telephone or e-mail link exists. In recent months, Army MARS has handled
phone patch traffic from the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, where
Americans are stationed on peacekeeping missions. MARSgrams can be used to
facilitate the connection.

Sending an "any servicemember" message is a worthy gesture for those who
do not have loved ones of their own in uniform--a sort of pen pal
arrangement. MARSgrams will be delivered to participating installations or
organizations for forwarding to a serviceman or servicewoman. The largest
overseas deployment is in Europe, and the active MARS organization there
has challenged its members to initiate 100 "any servicemember" messages
during the holiday season.

MARS asks senders to limit individual MARSgrams to 50 words each. There is
no official limit on the number of MARSgrams a person may send,
however.--Bill Sexton, N1IN

==>DANIEL K. ROBBINS, KL7Y, SK

Well-known contester Dan Robbins, KL7Y, of Wasilla, Alaska, died October
31 as a result of a motorcycle accident in Hawaii. He was 54. According to
a report in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Robbins lost control of the
motorcycle he was riding in Kona, on the "Big Island" of Hawaii, and drove
into a lava field. Robbins, who was not wearing a helmet, reportedly
suffered fatal head and other injuries.

"Dan has always been like a part of my family," said Robbins' friend and
neighbor Kevin Forster, NL7Z. "We will all miss that familiar voice and
fist of KL7Y, his sense of humor and his knowledge."

At the time of the mishap that ended his life, Robbins--an ARRL Life
Member--was vacationing in Hawaii, where he'd been part of the KH7R
multi-multi operation for the CQ World Wide SSB contest the previous
weekend. One of the KH7R team, Kimo Chun, KH7U, said that Robbins--a
Raytheon employee--was returning from a visit to one of the company's
sites on Hawaii when the accident occurred.

"We who knew him and enjoyed this last opportunity to radio contest with
him are still in shock," Chun said in a CQ-Contest reflector
<cq-contest@contesting.com>; posting. "We all benefited from his presence
and contributions." Another friend, Joe Jeffries, WL7E, called Robbin's
passing "a great loss to the contesting community, ham radio and the lives
of many," he said.

John Worthington, WA2GO, called KL7Y "Alaska's Amateur Radio ambassador to
the world" as well as a great Elmer and a first-rate Elmer and technician.
"He will live on as an inspiration to anyone who knew him," Worthington
said.

A funeral service was scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 10 AM, at
Congdon Funeral Home, 3012 Sheridan, Zion, Illinois. Jeffries said
Robbins' friends and acquaintances may route condolences via e-mail
<wl7e@arrl.net>;. Survivors include his mother, Arlene Robbins (2202 Lydia
Ave, Zion, IL 60099-2038) and his friend Linda McKinney (6204 235th Ave,
Salem, WI 53168).

Memorial donations are invited to the Daniel K Robbins Memorial fund, c/o
Bridgeview Bank, 11411 W Wadsworth Rd, Beach Park, IL 60099.--some
information from the CQ-Contest mailing list <CQ-Contest@contesting.com>;

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar maven Tad "Black Hole Sun" Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Sunspot numbers and solar flux increased last week. The average
daily sunspot number rose nearly 31 points and the solar flux was up by
nearly 11. Geomagnetic indices have been quite active of late, although
this week was quieter than last. In general, HF operators appreciate A
indices of 10 or lower, but November 1 was the only day in the past two
weeks that the Planetary A index was ever as low as 10.

Lately our planet has been inside a constant solar wind from a coronal
hole. Over the past week conditions haven't been so stormy that they would
produce lower latitude auroras as they did on October 24 and 25.

A huge sunspot (number 180) has been squarely Earth-directed in the center
of the visible solar disk for the past couple of days, and the daily
sunspot number from Monday through Thursday has risen from 166 to 175, 234
and 259. This sunspot presents a threat of solar flares. The predicted
planetary A index for Friday through Monday is 10, 10, 20 and 20. Solar
flux is expected to remain fairly high over the next few days.

A year ago this bulletin reported that the sunspot numbers were a small
amount lower than this week (fewer than 4 points) and the solar flux was
about 60 points higher. The latest Preliminary Report and Forecast of
Solar Geophysical Data show that smoothed solar flux should be about 44
points lower a year from now. The latest prediction for the next solar
minimum is around September 2006 through April 2007 for solar flux and
centered right around December 2006 to January 2007 for smoothed sunspot
number.

Sunspot numbers for October 24 through 30 were 149, 151, 143, 120, 143,
168 and 182, with a mean of 150.9. The 10.7-cm flux was 160.3, 172.9, 158,
157.1, 158.3, 161.6 and 167.7, with a mean of 162.3. Estimated planetary A
indices were 47, 40, 27, 22, 17, 16 and 19, with a mean of 26.9.

Sunspot numbers for October 31 through November 6 were 134, 169, 177, 217,
166, 175 and 234, with a mean of 181.7. The 10.7-cm flux was 170.2, 162.2,
164.6, 169.2, 177.4, 183.1 and 184.5, with a mean of 173. Estimated
planetary A indices were 18, 10, 21, 27, 21, 19 and 19, with a mean of
19.3.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The Japan International DX Contest (SSB), the
WAE DX Contest (RTTY), the OK/OM DX Contest (CW) and the Anatolian ATA
PSK31 Contest are the weekend of November 9-10. JUST AHEAD: The ARRL
November Sweepstakes (SSB), the North American Collegiate Amateur Radio
Club Championship (SSB),  the RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) the LZ DX Contest
(CW) and the All-Austrian 160-Meter Contest are the weekend of November
16-17. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>
and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL Level II Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
(EC-002) and Antenna Modeling (EC-004) courses opens Monday, November 11,
4 PM Eastern Standard Time (2100 UTC). Registration will remain open
through Sunday, November 17. Classes begin November 18. All 300 seats
available in November for the Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications course (EC-001) have been filled, and registration has been
closed for the month. If you were not able to enroll at this time, please
be patient. New classes open every month. To learn more, visit the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> on
the ARRL Web site and the C-CE Links found there. For more information,
contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG,
k3ufg@arrl.org.

+No comments filed on multiple vanity applications petition: A Petition
for Rulemaking put on public notice (RM-10582) by the FCC in late
September that asked the Commission to consider only one vanity call sign
application per applicant per call sign attracted no comments. The period
for comments ended in late October. The application, filed by Marvin
Edwards, K4BWC, Frank Lynch, W4FAL and Norman Young Jr, KA4PUV, sought
either a change in Part 97 Amateur Radio Service rules or modification of
the FCC's current vanity call sign policy. FCC rules do provide for filing
comments beyond the filing deadline, but commenters must justify the
reason for late filing. The petitioners said that permitting multiple
applications from the same applicant for the same call sign "has created a
de facto lottery" that favors applicants who can afford to pay multiple
application fees (now $14.50 per application and refundable if the call
sign is not granted) and put applicants unable to do so at "a distinct
disadvantage." The petitioners also cited specific instances where the
winners of particular call signs had filed as many as 30 separate
applications. By dismissing all applications after an initial vanity
request for a given call sign, the FCC "would permit every licensed
amateur competing for an available call to have an equal chance of having
that call granted," the petitioners concluded.

* Attention all ARRL-affiliated clubs! ARRL Field and Educational Services
reminds ARRL-affiliated clubs that they are eligible to sign up for ARRL
E-Mail Forwarding Service (@arrl.net) vanity e-mail addresses. To apply,
send an e-mail request <clubregistration@arrl.org>;, and F&ES will do the
rest. You should receive a test message once the process has been
completed. F&ES also points out that to remain actively affiliated,
ARRL-affiliated clubs need to file a report with ARRL Headquarters each
year. A good way to remember to submit your club's report is to use your
election time as a reminder "flag." ARRL HQ also needs to know any time a
change occurs within a club's records. To update your club's records,
complete the Affiliated Club Annual Report Form, available on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/forms/fsd2/>. Reminder notices
go out to overdue clubs in January and July. For more information, contact
ARRL Club and Educational Correspondent Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO,
mbourgoin@arrl.org; 860-594-0267; fax, 860-594-0259.

* Jean R. Cebik, N4TZP, SK: Jean Cebik, N4TZP, of Knoxville, Tennessee,
died November 4. She was 59 and had been battling cancer for more than a
year. Jean Cebik was the wife of well-known antenna guru and prolific QST,
QEX and NCJ author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL. She was a Full Family Life Member of
ARRL. His wife's final wish, L.B. Cebik said, was that all of her friends
plant a tree or a shrub in her memory "to support the songbirds that she
so much loved and so ably rehabilitated."

* Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award
for October was Mike Marcus, N3JMM, for his article "Linux, Software Radio
and the Radio Amateur." Congratulations, Mike! The winner of the QST Cover
Plaque award--given to the author of the best article in each issue--is
determined by a vote of ARRL members. Voting takes place each month on the
Cover Plaque Poll Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qstvote.html>. There's still time to
cast a ballot for your favorite article in the November 2002 issue of QST.
Voting ends November 30.

* Veterans' Day special event set: To recognize Veterans Day and the
anniversary of the birth of Gen Curtis E. LeMay, K0GRL/K4FRA/W6EZV (SK),
the Strategic Air Command Memorial Amateur Radio Club (SACMARC)
<http://www.sacmarc.org/> will operate special event station K0GRL on
Monday, November 11, from 1200 to 2400 UTC. Operation will be in the
General-class phone bands on or near frequencies ending in 47--for 1947
when the Air Force became a single entity)--3947, 7247, 14,247, 21,347 and
28,347 kHz. LeMay held K0GRL when he was the Strategic Air Command,
Commander assigned to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. LeMay
later obtained K4FRA when he served as the USAF Vice Chief of Staff (later
Chief of Staff). When he retired in California, he became W6EZV. SACMARC
obtained K0GRL via the vanity call sign program in 1997. Include a
self-addressed, stamped envelope with QSL requests to SACMARC, PO Box
1292, Bellevue, NE 68005-1292.--Darwin Piatt, W9HZC

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
http://www.arrl.org. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President

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The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

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Use the "View/Message/Plain Text Alternative" menu item.

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Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...

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