everyone this can be our entry-level
bulldozer 101 this is a remake of our
video we did about two years ago so this
is our 2020 version really taking some
feedback from you comments things like
that
to kind of go over the basic controls
again this will be the very beginning so
if you are a very new operator looking
at getting into it this video will be
for you
first things first as with all my videos
I say not an expert not claiming to be
just gonna kind of show you what I've
learned out here and what we've heard
from others seen other people do on our
sites the other piece is we've already
done our pre-op inspection we do have a
separate video on that so if you do want
to see a bulldozer pre-op video just go
ahead and we'll link to that and show
you below but let's go ahead and get in
the machine and we'll show you some of
the controls
[Music]
and you'll see my variable speed setting
ramps up I'm gonna come around and do
one
[Music]
first thing most important is three
points contact anytime you're getting in
and out of equipment surprisingly or
maybe not surprisingly most instance
that happen on job site are actually
from operators jumping off tracks things
like that those are kind of awkward so
there are always the bars on there just
make sure you're taking your time to get
up and in the equipment okay all dozers
have a door lock on them so well two
things first
anytime you're getting in or out of a
piece of him and I always recommend
having that door locked open you'll see
some operators kind of partially open
that thing the problem with that is when
you partially open it if you start
getting into it one there is handles on
the door so I've seen this happen before
where someone starts to fall they grab
at the doors not locked so it falls you
know pulls right towards them or wind
I've been knocked in the back of the
head several times myself mainly on the
ice conveyed her so make sure they're
locked now when you get into a dozer
again all they all have locks to lock
him open because some operators may want
to operate with the doors open so they
have locks in place so the Komatsu we're
running a Komatsu d 61 dozer
there's releases on both sides up there
okay so seat belt then
okay seatbelt always put a seatbelt on I
don't care I'm gonna get comments on
here from Pro operators I've been doing
it for 30 years saying they never worn a
seatbelt you're not going to get me sold
on not wearing a seatbelt
you're in a protective cab the cab is
not protective if you're not attached to
it so any operator that tells you
seatbelts you don't you don't wear them
shouldn't wear them don't listen to them
it's just there's a reason they're in
there it's the same thing in a car I
mean you your car is not gonna that
shell is not gonna protect you if you're
not secured into that so don't let any
operator tell you no so now with that
turn it on on again today we're running
a Komatsu D 61 dozer I'm gonna go over
controls here in a somewhat generic
method just because it's I wanted to
apply to it really any bulldozer so with
this one Komatsu any piece of heavy
equipment you're always going to turn
the key just to turn the the systems on
don't ever just turn and crank it right
away you always want to get this these
are very complicated machine so you want
the system to boot up see if there's any
warnings indicators anything like that
sometimes there might be a warm-up
process in there too if there is a
engine a heater on there anything like
that or glow plugs on some of the older
machines you're gonna want to let that
run so it's all good I'm gonna turn the
key to start it up okay so after you
immediately start it up I'm before I'm
really doing anything I'm always
checking my gauges so making sure
there's no error codes anything like
that
Komatsu machines are fairly simple
you'll see it right away if there's
anything that if there is no alert
they'll actually pop up something in
front of you if there's an error coding
with that outside of that you're gonna
be checking your fuel levels how much
fuel if you're using diesel exhaust
making sure you have enough for the
entire shift I can see my fuel gauge
here I can see my diesel exhaust fluid
on the other side there so everything is
good to go on there and I don't have any
error codes or anything like that now
let's go over some of the controls we
talked about seat belt I already went
off on that first thing the next for
safety device safety lock levers now
Komatsu has an
trying to think what other manufacturers
do it several of them do we'll have each
door will have it and I really like
these because they're a great visual
from outside the equipment if someone is
outside and doesn't know if the
equipment is live or not so these will
actually come up right in front of a
door and they have a big red piece on
the end of them so you can see them when
those are down
nothing's gonna do anything right now
everything is shut down so it's in safe
mode now cat has a parking button that
you'll see with a parking indicator and
again you'll see some other bulldozer
manufacturers have that where it may
just be a push button again not I prefer
to have a lever they can actually see a
visual but you're always gonna you're
not gonna start the machine if well it's
gonna start with that already engaged
but the other thing I'll say when you're
starting make sure if it doesn't start
it won't starting here so if you have
your left joystick is in forward reverse
it's not gonna crank it may tell you
that or you may just look like a newbie
idiot on a job site trying to figure out
why your machine won't start usually it
means it's in gear either in gear or the
lock levers are engaged the next thing I
want to go over is the for a safety I
like to go over the safety devices first
so I won't over Lockland or seat but
seatbelt lock levers then you've got a
decelerate pedal that's my right foot
pedal it's a decelerator it's kind of
like the opposite it's basically an
engine clutch it will bring the engine
down to idle that's what's gonna stop
this machine at any point so that's why
you always anytime you're shifting I
recommend doing it anytime before I
engage safety lock levers it's kind of
that failsafe on there most of the newer
dozers have gone to a single pedal
design and what I mean by that is this
right now bringing it down to idle is
going to stop my machine you will notice
some larger dozers that even at neutral
it will still slowly move along so
usually there's a second pedal I call it
a brake brake because it literally will
actually put a apply a brake to the
track so it stops the machine from
moving the single pedal manufacturers
which I really like in Komatsu's one of
them might not be able to see it with
this camera but behind my decelerate but
oh there's a little yellow cushion or
button behind it looks like a cushion
it's actually a button if I push it all
the way in on my right foot it goes
about another half an inch that is
actually the break break that will
actually apply a mechanical a break to
the machine to stop it you will not that
Y should say you should never I can't
think of a time I've actually had to use
that because bringing it down to idle is
going to stop most dozers but it's there
if you're on a slope or something you'll
notice if you bring it down to idle your
machine may slowly drift backwards well
if you bother so you can apply that
break break by pushing all the way down
other than that your feet your left foot
there's just a foot you know a foot rest
there that's really you're usually just
using your right foot on that dozer so
and to demonstrate that I'll throttle
this up right now on the left is your
throttle over here so there's always
again Komatsu's on left I've seen
throttle positions differently
almost all machines will not move at
idle that's another kind of a failsafe -
I should say is that if you're engaged
everything the machine's not gonna go
anywhere so all the way up to max you
generally I always recommend running it
at full throttle a dozer is only as good
as how much power is getting delivered
to those hydraulics to the tracks
everything like that so you want to have
it at full throttle and then you can
manage that either with the speed
settings will go over or that foot
control so now at my throttle all the
way up if I push this pedal down you see
it brings me down to idle so if I pull
back it'll go back all the way up so I'm
gonna hold it down right now now again
to go live with it I always recommend
having your foot down on that pedal
right now I'm in neutral so it wouldn't
shouldn't go anywhere but I get in a
habit for a new operator make sure your
foot is on that pedal before you make
any moves in Direction anything that
potentially could be a safety issue
there I'll just have the foot pedal down
and be stopped now I'm going to lean
forward these are independent of each
other
I'm in Komatsu you know the right one
controls the right joystick left
controls the left joystick so it really
doesn't matter if you don't same time
I'm used to just engaging them generally
though if you're gonna have those up
that means you're ready to go seatbelts
on no one is standing up on your tracks
no one's near your machine the machine
is live right now so I think it's really
important that that's that's why I like
the visual from outsiders if they see in
and see those bars up I would not be
approaching if you ever needed to come
talk to
an operator I strongly suggest that they
put it in neutral and disengage both
safety lock levers right now that
machine won't move so back up outside of
that before I go into joysticks primary
controls we went over to display
obviously every manufacturing a little
bit different just get to know what the
settings are what the readings are on
this I'm not going to go over all the
individual pieces because it's very much
manufacturer dependent you know Komatsu
has all their lighting controls on the
left there there's independent control
for the front lights and one for the
rear this one they have a switch over on
the right here that is a additional
heater that's kind of a defrost heater
that's underneath I think it's under the
seat somewhere it blows out from
underneath there and then you've got all
the settings there's buttons down here
there's a power mode there's an economy
mode there's different ways to adjust
your a variable speed setting on it so
there's a lot of different features on
most of the newer machines that you're
just gonna want to be familiar with that
I'm not gonna go over into because
that's dependent on the model you have
so with that said and then on the left
side we've got client control so
Komatsu's got a manual kind of control
on the left side heat air conditioning
things like that we talked about the
throttle knob is right here it's always
going to be up joysticks will go over in
a second and then on the right side is
we've got the Ripper control right here
so I don't we don't have a Ripper on
this one but if you did this is the
usually there's an accessory joystick on
any bulldozer that's gonna operate if
there's something behind the dozer
that's what's gonna operate that when
it's not it doesn't do anything so and
then above my head you can't really see
much but the only thing on the Komatsu
our windshield wiper controls are up
above my head on the right for all the
different wipers and then most important
is my radio up there
I don't ever run it but for all the you
operators I'm sure run that a lot so you
got a radio there again the newer
machines I think most new operators are
surprised yeah if you can learn an
old-school machine and figure it out
great the newer machines I think what
most equip manufacturers have learned
the more comfortable they make those
operators the more you know the safer
they are the more efficient they are so
that's why you're seeing a lot of these
machines nowadays have a lot of comforts
built into them we're not trying to
spoil a new generation I know
a lot of old-school operators will rag
on the newer guys that are coming in
here it's just about being more and
safer and more productive I mean there's
nothing wrong with that so you'll see a
ride seats in these you know a lot of
things that are not in the older
machines but again if you can have it
have it I think it's good for everybody
so so now with that said let's go over
the primary the joysticks which these
will not really change regardless the
manufacturer your right is always your
blade control your left is always your
driving so you got blade control on the
right driving on the left
okay that's standard across I have not
seen any other dozers that ran it any
other way
now within those actual there might be
little different configurations but
generally on my right if I pull back it
will raise my blade up and with any
hydraulic as hard as you pull that
that's how hard it's gonna go all
hydraulics are gonna have kind of a hard
stop built in there it's not so don't
ever some new operators are worried that
they're gonna do some damage you pull it
all the way up and hit that hard stop I
wouldn't recommend it all the time I
mean there is a end point to that
hydraulic cylinder that's probably not
great to repeatedly hit it but just
understand not gonna do any permanent
damage so that controls it so pulling
back those up pushing forward brings
that blade back down so that's my back
and forth on that right if I go left or
right it dips the blade down so this
dozer is a six-way pitch blade so I'll
show you I'm going over all those so
left or right you'll see my blade tips
will go down one side or the right side
one way or the other so that's left and
right and then you've got there's thumb
controls on this it'll actually swing
the blade so on the Komatsu my right
thumb on here on the lower there's a
switch if I go left it goes left if I
pull back on it I'm sorry I push up mine
it goes to the right if I pull back on
it it swings the left and again this
will stop as well it's not gonna hit the
tracks a new operators sometimes are
concerned about that it won't do it it's
gonna stop before that so one way or the
other like that now I've also seen that
on some dozer brands other brands you
might actually twist the right joystick
to do that same effect so again little
things like that will be different but
the overall blade control is going to be
on that now that's most
almost every single blade is going to be
a six-way pitch so you've got up and
down
you've got tips left and right and then
you got your swing left and right that's
your six that I would say I've never
been in a dozer it didn't have all
additionally some will actually roll the
blade so you might be able to actually
pitch it forward pitch it back or some
controls I'm trying to think some of
there's other if you guys run other
types of dozers by all means and comment
below on other things you've seen but
those are the standard outside of that
there's a float button on the top for
the Komatsu this basically disengages
the hydraulic pressure on the up and
down so it'll allow you to back drag I'm
gonna go over that a little bit later
sore subject I'll tell you this right
now for any experience to operators I
know you don't like backtracking I'll
tell you my same thing I said I think
it's got a time in place the
manufacturers wouldn't put it in there
if it wasn't there for a reason so but
to float basically set that blade in the
ground and then if I for the Komatsu if
I just hold this right thumb up there
and put that joystick forward you'll see
I get a float symbol on my display and
then it moves up to the corner you never
ever ever want to be driving in float
forward it is purely for back dragging
so you're gonna basically disengage it
so you can back drag and the thing will
float just the weight of that blade and
then to take it out of float on the
Komatsu you just pull back just a little
bit of beeps and I that symbol went away
and now the hydraulics are back on so
that's my right now to drive on a
bulldozer I usually generally don't want
to have it all the way up if you can see
over my shoulder there it just blocks
your view it's not the safest when
you're going around jobsite I usually
recommend you know I don't foot or two
off the ground you know whatever you're
comfortable spends the Train you're
going into but usually a foot or two off
the ground is what you want to be so
that's right now left is your driving
again fairly simple dozers are not
generally that complex they get forward
new Traverse so on this they shift and
this is again pretty much every dozer
I've been in has it like that again my
foot is on the pedal you never want to
be doing this when the throttles up and
your foots off because it'll move I
always recommend stopping the machine
before you shift it so forward neutral
reverse it's just three little clicks
like that to steer it is just left or
right one way or the other if I go all
the way hard
left dozers nowadays will literally do a
360 they will literally the one track
will go forward the other will go
reverse not ideal you generally want to
try and widen that turn as much as
possible because everything you'll do
that later and you'll see it really
breaks up the ground disturbs and plus
you're scooping in a lot of material in
your tracks which is not ideal
now the other variation I've seen on
dozers for steering is again this goes
left right some of those the same thing
will turn the joystick left or right
similar to what I said in the right
that's how you can steer it as well and
then you've got speed control again very
there's different speed settings we do a
variable one on the Komatsu so these
there's nothing it down right here now I
might display you'll see I got an F in
an R for forward and reverse there and
as I push up it'll go up as I push down
it goes and it brings it back down
obviously the higher the number the
faster the speed so you'll notice the
reverse is always gonna be higher
usually you're always gonna go faster in
Reverse
then in forward because you're grading
forward you make up time in Reverse so
that's why you see on that now come on
sue we're on a variable setting which if
you can see the display in the bottom
here you'll see it's got the full length
there is a speed setting one two or
three that you can change it in your
settings so when you click that it goes
basically it's like a first gear second
gear third gear it's not actually gears
their settings but it is equivalent of
when people say they're running in
second or whatever that's typically what
that means is they're setting in a speed
it does probably make it easier for an
experienced operator cuz you have to
manage it for new operators though I
like the finesse to be able go all the
way down as low as it'll go to start so
that's that so we've got all that I
think I went over all those controls now
I'm just gonna do a little bit of
driving show you some of the basics on
here so with my foot down I'm gonna push
this in the forward you'll see again I
always start off with the slowest speed
setting bring that thing all the way
down or in first gear whatever and then
you'll see again I don't have to have my
hand on anything just letting my foot
slowly off that pedal is it's all I'm
doing right now is managing my speed
with that foot pedal
so at least to go now what I would say
from there you don't necessarily want to
use this as a constant speed adjustment
that's usually again if you when I spoke
earlier usually you want to keep the
maximum throttle to those the hydraulics
so managing speed is with this now
that's forward if I stop pulling in
Reverse on the Komatsu machine the
backup camera changes over to reverse so
I can actually see right out the back
again this also is another one that we
get a lot of feedback some people are so
adamant about not relying on the camera
again technology is a good thing this
camera right now gives me better
visibility than me doing this I can't
see nearly as much as I can see with
that now with that said it is a
technology you don't ever want to solely
rely on a technology but so I think it's
a matter of looking over shoulders
Komatsu has a mirror up above my head as
well that I can look back but you slowly
look over your shoulder when my foots
off managing the same speed but I
generally and primarily focus they put
that camera strategically here one it's
got a great view but two it is in line
with my blade tips so I can pretty much
scan everything right here and seeing
everything with that said you're
supplementing by looking over your
shoulder just to make sure you're not
missing anything out of your program
your your peripheral vision there but
don't again I think technology is a good
thing you'll get a lot of old-school
operators that will be very upset if
you're relying on things like that
it goes back to my thing that machines
evolved they've gotten smarter they've
gotten better so take advantage of that
it's it's intended to make us all safe
just don't rely solely on it so let's go
back forward now foots off again to
steer it you'll see if I go like that
goes left go like that goes right you'll
see I'm not doing anything with my right
hand because I'm not touching my blade
as an experienced operator you're gonna
have both hands on both joysticks right
now though I like to show people that
it's the minimal if I can believe my
right hand off I'm doing everything so
now I start pushing on the UP button
and you'll see my variable speed setting
ramps up
I'm gonna come around and do a 180 to go
the other direction you'll see a nice
gentle turn here so the key is a lot of
new operators with hydraulics they like
to stab they like to do this and I'm
really making a more pronounced to show
you hydraulics in any machine do not
like that smooth if I am just barely
holding that over you'll see my turn is
pretty steady right there and again if I
go hard right you'll see that one goes
in Reverse there's actually in Komatsu's
you can feel it so I push it all the way
it's sitting right there if I go just a
little bit harder right it'll actually
do the reverse right there so you just
kind of want to know that setting that
right there so I'm gonna go ahead and
come forward here and line up
we'll stop right here okay now that
we're ready to go now the this is a
one-on-one video I'm we're trying to
we've done past videos I wanted to keep
this video very much basic controls I'm
not gonna go into much four techniques
here because that's where we'll shoot
another video that will go more into
grading things like that but I'm just
going to do a one or two passes here
anytime you're learning two things I'm
gonna I want to tell you one you are not
gonna watch any video on YouTube that's
gonna teach you and you're not gonna be
a proficient operator in any piece of
machine so I'll cut that suspense from
you don't watch don't think you're gonna
watch a video and be a good operator
number two how you are gonna become a
good operator is get your butt in the
seat seat time is about the only way
that you get good at grading or doing
any of this so the more stick time you
can get if you've got a company you work
for they'll allow you some extra time to
get in otherwise find a place we can go
out get in a machine and just do reps
that's how it does our operator gets
really proficient the dozer is probably
the most complicated piece of machinery
at least I think that in a road grader
mainly because you're building your
roadway right in front of you they're
very they're not forgiving if you make a
mistake you're gonna drive over it and I
like to use the analogy of imagine
driving down interstate and trying to
lay asphalt in front your car while
you're driving that's what being a dozer
operator is so they look like simple
machines which in general they are it's
that washboard effect or just learning
how to grade now with that said I'm
lined up I always for a newbie slow
thing all the way down I go down I'm at
the to tick marks which is a slowest
speed setting on this Komatsu then I'm
dropping my blade this is where you can
adjust one side or the other now keep in
mind you do not want to bury this thing
in the ground you'll see right now if I
actually push this will actually lift my
machine up now what will happen is if I
do this the second I go forward it's
gonna dig me into the ground so that's
why you don't want to do that you just
want to have the blade right above the
ground and you're slowly trying to build
up your gray so now
again I'm trying to limit my controls on
a joystick to show you how little I'm
doing I'm a big advocate of less is more
the more adjustments you do the more
you're gonna have to you're gonna get in
trouble with this so I'm watching both
tips and this is why I do love the
Komatsu machines they you have such a
you're sitting forward so far that you
can see your sides you're trying to
build up material up to the middle of
your blade the Keyon dozer running a
dozer do not try and skim the top that's
where you're gonna get you always want
to have a load in front of you because
you cannot just skim the top now as I'm
getting material I'm watching and this
is where we're getting a more technique
in the next video
don't ever focus on the horizon - I'm
looking out it's called that kind of
seat-of-the-pants feeling on what my
machine is doing because I'm trying to
make adjustments before I get there as I
feel my tracks rolling over it but I'll
see I have material coming out both
sides I can kind of look straight out my
horizon and feel what the machine is
doing and makes subtle little
adjustments with that for this purpose
I'm just gonna slowly come forward and
create an upward slope again based on
what I do that's the slope I'm creating
so I just pull back on it to kind of
you'll see my dozer is now I'm gonna
drive over that the end of this once
you're at the end if you do have
material stuck to your blade or a lot
they call it I call it dumping the blade
some cat has a blade shake option they
actually push a button that'll do that
you know don't come out - I might just
dump it down like this whatever it is
you know clear your blade if you can
then you always want to retract it all
the way now I do recommend pulling it
all the way back especially if you're
going up a slope because what happens
when you start I'm gonna back up as I
dip down you'll see several operators
might end up dragging this some material
back there now I'm going reverse again
looking over my shoulder but again
looking at my camera I can bump my speed
generally reverse is where you're gonna
make up that time
be careful you're gonna go over little
ruts here and kind of drop the back end
down right there back and forward and
then I've got again if I bump my speed
it does not automatically go back in the
Komatsu so I have to push it back down
drop the blade down now in some of the
next videos and we'll go over this is
not an intelligent machine and what I
mean by that is Komatsu has intelligent
machine control is their brand of what
they have other manufactures are
different usually there's a way to
engage it that's probably that's the
future for any new operator learn how to
grade by hand don't rely on that much
technology technology like I said is a
great thing but you still should know
how to do that with Komatsu there's a on
the right side you can't see underneath
here this is where you would engage the
automatics underneath the joystick so if
I click that it would actually come out
soothing and integrated right in there
so that's what some of those other
buttons are is how to integrate that and
then I'm gonna go forward again one more
time through again I'm gonna bump I
recommend speed slow there are some tips
and tricks on the next one and we
already have we do have a bulldozer 201
video out there that goes into grading
slot dozing some more advanced things
you know it's really takes time to be
able to get good at grading some of the
tips having your blade angle just a
little bit there's again a lot I'll
cover that in the next video
as you get better you can start going a
little bit faster here but again I'm
just creating an upward-sloping I'm
gonna go up and over this thing
to that I'm going to dump my blade
I'm gonna run this one right to the end
yeah thing dozers are incredibly stable
safe machines this is off I tell some
new operators if you ever I've seen
these things in the mountains or you see
them on the hillsides they look like
they're glued to it the dozers probably
one of the least from a safety
perspective I don't have as many
concerns just because all that weight is
down below you in between the tracks you
know an excavator a wheel loader trying
any other machine where you have that
weight that you can put up either up
high or far away for you that that's a
tipping hazard very tough to get in
trouble in a dozer like this one I can
go right to the edge here there are
these handles the biggest thing is you
know just when I go over it like that at
tips but generally rare I think I've
gotten a dozer stuck once or twice but
that was in mud we're in a sandy
environment here so it's not too bad
and I'll ramp it up the final piece I'm
just gonna come sideways here and just
show the back drag again I'll go over
this in the more advanced video I'm just
gonna line up so I can go behind me so
with this the one final piece is
floating when you back drag again I'll
preface this I don't want to see in all
the comments operators again do not
these guys have been doing for a while
do not like back dragon they really
think a pro can do it forward I will
agree with you on that but I still think
back dragon has a time in place it kind
of smooths everything out so if I just
set this blade down you always want to
have it on the ground and again I put
that in put it in reverse back up
cameras up I'm looking behind me
now right now the blade is just floating
so I've got that I don't impound Zoar so
that I could still go left or right and
you'll see how it's smoothing out a path
right in front of me and this is where I
can go left or right with it I can also
swing articulate that blade if I'm
trying to move material but to me it
does a good job and sometimes at the end
of a pass I might do that the key here
at the end though do not just if I pick
it up right now I'm gonna leave a giant
pile of dirt what you want to do is take
it out of float and then you want to
keep backing up and slowly I'm actually
pushing down the blade a little bit I'm
letting that track out on its own so I
don't leave a big pile of material there
and you're going go until the blades
done taking it back up and we'll go over
that more in a next advanced video
okay and then finally parking neutral
for parking and is very very important
to set the blade flat on the ground you
do not want to have there's a step
behind all the blades so you don't wanna
be that guy shuts down had your blade in
the air so you always set this flat in
the ground once you're down flat make
sure you're in neutral I like to let my
foot off because I it's one final
confirmation if I hear that throttle
come up and machine doesn't move it
can't really go either way you know the
safer way is most really to pull that
down because if I'm in neutral right now
and I meant the low idle it will not
move even if I put it so if I put it in
gear right now the machine won't move
but generally having that and then the
final piece do not ever ever ever ever
get out of a machine with locked levers
up I have seen it done I know there's
still an opening there but that is your
final that puts this machine in park
there'll be a big parking symbol on the
front there no machine my machine is
safe I let it for the newer machines
they really don't recommend a lot of
idle time so let it maybe 15 20 seconds
and then I shut the Machine down there
we go seat belt off the latches all
doors are have the latches on it and
this one there's a latch right there it
is kind of funny I tell people there's
little dumb things that you don't
realize make sure you know how to get in
and out of your machine I know that
sounds really stupid but I've seen
people struggle you're gonna want to
know that at the beginning just in case
something were to happen so make sure
you know how to open these doors and
then three points of contact
everyone that was our bulldozer 101
video hopefully you guys enjoyed that
again that is our very entry level so if
any of you seasoned vets out there
operators want to put some comments
below others we've gotten some great
feedback on the comments from you guys
about tips and tricks you've learned
guys stay tuned for the next one we'll
go over some of the more detailed
advanced maneuvers on the bulldozer
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you