Buckeye RC-5000 User manual
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Model RC-5000
OwnerOwner
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Owner
s Manuals Manual
s Manuals Manual
s Manual
Version 3.20Version 3.20
Version 3.20Version 3.20
Version 3.20
FOR REPAIR, CONTACT US AT:
ATSI
8157 US Route 50 • Athens, OH 45701
(866) 325-8172 • (740) 592-2874
Fax (740) 594-2875
www.buckeyecam.com
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
ATSI warrants Products (BuckEye CamTM) sold by it and guarantees to correct, by repair or replacement at our
option, any defects of material and workmanship which develop under normal and proper use within six (6)
months from the date of the original purchase when inspection proves the fault to be of manufacturing.
Circuit board components only receive a twelve (12) monthy warranty. All such Products must be returned to
our service center, transportation charges prepaid. This warranty does not apply to any of our Products which
have been repaired or altered by aunathorized persons or service centers in any way so as, in our judgement,
to injure their stability or reliablility, or which have been subject to misuse, negligence, or accident or which
have had their serial number altered, effaced or removed.
We will not assume any expense or liability for repairs made by other parties without our written consent. ATSI is
not responsible for damage to any associated equipment or apparatus, nor shall we be held liable for loss of
profit or other special damages. There is no other guarantee or warranty except as herein stated.
The Buyer, his employees, or others assumes all risks and liabilities for the operation, the use and the misuse of
the product described herein and agree to defend and to save the seller harmless from any and all claims
arising from any cause whatsoever, including seller’s negligence for personal injury incurred in connection with
the use of the said product.
ATSI reserves the right to discontinue models at any time or change specifications, price or design without
notice and without incurring any obligation.
The express warranties are in lieu of all other warranties, guarantees, promises, affirmations, or representations,
express or implied which would be deemed applicable to the goods sold hereunder. No express warranties
and no implied warranties, whether of merchantability, fitness for any particular use or purpose, against
infringement, or otherwise (except as to title) other than those expressly set forth herein, shall apply.
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BuckEye CamTM - Wireless Camera System
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Table of Contents
1. Warnings ............................................................................................ 2
2. Receiving your Shipment ................................................................. 2
3. Contents of your BuckEye CamTM ................................................... 2
4. Computer Requirements .................................................................. 2
5. Overview of the BuckEye CamTM .................................................... 3
6. Connecting the Memory Card Reader .......................................... 4
7. PC Base .............................................................................................. 6
A. Installing the PC Base Software ........................................... 6
B. Installing the USB Drivers ....................................................... 6
C. PC Base Authentication Code ............................................ 9
D. Adding a Camera ............................................................... 10
E. Controlling a Camera from the PC Base ......................... 11
F. Camera Settings Software ................................................. 13
G. Setting up E-Mail Options ................................................... 15
H. Deleting a Camera from the PC Base .............................. 16
8. Using Camera in Stand-Alone Mode ........................................... 17
A. Switching to Stand-Alone Mode ....................................... 17
B. Switching Back to Wireless Mode ...................................... 17
C. Determining Firmware Version ........................................... 17
D. Camera Settings in Stand-Alone Mode ............................ 18
9. Portable Base .................................................................................. 18
A. Adding a Camera ............................................................... 18
B. Deleting a Camera ............................................................. 19
C. Changing Camera Settings ............................................... 20
10. Overview of the BuckEye CamTM Controls
using the Portable Base.................................................................. 24
11. Setting up the BuckEye CamTM ...................................................... 27
A. Battery .................................................................................. 27
B. Antenna ............................................................................... 27
C. Memory Card ...................................................................... 28
D. Using the Optional Solar Charger...................................... 28
E. Using the Optional Battery Bank ........................................ 28
12. Setting Time and Date on the Portable Base ............................... 29
13. Charging the Battery ...................................................................... 30
14. Taking a Test Picture with a Portable Base ................................... 31
15. Viewing your Pictures ..................................................................... 31
16. Tips & Tricks ...................................................................................... 32
17. Explanations of Display Messages ................................................ 35
18. Antenna & Cable Care Guide ....................................................... 37
19. Replacement Parts ......................................................................... 37
20. How to Contact BuckEye Cam ..................................................... 37
9XStream (900 MHz) Approved Antenna List ............................... 38
2www.buckeyecam.com
2
1. Warnings
This equipment is approved only for mobile and base station
transmitting devices, separation distances of (i) 20 centime-
ters or more for antennas with gains < 6 dBi or (ii) 2 meters
or more for antennas with gains > 6 dBi should be main-
tained between the antenna of this device and nearby
persons during operation. To ensure compliance, operation
at distances closer than this is not recommended.
2. Receiving your Shipment
Upon receiving your shipment, be sure that the contents
are consistent with the packing list. Notify the place of
purchase or factory of any missing items. If the equip-
ment appears to be damaged, file a claim immediately with
the carrier and notify the factory at once, giving a detailed
description of any damage. Save the damaged packing
container to substantiate your claim.
3. Contents of your BuckEye CamTM
A BuckEye CamTM system ships with the following items.
If you ordered a Camera-Only or Multiple Camera System,
items and quantities may vary.
1 - Camera Unit
1 - Portable Base or PC Base
2 - Mounting Brackets {1 if PC Base System}
4 - Nylon Ratchet Straps {2 if PC Base System}
2 - 6 Volt 12aH Rechargeable Batteries {1 if PC Base System}
1 - 6 Volt dual regulated wall charger
1 - Memory Card Reader (with Portable Base only}
2 - Memory Card with Interface Software (with Portable Base only}
4. Computer Requirements
If you are using a Portable Base, a computer is required
only for changing Camera settings (see page 20) and to
view your pictures with the memory card reader.
•Pentium PC with USB support
•Windows©98SE, 2000, XP
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BuckEye CamTM - Wireless Camera System
3
If you are using the PC Base, the following computer
requirements are required:
•Windows©2000 or XP (Home or Professional)
•CD-ROM (to install software and USB drivers)
•USB Port (to connect the PC Base Modem)
5. Overview of the BuckEye CamTM
First we would like to say thank you for purchasing a
BuckEye CamTM system. We hope your experiences with
your new camera system will help you “bag the big one” or
catch the trespasser. Which ever the case may be, you
may be wondering how to begin using your new BuckEye
CamTM. This manual should give you a good foundation to
begin with and hopefully answer some of the remaining
questions you have.
If you would like to get a quick start without the details,
please refer to the BuckEye CamTM Setup Guide included
with your shipment.
Overview
Unlike most other scouting/hunting camera systems
available, the BuckEye CamTM system gives you the
freedom of retrieving your pictures without ever touching
the camera.
The BuckEye CamTM consists of two primary units, the
Camera and a Base Unit. Basically, pictures are taken by
the Camera and then transmitted (wirelessly) to the Base.
Depending on your choice, you may have either a Portable
Base or a PC Base that connects direct to your computer.
The Camera can even work as a Stand-alone Camera.
4www.buckeyecam.com
4
If you have a PC Base, you may want to skip to Section 7
starting on page 6 to configure your PC Base Modem.
The images are stored on a memory card that is located in
the Portable Base. The memory card is similar to most
cards used in modern digital cameras. If you have a PC
Base, the images are stored on your computer.
When you want to view your pictures, you can go to the
Portable Base and remove the memory card located inside.
Take the memory card and insert the card into the
memory card reader that is included with your BuckEye
CamTM. Make sure the card reader is connected to your
computer. All of the image files are saved in a .jpg format
and can be viewed easily with any picture/image viewer
software on your computer.
Although you may want to jump right into the camera
system, we recommend that you first connect the memory
card reader to your computer. Read the next section to
learn how to connect the card reader to your computer
and view the sample image located on the card.
Knowing the memory card reader is working properly
assures you that you will have no problems when you
finally view the first set of pictures your system captures.
We recommend you always keep a card in the Portable
Base to allow the pictures received to be saved to the card.
Multiple Camera Abilities
A BuckEye Cam’s Base is capable of supporting 14 indi-
vidual cameras. This means you can have 14 different
cameras taking and transmitting pictures to a single base.
If at any point you have questions or concerns, please feel
free to contact us during our normal operating hours or
e-mail us anytime.
6. Connecting the Memory Card
Reader
The supplied Memory Card Reader and Memory Cards are
used to view and transfer the pictures from the BuckEye
CamTM Portable Base to your computer.
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BuckEye CamTM - Wireless Camera System
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We have placed a sample image on each of the supplied
memory cards to allow you to verify that the Memory Card
Reader is working properly with your computer. The
illustration below shows a simple diagram of connecting
the card reader to your computer.
Once you have the Card Reader connected and you are
viewing the image files on the card, you should see a
sample picture file: sample-image.jpg.
Choose the directions below to connect the Memory Card
Reader for the operating system you are using.
Windows©XP
When you connect the Card Reader, the computer should
automatically recognize the Reader. A window should
appear prompting you with different options of how you
would like to continue.
Windows©2000
When you connect the Card Reader, the computer should
automatically recognize the Reader. Then perform the
following steps:
1. Open My Computer and double click on the Removable
Disk drive.
2. Double click an image to open it with the computer’s
default picture viewer.
Windows©98SE
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WINDOWS 98 USERS:
Make sure you have installed the USB driver located
on the CD supplied with the Card Reader before con-
necting the Memory Card Reader to your computer.
Follow the directions supplied with the Card Reader
to complete this step.
6PC Base Section
6
7. PC Base
The PC Base software is an application that runs on a
computer and communicates with up to 14 cameras via
the PC Base Modem. The software allows you to receive
pictures, to change settings on camera(s), check the
battery status/signal strength of the camera(s), and to
take a test picture. In addition, the PC Base can be setup
to email pictures to several e-mail addresses. Along with
the pictures in the email, you will receive battery status
information and the number of pictures left to transmit
from the camera(s) to the PC Base.
Important Note: Your computer must be turned on
with the PC Base Software open to be able to receive
pictures.
To get started, you will need to install the software,
USB drivers, and connect the PC Base modem to your
computer. Please complete the following steps in order to
insure the PC Base will operate correctly.
A. Installing the PC Base Software
The following instructions apply to both Windows©2000
and XP.
Insert the supplied CD into the CD-ROM of your computer.
If the computer has autorun enabled, you will see a
Welcome Screen appear. Click the “Install PC Base
Software” option and follow the on-screen prompts to
complete the installation process.
Important Note: If you need to uninstall the PC Base
Software, be sure to Unregister any Cameras from the
PC Base before you uninstall.
B. Installing the USB Drivers
1. The PC Base software CD should still be in the CD-
ROM drive.
2. Connect the supplied wall adapter to the modem and
plug it into an AC outlet.
3. Connect the PC Base modem to an available USB port
on your computer with the supplied USB cable.
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PC Base Section
7
4. The computer will detect the new hardware and
display the following dialog screen (the Windows©2000
dialog boxes may differ slightly than the one shown
below):
Select the “No, not this time” option and click the
Next button.
5. In the next dialog window, select the “Install from a
specific location” option and click Next.
8PC Base Section
8
6. Now select the “Search for the best driver in these
locations” option and select the check box next to
“Search removable media” option. Click Next.
7. When the warning prompt below appears, click
“Continue Anyway”.
8. When the following screen appears, click Finish to
complete the first USB driver installation.
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PC Base Section
9
9. After the first driver is installed you will be prompted
to install the second driver. Repeat steps 4 through 8
for the second driver.
Note: If you connect the PC Base Modem to a different USB
port, the Windows software may prompt you to install the
drivers again. In this case, just follow the instructions
above. For your convenience, a copy of the drivers are
located in the folder where the PC Base is installed.
C. PC Base Authentication Code
Note: before you start the PC Base software, make sure the
drivers are installed as described in section B on page 6
and the PC Base Modem is connected to the computer and
plugged into an AC outlet.
When you start the software the first time, it will appear
as shown below:
At this moment, the PC Base Modem is not operating and
cameras cannot communicate with it.
Click the Start button to activate
the PC Base. When the PC Base
tries to communicate with a new
modem the first time, it will
request an authentication code
as shown to the right.
10 PC Base Section
10
Enter the code that is printed on the label on the PC Base
modem and click the Apply button. If the code is entered
correctly, the software will be activated. The software will
remember the code and will use it every time when it
communicates to that modem.
D. Adding a Camera
After the Authentication Code has been entered, the
screen changes as shown below:
To get the software to communicate with a Camera, you
will need to prepare the Camera. Note: Only unregistered
cameras can be added.
1. Turn the Camera on and wait until REGCam appears
on the display.
2. Click button in the software screen.
3. A Camera Registration window will open as shown
below. The window will show the registration process.
Text shown in bold highlights the current step of the
registration process.
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PC Base Section
11
4. A message will pop up when a camera is successfully
registered. Click OK to close the message window.
You will now see an additional panel with controls for the
camera added to the main software screen. Note: If you
have several camera registered, you may have to scroll the
window to see all of the cameras. The PC Base supports up
to 14 Cameras.
If the PC Base Modem cannot communicate with the
camera in a short period of time, it will cancel the
registration and display an error message.
If this occurs, here are a couple of troubleshooting tips:
• Make sure the camera is not already registered to
another Base
• Make sure the antennas on the PC Base and Camera
are connected and have a tight connection
• Make sure the Camera is turned ON
• Make sure the Camera is within range of the PC Base
Note: To insure your pictures have the correct Date
and Time, make sure the computer’s date and time is
correct. Do not set the date and time on the Camera.
E. Controlling a Camera from the PC Base
Below shows an example of the software with 1 camera
registered to the PC Base.
12 PC Base Section
12
Each camera panel contains buttons and status indicators
displaying information on the status of the camera. Below
is a description of the buttons and status indicators.
Buttons
This requests a battery status and radio signal
from the camera. This may take several seconds. The
battery and signal status is displayed as shown to the
right. If for some reason the PC Base cannot
access the camera, No Communication is
displayed in the status window.
Commands the camera to take a picture.
Opens a folder in which pictures from that
camera are stored.
Click to unregister a camera from the PC Base
Modem. Once unregistered, a camera can be registered
with another PC Base or Portable Base or can be used in
Stand-Alone Mode (see page 17).
NOTE: Read Section H on page 16 for step-by-step direc-
tions to unregister a camera.
TIP: Check signal strength prior to unregistering.
Resets the Received Picture counter.
Status Indicators
Status Window: (located above the Signal/Battery button)
This displays information from the last command given to
the camera or software.
Pics-On-Camera: displays the number of pictures on the
camera that still need to be transmitted. When a picture
is transmitted from the camera to the PC Base, the
number is updated.
Receiving Picture: Displayed when
receiving a picture from the camera
as shown to the right.
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PC Base Section
13
F. Camera Settings Software
A feature only found on a BuckEye Camera system is the
ability to change camera settings without visiting the
camera. Click to change the settings from the PC
Base software. This opens the window shown below:
This software allows you to choose settings and edit text
that you would like displayed on the pictures for each
registered Camera. You select the camera by clicking on
the corresponding button on the left hand side. If you only
have one camera, only one button will appear. When more
cameras are added, more buttons will appear. By default,
the cameras are listed by their index. You can choose to
list the camera names or locations by clicking on the
button and selecting the corresponding option.
To change camera settings, select the options you want by
clicking on the corresponding check box and filling in the
fields with the information you want.
The Minimum Delay Between Pictures setting allows you to
choose how much time elapses before the camera takes
another picture upon the next activation. You can choose
from 1 second up to 2 hours. The default factory setting is
1 Second.
The Picture Options setting will determine if the camera
will take pictures during Daylight only, Night only, or
both. The default factory setting is 24 Hour.
14 PC Base Section
14
The Motion Detector Sensitivity setting allows you to
increase or decrease how sensitive the camera is to
detecting a change in the motion/heat of the animal or
individual. The default factory setting is 82.
The Moon Phase is calculated on the current time and date
of your computer. If this option is selected, a picture of
the moon (with shadow) is displayed in the bottom right
corner of the picture.
The Picture Quality option allows you to adjust the amount
of compression to be applied to the picture. The default
setting of 14 applies a “Medium” amount of compression to
the picture. A “Higher” quality setting will reduce the
amount of compression and result in a larger picture file
size. This also results in a longer time to transmit the
picture from the camera to the base. A “Lower” quality
setting will result in smaller file size pictures and faster
transmission times.
Since Quality is “in the eye of the beholder”, we suggest
you experiment with this setting until you find something
that suits your wants and needs.
Receive Recent Pictures First When this option is not
selected, all pictures are transmitted from the camera in
the order in which they were taken. By selecting this
option, the Camera will always transmit the last picture
taken.
Burst Mode provides you the ability to capture a preset
number of pictures when the camera detects an activa-
tion. When you select Burst Mode, you will note that
the Minimum Delay Time Between Pictures option is no
longer offered. This time is preset to 1 second.
You may consider using Burst Mode when you are trying
to determine the amount of activity at a new location. If
the site is low in activity, Burst Mode will provide you
multiple pictures of the animal/individual rather than
only a few images that may or may not help you determine
the location’s effectiveness.
If you make any changes, an Update button at the bottom
of the screen appears and the corresponding camera
button is marked with a green dot. When you are done
updating the settings, click the Update button to save and
close the software.
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PC Base Section
15
TIP: Right Click on most options to give you the
ability to apply the setting for all registered cameras.
G. Setting up E-Mail Options
The e-mail option gives you the ability to set the software
to automatically send pictures and notifications (such as
“Low Battery on Camera #1) via e-mail. Each e-mail sent
will also provide the battery status of the camera.
Note: to use this feature you must have an Internet connec-
tion or Dial-Up service setup on your computer.
To use the e-mail feature, click the PC Base Setup button
and click the “Send Pictures via E-mail” checkbox. This
will display a window with various fields as shown below:
Here are descriptions of each field.
Use Dial-Up Check this box if you use a phone line to
connect to the Internet. When checked, a drop down
menu will be made available for you to choose the Internet
connection that is available on your computer.
Server: Enter your outgoing SMTP e-mail server name.
User: If a user name is required with your e-mail account,
enter it here.
Return Email: Enter your e-mail address. This address
will be printed as a return address in the e-mail sent by
the PC Base software.
Send Picture To: Enter the e-mail address where you
want the pictures to be sent to.
16 PC Base Section
16
CC: If you want to send pictures to additional e-mail
addresses, enter the address here and then click the Add
button to add the address to the list who will receive the
e-mail. If you want to remove a name from this list, select
the name to remove and then click the Delete button.
Send Every: Select the maximum number of pictures to
be attached to one e-mail. The second option that
becomes available allows you to choose the maximum time
interval the PC Base software waits before sending the
pictures.
For example, say you choose to send 5 pictures and you
select a time interval of 1 Hour. If the PC Base receives 5
pictures over a 40 minute period, the software will send an
e-mail with the 5 pictures attached. However, if the PC
Base only receives 3 pictures over a 1 Hour period, the
software will send an e-mail with the 3 picture attached.
H. Deleting a Camera from the PC Base
1. Using the PC Base Software, press the Signal/Battery
button to test the signal strength of the camera you
wish to delete. Make sure you can communicate with
the camera before you attempt to delete it. Do not
proceed with deleting the camera from the software
until you have established communication. It is
best to have the camera right next to the PC Base
to eliminate any chances of the camera not being
deleted properly.
2. Once you have established communication with the
camera, press the Delete Camera button for the
appropriate camera you wish to delete.
3. The camera will automatically be removed from the PC
Base.
4. Once the camera has been deleted, it is ready to be
added to another base (either PC or Portable) or used
in Stand-Alone Mode (see next section).
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Stand-Alone Camera Section
17
8. Using Camera in
Stand-Alone Mode
Any Camera Unit containing firmware version 298 or
higher can be temporarily converted to Stand-Alone Mode.
In this mode, the Camera will not attempt to communicate
with either type of Base Unit. This mode allows you to
insert a SD Card into the Memory Card Slot on the Cam-
era and all pictures will be saved to this card.
A. Switching to Stand-Alone Mode
1. Make certain the camera is not registered to a base
unit. If it is not registered, the LCD on the camera will
read “RegCam”. If it is registered, follow the instruc-
tions on page 16 to unregister the camera from a PC
Base or page 19 for a Portable Base.
2. Press the MENU button.
3. Scroll down until “ALONE” is displayed on the LCD
screen.
4. Press the SELECT button.
5. Scroll down to “YES” and press the SELECT button.
NOTE: Be sure to insert a SD Card into the Memory Card
Slot of the camera.
B. Switching Back to Wireless Mode
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Scroll down until “WIRELS” is displayed on the LCD
screen.
3. Press the SELECT button.
4. Scroll down to “YES” and press the SELECT button.
5. Be sure to remove the SD Card from the camera card
slot.
C. Determining Firmware Version
If you are unsure whether your camera has the Stand-
Alone feature, follow the steps on the following page to find
out.
18 Stand-Alone Camera Section
18
1. Turn the Camera on.
2. Press the MENU button.
3. Press the DOWN button once to display the Firmware
Version. If the version is 298 or higher, the Camera
has the Stand-Alone feature. If the version number is
below 298, contact BuckEye Cam at (866) 325-8172 to
learn more about updating the firmware.
D. Camera Settings in Stand-Alone Mode
Once you have switched the Camera into Stand-Alone
Mode, the first thing you need to do is insert a SD Card
into the Memory Card Slot. Now follow the instructions on
page 20, Changing the Camera Settings with a Portable
Base.
NOTE: If the Camera was previously used in the Wireless
Mode, the Camera Settings will remain the same when
switched to Stand-Alone Mode.
When the Camera is switched back to Wireless Mode, the
Camera Settings revert to the factory defaults.
9. Portable Base
A. Adding a Camera to a Portable Base
When a Portable Base and Cameras are purchased
together as one set, cameras are already programmed
(registered) to communicate only with that particular base
unit. If an additional camera is purchased, it must be
registered with the base unit. Up to 14 cameras can be
registered with one base unit. During registration, the
base unit tells the camera what channel, address, and
camera number it should use. Also the base adds the unit
to the list of active cameras.
NOTE: Only add one camera at a time to avoid possible
communication errors. Turn on the power to the Portable
Base before you complete the following steps.
1. Turn on the power to the Camera you wish to add to
the Portable Base. If you are wanting to add more
cameras, only turn on one at this time.
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Portable Base Section
19
• Make sure the camera powers up and the display
shows “REG CAM” with a scrolling bar in the upper left
hand corner. If REG CAM does not appear, the Camera
is either registered to a Base or is in Stand-Alone Mode.
• Make sure the camera and base both have antennas
connected and the batteries are charged 50% or more.
2. Press the “Menu” button on your portable base.
3. Using the “Up and Down” buttons located to the right
of the display on your base, scroll until you see
“AddCam” on the display.
4. Once you see “AddCam” on your display press the
“Select” button on your base (second button on the
right side between save pics to card and set clock).
5. The camera will be automatically added and the
display will show the status of the camera being
added.
6. Once your camera has been added you will see “Turn
power off” on the display of the camera. Turn off the
power to the camera. At this point the camera has
been added to your base and is ready to be used.
7. After your camera has been added press the “Select”
button on your portable base to go back to the Main
Menu.
8. Repeat these steps to add more cameras (up to 14
cameras total).
B. Deleting a Camera from a Portable Base
Do not turn off the camera or base until the following
process is complete.
1. Make sure the portable base is near the camera you
want to delete.
2. Make sure your camera is on and the battery level is
50% charged or more
3. Test the communication between the camera and the
base by pressing the “Signal” button on your base.
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