# Long Distance Travel Using Microsoft Street And Trips....



## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

We are planning our trip from MI to FL. I downloaded the trial version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and found it somewhat useful. But im now looking at how much time i am spending trying to set up the "best" sequence of stops with accurate times at each fuel stop and marking push pins for things like lunch and fuel, estimating where i will need to stop, hoping to estimate the arrival time to each destination, etc. Then i realized. is this going to be accurate? one stop for fuel off the plan and now im all messed up.

I do like that i can set it up to calculate at an interval (say 250 miles) i will need to stop for fuel and a snack and it will estimate the total travel time and suggested locations.

I do have a portable nuvi (and built-in) GPS and im thinking that using that with a few marked locations might suit me just fine and eliminate one, lengthy, planning step. I like the thought of MS&T but am thinking the planning portion might not be worth it for me. I might leave it installed on the laptop for occasional use.

How do others feel? What do you do for the longer, multi-day trips when planning ahead?


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

I use DeLorme Street Atlas, different fish, same results. I love it when planning a trip as I can tweak things based on what we want to see and what we want to avoid. I run the laptop, on a stand, in our motorhome hooked up to the stereo (I use iTunes as well) so that Street Atlas will announce when I need to turn etc. We've nicknamed him Morty. I don't bother with all the planning steps for gas, etc. But I do use it for where we camp and sometimes to find a certain restaurant that we want to try.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

I recently bought the 2009 version of MS S&T for our X-Country trip this summer.

I have set it up to help me estimate where I need to start looking for a fuel stop. From there I plan on looking up the best price in the area (along our route).
I have found the past versions to be pretty accurate, but when I compared my 2003 version to the 2009 version I found that the timing was not the same. In the 2009 version, you can no longer tell it how fast you plan on driving, but can only tell it "slower" or "faster" than the typical vehicle.

I am not trying to get the timing down to the minute, but within 1/2 hour would be nice.

I will also use my Garmin GPS, but with S&T it will be nice to be able to display a large section of the map or zoom in on a particular are we will be going to.

Bottom line... I find it very useful, but it will not be the only mapping application I will be relying on for my trip.

--Greg


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I used S&T's prior to buying my Garmin Nuvi. Hands down the Garmin is better. The one thing that S&T's will NOT NOT NOT do is recalculate your route if you miss a turn. You have to hit a key (F5?) and then it will recalc. But really...at 60mph or city traffic with a 30' trailer behind you...who wants to look down to find the F5 key.

Ditch S&T's and stay with your Garmin. BTW....I also think the Garmin is better than the GPS in my F-350.

For multi day trips....we just plan where we want to stop (things to do) and fuel as needed. I've never understood the reason to plan out fuel stops. You should have close to a 400 mile range with your TV...that should be fine to get you to the next station. If you know there is a long stretch between...stop and fill up even if you have 1/2 a tank. The campground will still be there when you arrive.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Good feedback so far!

Yes, the Garmin is definitely better than the in-dash. Plus you can take it with you walking around or in for planning if you want.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I used M S 2 years ago on my cross country trip on my laptop. Did very little planning ahead but did find it very usefull following directions to tourist attractions. The larger screen on the laptop enabled me to see easily where the road went and if a route given was better or worse than what I could physically see on the screen. Helped also if I needed to figure out a detour. I have a cheaper GPS in my truck now but having the capability of using the laptop when needed is a major plus for me.

John


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## Compulynx (Oct 15, 2008)

Just be careful. If you plan too much, you will miss some of the good stuff....
 








Some of the best sights are off the "planned" path...

C


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

One thing I forgot to mention for the 2009 S&T version, you can put it in a "night mode" to make it easier to see while driving during the night.
I have no idea if previous version had that, but my 2003 version did not... just thought it was a neat feature... not that I plan on driving with it on during this trip (since I now have my Garmin).


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I use S&T to plan day by day routes and stops. I've used it for a number of years. I must say that it won't help you if you get off course or if there are delays, detours, etc.

But it can help you plan a reasonable day's travel to a destination each day. Then let the Garmin take over on the actual trip.

S&T is best at planning the daily legs of the trip. Garmin is best at actual navigating once you are on the road. Use each tool for what it is best at.

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Not trying to discourage overplanning (being an engineer myself), but IMO, if you are planning every stop, you will be driven crazy. Kids (and wives for that matter) have a tendancy to mess with any tight schedule. Furthermore, I wouldn't even be real firm on the place you will stop. Doing so can cause you to stop early if you are making great time. The alternative, of pushing beyond your limits if you fall behind for some reason is even worse. When we head out west this summer the plan is 3 days to Colorado. It shouldn't take all of 3 days, but that way I won't be feeling stressed if there are too many bathroom breaks, etc.

As for directions, I'd bet you could get to Florida by looking at a map of the US and memorizing it in 1 minute.... Repeat after me: I-75








Once you get there, I'd use a GPS to guide me in those last few hours


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## jasonrebecca (Oct 30, 2007)

On our trip to Yellowstone/Tetons last year I planned our route using what places we were staying at as our daily destination.
All other stops for food, fuel, etc. were all decided by stopping when we needed to.

We used AAA's trip planner in conjunction with our Tom Tom.


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## AbbeysRoad (Dec 22, 2008)

This won't help for all trips but if your going to Florida you might find this helpful. Our family traveled the last two years to Florida from Ontario. We bought the book by Dave Hunter called Along Florida's Expressways. He does a new version every year. We loved the book, especially myself as I was not driving for the most part. The book is set up to show you every possible thing on the highway. Every gas station, restaurant, as well as both hotel, motel, and campsites along the way. For driving it gave helpful hints such as speed traps and hints to help avoid missing exits. It also was really fun to read and made the time fly by for myself since it also includes stories of everything you pass along the way. Interesting history tips and also interesting sites to see, should you find the time to stop. It's nice to understand all the places your passing along your travels, you never know what you might pass otherwise.

Every page is set up to account for 30 min of driving time. I loved this book because as others have said sometimes you just can't keep to such a tight schedule and this allowed us the ability to navigate as we went. You could plan out where you were going to gas up and eat ahead of time depending on how everyone was feeling and how much gas you had. Knowing that each page took you 30 min, which we tested and it was on the money both there and back made it very handy to plan on the fly. Of course you have your master plan in place, this just allowed us the ability to alter it if we needed to.

Hope this helps,

Julie


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Ill check out that book. The DW would enjoy reading it as we go.

Im not concerned about getting to Florida as much as the time I have spent trying to plan every little stop along the way before leaving. Then running both GPS as we travel...the Garmin and the MS&T. Not sure that is necessary. I think keeping it a little simpler might be better for me.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

I say put her in the wind.. Stop when and where is good during the day.. Like Nathan said just stay on 75... You might reserve your camping spots, but the honest truth is there are many more campgrounds and rv spots than rvers out on the roads with this economy..

I drive 1000's of miles per week and never plan much.. I set my odometer to zero in the morn. When I get the mileage id like for the day, I park and rest.. It might be 7pm, it might be 1am.. Its all about how things are going and how I feel..

To be honest I would just pick 2-5 campgrounds in a 100-200 mile stretch that interested me. Than as you get closer, just call em up and grab a spot in the early afternoon..

I know one thing, 2-5 campgrounds wont all be full at once..

Nothing sucks worse than having a big plan down to the minute... Just creates a bunch of stress..

Carey


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## rgrant78 (May 18, 2008)

I'll add another vote for Dave Hunter's book. My family is originally from ontario and we have used the book for many years travelling from ontario to florida. Enjoy the sunshine state. It is my favorite.


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## fourwalls (Sep 21, 2007)

we have both a Garman and MS S&T and use them both under different circumstances. We have the diode for the MS S&T that gives you the possibility of recalibration to get back on track. We can not complain on either one. they both have served us well.


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## russk42 (Sep 10, 2007)

I see you have small kids. I hear Microsoft is still working on the diaper&potty prediction tool for the S&T. Until they have that perfected, your trip plans will be nearly worthless.

The S&T might be useful if it can help you find the nearest walmart. i dont' know if garmin cn do that


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

When I went cross country 2 years ago, I let the day and time anything took to just happen without worrying about it. I would make a determination sometime during the day as to when I wanted to park for the night and then looked ahead on my maps, campground directories, etc. to decide where to stay. My only priority for my girls was a pool so I called ahead for a vacancy and whether a pool was available.

John


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

All very good info. Im going to keep it simple and plan for the main stuff and let the rest ride as we go! 
I will order those books. They sound interesting!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Ordered the Drive I-75 and Along Florida Expressways Books. They sound like they will be good to read along the way.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

jasonrebecca said:


> On our trip to Yellowstone/Tetons last year I planned our route using what places we were staying at as our daily destination.
> All other stops for food, fuel, etc. were all decided by stopping when we needed to.
> 
> We used AAA's trip planner in conjunction with our Tom Tom.


Us, too. Although I'm afraid TomTom never got to play. Along with AAA's trip planner, we relied on that old-fashioned paper thing called "a map"


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I have the 06 version of Streets and trips and use it on the laptop to plot trips and find places but I don't have a gps receiver for it. I have a trusty old Magellan 760 the I argue with on trips sometimes just like in the movie RV(its even the same model). two words DC and propane just turn off the GPS.

John


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

wolfwood said:


> On our trip to Yellowstone/Tetons last year I planned our route using what places we were staying at as our daily destination.
> All other stops for food, fuel, etc. were all decided by stopping when we needed to.
> 
> We used AAA's trip planner in conjunction with our Tom Tom.


Us, too. Although I'm afraid TomTom never got to play. Along with AAA's trip planner, we relied on that old-fashioned paper thing called "a map"








[/quote]

A MAP what the heck is that









John


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

I remember unfolding the trip tics on our travels out west each year as a kid. I was really surprised that they still do those for you at the offices.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

johnp2000 said:


> On our trip to Yellowstone/Tetons last year I planned our route using what places we were staying at as our daily destination.
> All other stops for food, fuel, etc. were all decided by stopping when we needed to.
> 
> We used AAA's trip planner in conjunction with our Tom Tom.


Us, too. Although I'm afraid TomTom never got to play. Along with AAA's trip planner, we relied on that old-fashioned paper thing called "a map"








[/quote]

A MAP what the heck is that









John
[/quote]

I know what a map is, I just don't understand this paper version. So, how do you zoom in and out if it is printed on paper?


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I have started using Google maps. Not only will it plot my trip, tell me the mileage, and calculate the time (which isn't too informative, when pulling a trailer), but I can zoom in on the campground using the satellite view. That feature, along with the campground's on-line map of their facility, allows me to assess the size of the sites, how close they are together, which ones are likely to be shaded in the afternoon, and so on.

I find that when I call the campground to make a reservation, they are surprised to hear that I know so much about the campground, but have never been there.

Mike


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## Dog Folks (Mar 19, 2006)

Sayonara said:


> We are planning our trip from MI to FL. I downloaded the trial version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and found it somewhat useful. But im now looking at how much time i am spending trying to set up the "best" sequence of stops with accurate times at each fuel stop and marking push pins for things like lunch and fuel, estimating where i will need to stop, hoping to estimate the arrival time to each destination, etc. Then i realized. is this going to be accurate? one stop for fuel off the plan and now im all messed up.
> 
> I do like that i can set it up to calculate at an interval (say 250 miles) i will need to stop for fuel and a snack and it will estimate the total travel time and suggested locations.
> 
> ...


Don't over think it. As full timers, we now use Microsoft Streets and Trips to get a rough estimate of where we be at the end of the day. I am not an engineer but always was a "detail" type of guy that would would plan each stop, attraction, etc.

Many years ago, my wife and I were starting out on vacation from south Florida to the Smokey Mountains. About 100 miles from home my wife asked how I thought the trip would go. I proundly announced that I had planned the entire trip. Day by day. Each day was listed on a separate 3"X5" card. I went on to tell her that I had the cards right here, over the sun visor for instant reference. She smiled and asked sweetly: Can I see them?"

My chest swelled as I handed over our entire 14 day trip, listed on 14 separate 3" X 5" cards, planned out, hour by hour.

She took them and THREW THEM OUT THE WINDOW!! She said: " This is a vacation and you will NOT plan every minute!"

Lesson learned. We now "wander", stopping when something looks interesting. A 200 mile planned "run", had often changed into only 40 miles because of some interesting sights.

The moral of the story is look for, and then stop to smell the roses. Better memories are made that way.

PLan a liittle... sure. But stay flexible!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Sorry I missed this thread earlier. I'll add one more little thingy









When we did our big trip last year, the single most important tool used was our handy Pocket Truck Stop Guide. With this little booklet we knew exacty where every truck stop along our route was located, and what services they had to offer.

We would simply make our stops as needed with the confidence that there would be plenty of room to manuever, and we could get any supplies or whatever was needed. We particularly liked stopping at the Flying J or Pilot centers.

Have a great trip !


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

California Jim said:


> Sorry I missed this thread earlier. I'll add one more little thingy
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gotta get me one of these! Thanks for posting, Jim.

Mike


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

Dog Folks said:


> We are planning our trip from MI to FL. I downloaded the trial version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and found it somewhat useful. But im now looking at how much time i am spending trying to set up the "best" sequence of stops with accurate times at each fuel stop and marking push pins for things like lunch and fuel, estimating where i will need to stop, hoping to estimate the arrival time to each destination, etc. Then i realized. is this going to be accurate? one stop for fuel off the plan and now im all messed up.
> 
> I do like that i can set it up to calculate at an interval (say 250 miles) i will need to stop for fuel and a snack and it will estimate the total travel time and suggested locations.
> 
> ...


Don't over think it. As full timers, we now use Microsoft Streets and Trips to get a rough estimate of where we be at the end of the day. I am not an engineer but always was a "detail" type of guy that would would plan each stop, attraction, etc.

Many years ago, my wife and I were starting out on vacation from south Florida to the Smokey Mountains. About 100 miles from home my wife asked how I thought the trip would go. I proundly announced that I had planned the entire trip. Day by day. Each day was listed on a separate 3"X5" card. I went on to tell her that I had the cards right here, over the sun visor for instant reference. She smiled and asked sweetly: Can I see them?"

My chest swelled as I handed over our entire 14 day trip, listed on 14 separate 3" X 5" cards, planned out, hour by hour.

She took them and THREW THEM OUT THE WINDOW!! She said: " This is a vacation and you will NOT plan every minute!"

Lesson learned. We now "wander", stopping when something looks interesting. A 200 mile planned "run", had often changed into only 40 miles because of some interesting sights.

The moral of the story is look for, and then stop to smell the roses. Better memories are made that way.

PLan a liittle... sure. But stay flexible!
[/quote]
Good advice. I use S&T at home to plan out our trips knowing that things will change and then use our Garmin for the trip. I notice that they often don't choose the same path to go. Some times I follow Tina and other times I follow what I think is a better course. On S&T we can see what is around that would be interesting to do and on the Garmin plot out the new and different things. I have downloaded several POI files so can seek for new attractions, camping spots, wineries etc. I do wish that I could find some way to program in spots to stop with a 30' RV. Any more we travel slow and underplan our trip so that we can stop along the way. IMHO there is a place for both programs.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Lmbevard said:


> I do wish that I could find some way to program in spots to stop with a 30' RV. Any more we travel slow and underplan our trip so that we can stop along the way. IMHO there is a place for both programs.


My Garmin 660 allows me to tell it I am a large vehicle and therefore it won't send me down streets that are smaller/tighter then I should be using. Make sure you turn this off when not towing or you'll scratch your head wondering why you're being routed in certain locations.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I do wish that I could find some way to program in spots to stop with a 30' RV. Any more we travel slow and underplan our trip so that we can stop along the way. IMHO there is a place for both programs.


My Garmin 660 allows me to tell it I am a large vehicle and therefore it won't send me down streets that are smaller/tighter then I should be using. Make sure you turn this off when not towing or you'll scratch your head wondering why you're being routed in certain locations.
[/quote]

I don't think I can do that with my 750... I'll check that out.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> My Garmin 660 allows me to tell it I am a large vehicle and therefore it won't send me down streets that are smaller/tighter then I should be using. Make sure you turn this off when not towing or you'll scratch your head wondering why you're being routed in certain locations.


Took me a while to figure that out when I first tested the Garmin, driving home from work. I couldn't figure out why it kept wanting me to turn left and routing me on a street a couple blocks over (and a longer route).









Sounds like you might have learned this tip the same way I did. (Or heard it from someone who did.)









(Mine is a 550C, and it has that feature, in General Setup. You tell it you are a "Truck", meaning Semi-Trailer. Then my Garmin puts a little truck icon on the screen, representing me, instead of a car.)

Mike


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Gotta love the Garmins!! I like the sound of the Pocket Truck Stop Guide too. I think I might pick up one of those.

OK so Im going to load the Streets and Trips on to the Laptop and bring it along for reference. Ill use the Garmin for the traveling.

When you all say you are loading the POIs are you putting them on the Garmins or on the MS&T...or both?


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Sayonara said:


> When you all say you are loading the POIs are you putting them on the Garmins or on the MS&T...or both?


I only have POI's on my Garmin. ...the Red Light camera POI is my favorite.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Scoutr2 said:


> Sounds like you might have learned this tip the same way I did. (Or heard it from someone who did.)


Truth be told...I was playing with all the settings one night and switch to "truck" for my next camping trip. Then..yep you guessed it....I forgot to switch it back. Figured the thing had lost it's mind as it had me going down major road vs nice little side streets. Dooh!!


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## Nelson (May 6, 2007)

We have been using MS&T for three years. It takes a couple of trips to figure out the speed settings to get an accurate estimate of the travel time, but whe nyou do it is usually pretty good. We like to use it to plant the travel times and then find a place to stay nearby.

Typically we leave a little wiggle room for extra stops or whatever. IT is just nice to know that you can reserve your site ahead, know how long it takes to get there and then know you can stop an smell the roses along the way.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Nelson said:


> We have been using MS&T for three years. It takes a couple of trips to figure out the speed settings to get an accurate estimate of the travel time, but whe nyou do it is usually pretty good. We like to use it to plant the travel times and then find a place to stay nearby.
> 
> Typically we leave a little wiggle room for extra stops or whatever. IT is just nice to know that you can reserve your site ahead, know how long it takes to get there and then know you can stop an smell the roses along the way.


I am amazed on how my Garmin does it, but when we travel to my DW parents house (in the Volvo..no built in GPS like the F-350) it NAILS the ETA within a minute or two. This is about a 4 hour drive, and it calculates it like a champ. Not like we are starting on a freeway and ending on a freeway (ie..calc at 65mph)...we roll through small town...use freeways...etc. To top it off...it calculates this in about 5 seconds. WOW!!!


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Here is something I use for my fueling.

Click

Gives a good idea of the cheaper areas for fueling.

Carey


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Sounds like you might have learned this tip the same way I did. (Or heard it from someone who did.)


Truth be told...I was playing with all the settings one night and switch to "truck" for my next camping trip. Then..yep you guessed it....I forgot to switch it back. Figured the thing had lost it's mind as it had me going down major road vs nice little side streets. Dooh!!








[/quote]

If you want some real excitement, tell it you are on a Motorcycle!!!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

CamperAndy said:


> If you want some real excitement, tell it you are on a Motorcycle!!!


..while pulling the Outback.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

lol


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