Geekvape Zeus Dual vs OBS Engine Review

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OhmzRaw

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Geekvape has earned its title for being one of the best tank manufacturers in the ecig market with tanks such as the Griffin in the past, and recently the Blitzen RTA which had rave reviews and performed exceptionally. The Zeus Dual RTA is no exception.

Zeus Dual RTA.jpg


The Zeus Dual RTA is a dual coil version of their previous, Zeus RTA which was a single coil RTA. It still features a leak proof, top airflow and top fill design with an improved, post-less build deck.

In the box you will receive:
  • 1 x Zeus Dual RTA
  • 1 x Spare Glass Tube
  • 1 x 510 Drip Tip Adaptor
  • 1 x Allen Key
  • 1 x 510 Delrin Tip
  • 1 x 810 Drip Tip
  • 1 x User Manual
  • 2 x Braid Coils
Zeus Box.jpg


Zeus Coil.jpg


Zeus Dual Coil RTA Specs
  • Size: 46.4mm x 26mm
  • Both Single & Dual Coil
  • 510 & 810 drip tips are available
  • Color: SS, Gun Metal, Black, Blue
  • 4ml Capacity
Zeus Dual.jpg


Design:

The Zeus Dual RTA can be used as a single or dual coil RTA. The design is very similar to the previous single coil Zeus with a few minor tweaks. The first design difference you will notice is that on this version compared to the previous version, the inner cage has been removed which gives the RTA a cleaner look. Other than that, the RTA has received a slight facelift in it’s external design with most of the changes being made internally.

The Zeus Dual is available in many different colour options so you won’t have a problem finding a colour you want. It is available in: SS, Gunmetal, Black, Blue, Gold, Polished SS, Red/Black and Rainbow. I have the Blue which is more of a navy blue and has a really nice glossy metallic finish to it. The finish on the RTA is excellent and I highly doubt it will peel off.

You also have the option of using either 810 or 510 Drip tips on this RTA with the inclusion of the 510 drip tip adapter. I think the included tips work best on this RTA because it covers the lip. If you were to use your own 810 Drip tip, you may experience a slight overhang.

The build deck and airflow design at the deck is also different. On the Single Coil Zeus you have a sort of ‘wall’ with holes which direct the airflow to the side of the coils.

Zeus single deck.jpg


This is no longer the same on the Zeus Dual. The new design features more airflow and the airflow is now directed to the bottom of the coil depending on how high you place your coil. The new deck design is definitely an improvement from the previous Zeus RTA and makes the wicking process easier.

GeekVape-ZEUS-Dual-airflow.jpg


Building/Wicking:

Building on the Zeus Dual is very simple due to the postless design. You simply cut your leads at the same length and drop them in the slots. When you try tightening the leads, it starts to become frustrating because the screws on this RTA are small. The one con that postless decks have is that it requires trial and error to get your coils to the ‘correct’ height or the height you want. This means that you will need to insert your coil, remove your coil, trim the leads and repeat until you get the perfect height. I would’ve really liked to see something like the coily coil trimming tool included to make building that much easier.

Zeus Deck.jpg


Wicking the Zeus Dual is easy but wicking the Zeus Dual properly takes a few attempts. Although this RTA is very forgiving with how you wick, you will not be getting the full experience if it is not wicked properly. To wick this RTA properly you will want to the cotton to just cover the top of the wicking ports and not fill up the ports. If you do fill up the ports, what you may experience will be a rather muted kind of vape which feels almost like an ‘airlock’.

Comparison to other Top Airflow RTA’s

I have tried a few top airflow RTA’s like the OBS Engine Nano and Engine Dual so I thought I’d do a quick comparison of how these compare.

For a long time OBS has changed the game with the release of the Engine line of RTA’s. These were among the very first of top airflow RTA’s that were released and have excellent reviews. Both RTA’s performed excellent.

Capacity:

The OBS Engine had a 5.2ml juice capacity were as the Zeus Dual has a 4ml capacity however, some versions of this RTA come with a bubble glass which increases the capacity to 5.5ml. The bubble glass can be purchased separately if you don’t get it in your box.

Building:

If you remember the OBS Engine dual, you will know it featured a velocity style build deck which did make building a breeze however, it couldn’t really take massive coils but installing a build didn’t require much trial and error. The Zeus Dual on the other hand, supports bigger coils but installing the coils takes a bit more effort to get it set up correctly.

Wicking:

The OBS Engine and the Zeus Dual do require you to experiment a bit to get it wicked perfectly. Since these RTA’s are top airflow, you won’t get leaking but you do get dry hits, gurgling or spit back due to incorrect wicking. The only fix to these issues is re-wicking.

For spit back and gurgling:

Spit back is mostly caused because over saturated coils. To fix this, use more cotton (thicker piece) and try to cover the wicking ports a bit more. Fixing this issue requires trial and error to find a method that works best for you.

For Dry hits:

Dry hits occur due to you using to high wattage or wicking incorrectly (Too much cotton). Most of the time it’s using too much cotton that causes this issue. To fix this, simply use less cotton through the coil (if it is too tight through the coil) and cut the ends of the wick more so that it just sits and covers the wicking ports.

Flavor and performance:

Once built and wicked correctly, the Zeus Dual RTA performs excellent! Compared to the OBS Engine, there is most certainly a noticeable difference in flavor. Using the same juices in both RTA’s which range from fruits, RY4, menthols, I have found the Zeus to be more flavorful and potent compared to the OBS Engine. The Zeus Dual, with its cons are my pick from the top airflow RTA’s I have tried. The Engine has had its place for a long time but the Zeus Dual is definitely the better option if you had to choose between the 2. I didn’t test out the Zeus Single Coil version but I would assume that with the versatility the Zeus Dual offers (Single or Dual coil) and making wicking easier for you by not needing to bend your cotton, the Zeus Dual should be considered.

Zeus Aegis.jpg


In short:

The Zeus Dual RTA performs excellent in flavor and vapor production and is the best dual coil leakproof RTA I have tried to date. The only cons for this RTA is the use of small screws on the build deck which make it frustrating to tighten your leads, the lack of a bubble glass in most editions. I would’ve love for Geekvape to include a Coily Coil Trimming tool or similar to the tool Wotofo Includes with their Recurve RDA.
 

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Myk

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@Myk Are you referring to the seals in the 7th picture (2nd last image showing the deck, chimney, glass and cap)?

Yes the seal around the outside of the base between it and the glass.
It went back in the slot fine. And didn't do the same buckling not tightening it as much.

I have too much liquid to take the Zeus apart and look inside to see if it has all the same seals as the Themis but I've already had one on a Themis that seals around the deck and inner chamber go bad. And it has 2 in the removable base that could be a disaster if they came out of place (hasn't happened yet).
 

OhmzRaw

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Yes the seal around the outside of the base between it and the glass.
It went back in the slot fine. And didn't do the same buckling not tightening it as much.

I have too much liquid to take the Zeus apart and look inside to see if it has all the same seals as the Themis but I've already had one on a Themis that seals around the deck and inner chamber go bad. And it has 2 in the removable base that could be a disaster if they came out of place (hasn't happened yet).
Yeah I would imagine that to be a complete nightmare. I can confirm that I've been using this Zeus Dual for roughly a month now and I've probably went through around 10 different builds and my seals are still in tact with no noticeable defects. The only gripe I had was that the post screws are small and so it can be a bit difficult to tighten it. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say about it. It destroys every other leak-proof dual coil RTA I've tried. To me, the flavor is so much better that even if you were to blind fold me and make me test out different leak proof RTA's, I'll be able to tell you exactly which one is the Zeus Dual.
 

AnthonyB

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Hi Ohmzraw,

I have loved the OBS Nano since it came out. Leakproof is so important to me. When I go on the holidays the OBS always comes with me ahead of every other tank. The flavour is outstanding and I still rate it against most current day RTAs.

I've been holding off on getting the Zeus under the notion that it's probably not that much better than the OBS but reviews like this make me reconsider.

It sounds like the single coil and the dual coil are very different systems. So can I ask, do you recommend someone wanting to get the Zeus stick with the dual or is there value in getting both the single and the dual for different vaping experiences?


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OhmzRaw

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Hi Ohmzraw,

I have loved the OBS Nano since it came out. Leakproof is so important to me. When I go on the holidays the OBS always comes with me ahead of every other tank. The flavour is outstanding and I still rate it against most current day RTAs.

I've been holding off on getting the Zeus under the notion that it's probably not that much better than the OBS but reviews like this make me reconsider.

It sounds like the single coil and the dual coil are very different systems. So can I ask, do you recommend someone wanting to get the Zeus stick with the dual or is there value in getting both the single and the dual for different vaping experiences?


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I used to use the OBS Engine almost daily. I really liked the idea of not having a drop of liquid spill out and cause a mess. For travelling, leak proof RTA's are the best because you don't have to worry about juice getting on your hands or anywhere.

Using different top airflow designed RTA's, I have found that I get best flavor from top airflow designs which direct the air to hit the coil from the bottom rather than the sides. This gives you bottom airflow RTA kind of flavor with the convenience of the RTA being leak-proof. Now that I know this, I wouldn't even bother getting a top airflow RTA that does not direct the airflow to hit the coils from beneath.

I've also recently got the Augvape inTake RTA which is a single coil, leak proof RTA and it also has a top to bottom airflow design and the flavor was excellent on that RTA as well. This confirmed it for me that I am more likely to prefer an RTA that has top airflow which directs the airflow to hit the coil from the bottom.

I will upload some pictures now of what I mean so that you can get a better idea. Just give me a second.
 

OhmzRaw

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@AnthonyB

I would think the reason that the Zeus Dual beats the Zeus because of the airflow design. It is going to give you a very different kind of vape that's for sure.

On the Zeus Single Coil RTA, air enters the airflow, travels through the chamber and hits the coil at the side.

Zeus single deck.jpg


On the Zeus Dual, air enters the airflow, travels and gets directed to the bottom of the coil. This style of airflow is what makes the Zeus Dual better in my opinion.

GeekVape-ZEUS-Dual-airflow.jpg


The only other leak proof RTA that has this bottom airflow is the inTake RTA and that RTA performs great as well. In my opinion, it's this 'bottom airflow' design that really makes the flavor shine on these leak proof RTA's.

For comparison, this is the airflow of my OBS Engine RTA:
e22a0f5b39f7575c36f77eae01a919be.jpg

As you can see, with the Engine, the air enters through the top, makes it way into the chamber and then hits the coil at the top.

In my honest opinion, the Zeus Dual trumps the OBS Engine for me. That said, I would say your main decision is to choose whether you want a dual coil RTA or a single coil RTA. If you want a dual coil RTA, the Zeus Dual is my #1 pick and if you want a single coil RTA, the inTake RTA by MikeVapes & Augvape gets my vote.
 

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AnthonyB

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@AnthonyB

I would think the reason that the Zeus Dual beats the Zeus because of the airflow design. It is going to give you a very different kind of vape that's for sure.

On the Zeus Single Coil RTA, air enters the airflow, travels through the chamber and hits the coil at the side.

View attachment 756869

On the Zeus Dual, air enters the airflow, travels and gets directed to the bottom of the coil. This style of airflow is what makes the Zeus Dual better in my opinion.

View attachment 756873

The only other leak proof RTA that has this bottom airflow is the inTake RTA and that RTA performs great as well. In my opinion, it's this 'bottom airflow' design that really makes the flavor shine on these leak proof RTA's.

For comparison, this is the airflow of my OBS Engine RTA:
View attachment 756877
As you can see, with the Engine, the air enters through the top, makes it way into the chamber and then hits the coil at the top.

In my honest opinion, the Zeus Dual trumps the OBS Engine for me. That said, I would say your main decision is to choose whether you want a dual coil RTA or a single coil RTA. If you want a dual coil RTA, the Zeus Dual is my #1 pick and if you want a single coil RTA, the inTake RTA by MikeVapes & Augvape gets my vote.

Thank you so much ohmrawz. This has been very informative for me. I was also wondering about the Augvape Intake so this post gives me
a lot of clarity.

I agree completely about the convenience of leakproof. My bottom airflow RTAs never leave the house but my OBS is indispensable when I go away for holidays.

Do you also have a Facebook page or YouTube channel for your reviews ?


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Myk

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Yeah I would imagine that to be a complete nightmare. I can confirm that I've been using this Zeus Dual for roughly a month now and I've probably went through around 10 different builds and my seals are still in tact with no noticeable defects. The only gripe I had was that the post screws are small and so it can be a bit difficult to tighten it. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say about it. It destroys every other leak-proof dual coil RTA I've tried. To me, the flavor is so much better that even if you were to blind fold me and make me test out different leak proof RTA's, I'll be able to tell you exactly which one is the Zeus Dual.

Just checked the Zeus Dual. It has none of the seals that make me worry about the longevity of the Themis. It was just the seal buckling on the dual that got me worried about both since I've already had one on the Themis swell beyond use.

I also noticed how the airflow works. I don't think it's necessarily going under the coil(s) or even very directed for that matter. Mine being a single large diameter coil I think my wick is keeping it from coming in at the ends, but I bet I have very little going under. But even on a dual I don't think it's hitting the bottom of the coils like an Intake.
 
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OhmzRaw

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Just checked the Zeus Dual. It has none of the seals that make me worry about the longevity of the Themis. It was just the seal buckling on the dual that got me worried about both since I've already had one on the Themis swell beyond use.

I also noticed how the airflow works. I don't think it's necessarily going under the coil(s) or even very directed for that matter. Mine being a single large diameter coil I think my wick is keeping it from coming in at the ends, but I bet I have very little going under. But even on a dual I don't think it's hitting the bottom of the coils like an Intake.
Yeah it isn't 100% bottom airflow like the inTake. It's more like hitting the bottom sides of the coil. I've heard that the Zeus beats the Themis in flavor. I know a friend of mine who hasn't had much luck with his Themis RTA.

I did get the inTake RTA about a week ago because I really like single coil RTA's and that RTA has been performing great so far. I'll post my thoughts on the inTake RTA maybe tomorrow or Wednesday.
 

OhmzRaw

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Thank you so much ohmrawz. This has been very informative for me. I was also wondering about the Augvape Intake so I this gives post gives me
a lot of clarity.

I agree completely about the convenience of leakproof. My bottom airflow RTAs never leave the house but my OBS is indispensable when I go away for holidays.

Do you also have a Facebook page or YouTube channel for your reviews ?


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Thank you so much for the kind words. I love helping out wherever I can. I do have the inTake RTA. I've been using it for about a week or 2 now. I will post my thoughts on it tomorrow or Wednesday.

If you like single coil RTA's more than dual, then I will suggest waiting a bit and see my findings on the inTake so that you can make a better decision as to which one you want.

I do written reviews only. I like to thoroughly test an item so that I can give an accurate and honest opinion on it.

If you ever have any questions or would like me to do a test for you comparing 2 RTA's side by side, let me know and I'll be more than happy to help out.
 

Myk

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Yeah it isn't 100% bottom airflow like the inTake. It's more like hitting the bottom sides of the coil. I've heard that the Zeus beats the Themis in flavor. I know a friend of mine who hasn't had much luck with his Themis RTA.

I did get the inTake RTA about a week ago because I really like single coil RTA's and that RTA has been performing great so far. I'll post my thoughts on the inTake RTA maybe tomorrow or Wednesday.

I have Themis mesh and I've only built mesh. I mainly wanted easy.
Zeus with staggered fused clapton vs mesh, I think Zeus wins on flavor slightly. Zeus can be rewicked or coiled easy but if you count the time making the clapton it's not so easy. Single plain wire was probably close between the two.
Themis with the screen mesh can be a pain if it decides to not clamp consistently. I just had that with a old piece that I cleaned so I went to a piece of stamped Vapefly (2nd build with it) and that was easy. I haven't put enough through the first vapefly to know if it is long lasting. The screen isn't bad but with a gunky liquid can get clogged and go downhill fast.
 

OhmzRaw

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I have Themis mesh and I've only built mesh. I mainly wanted easy.
Zeus with staggered fused clapton vs mesh, I think Zeus wins on flavor slightly. Zeus can be rewicked or coiled easy but if you count the time making the clapton it's not so easy. Single plain wire was probably close between the two.
Themis with the screen mesh can be a pain if it decides to not clamp consistently. I just had that with a old piece that I cleaned so I went to a piece of stamped Vapefly (2nd build with it) and that was easy. I haven't put enough through the first vapefly to know if it is long lasting. The screen isn't bad but with a gunky liquid can get clogged and go downhill fast.
I haven't had the pleasure of getting my hands on a mesh RDA or RTA. The only mesh tanks I've tried were Sub-ohm tanks and I have to say, there's noticeably better flavor with mesh coils as opposed to normal coil heads in Sub-ohm tanks.

The Vaporesso Cascade mesh coil tank came with one of my kits and I generally never use Sub-ohm tanks but I was just curious to know what mesh is all about and now, I still use the Cascade Sub-ohm tank. I've recently come to learn that the FreeMax FireLuke Mesh tank as well as the HorizonTech Falcon are good mesh tanks.

The reason I've never tried mesh RTA's and RDA's is because I have good relationships with vendors and they have told me that these RDAs were not performers. I've seen I think it was Cthuhlu's mesh RDA clearing out for less than half the price. Usually, only dead stock clears out at that price by the vendor so I assumed that the whole mesh thing never really catch on in the market as yet. I'm really hoping that soon we'll be seeing some we'll designed and executed ideas for Mesh RTA's. Sub-ohm tanks have thought me that mesh coils have a lot of potential.
 

OhmzRaw

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@Myk with regards to wire, I usually make my own or buy wire shots from coil makers. It is a bit pricey if you buy it from coil makers though.

For my MTL vaping, I've found that VandyVape makes an excellent 'Super fine, MTL wire'. This is all I use for MTL vaping or sometimes, I buy some high gauge alien coils but those alone cost more than the whole VandyVape wire reel.

For RTA's, I like Geekvape's selection of wire spools. Personally, I haven't had any odd taste or odd coloring on the wire so I can live with that. It's well priced as well. That said, nothing beats the coils you build yourself. It truly is something special when you build your very own coils. It's like a reward for all your hard work.
39d3d2caacff6bb9c3d2680705f36278.jpg
 

Myk

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I haven't had the pleasure of getting my hands on a mesh RDA or RTA. The only mesh tanks I've tried were Sub-ohm tanks and I have to say, there's noticeably better flavor with mesh coils as opposed to normal coil heads in Sub-ohm tanks.

The Vaporesso Cascade mesh coil tank came with one of my kits and I generally never use Sub-ohm tanks but I was just curious to know what mesh is all about and now, I still use the Cascade Sub-ohm tank. I've recently come to learn that the FreeMax FireLuke Mesh tank as well as the HorizonTech Falcon are good mesh tanks.

The reason I've never tried mesh RTA's and RDA's is because I have good relationships with vendors and they have told me that these RDAs were not performers. I've seen I think it was Cthuhlu's mesh RDA clearing out for less than half the price. Usually, only dead stock clears out at that price by the vendor so I assumed that the whole mesh thing never really catch on in the market as yet. I'm really hoping that soon we'll be seeing some we'll designed and executed ideas for Mesh RTA's. Sub-ohm tanks have thought me that mesh coils have a lot of potential.

Themis isn't bad with mesh.
I think the downfall of mesh rebuildables that doesn't match the drop ins is the screen. The holes are so small they get plugged up easier than the stampings used in the drop ins.
I'm not sure about the Vandy mesh RTA, the Themis design makes more sense to me as far as feeding goes. But I think what it will take is for someone to have a spool of stamped sheet like the Vapefly mesh. Or even more options like the Vapefly. I think it comes out to 20¢ a coil so it's really not that bad.

I'm too cheap to buy pre-made claptons. That's why I clean the screen mesh even though I have 15 feet of it on spools. It's sort of a labor of love, I like the challenge.
 

AnthonyB

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Ohmz, it seems Jai Haze, in his review doesn't consider the Intake to be superior to the OBS Nano mainly because of the lack of an option for a much more open airflow.

By the way, have you had a chance to try the OBS 2 which is currently in production ? I'm not sure if it has already been released or is on pre-order.


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OhmzRaw

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Ohmz, it seems Jai Haze, in his review doesn't consider the Intake to be superior to the OBS Nano mainly because of the lack of an option for a much more open airflow.

By the way, have you had a chance to try the OBS 2 which is currently in production ? I'm not sure if it has already been released or is on pre-order.


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Personally I don't really like lots of airflow. For example, the Zeus Dual and Engine Dual have much more airflow then I would use. For me the inTake has enough of airflow but the Engine Nano on the other hand, has much more airflow. I honestly would never use all that airflow on the Engine Nano but when I do build and the inTake and Engine Nano and compare them side by side, I will leave the airflow fully open to see if I get better flavor from it.

I did see the OBS Engine 2. I was going to buy it but then I've seen people say its a let down and a poor successor to the Engine Dual and Nano. I would assume that this is true because usually when OBS makes a great RTA, you'll see the name appear all over. This time however, I haven't seen much talk on the Engine V2.
 

AnthonyB

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I haven't had the pleasure of getting my hands on a mesh RDA or RTA. The only mesh tanks I've tried were Sub-ohm tanks and I have to say, there's noticeably better flavor with mesh coils as opposed to normal coil heads in Sub-ohm tanks.

The Vaporesso Cascade mesh coil tank came with one of my kits and I generally never use Sub-ohm tanks but I was just curious to know what mesh is all about and now, I still use the Cascade Sub-ohm tank. I've recently come to learn that the FreeMax FireLuke Mesh tank as well as the HorizonTech Falcon are good mesh tanks.

The reason I've never tried mesh RTA's and RDA's is because I have good relationships with vendors and they have told me that these RDAs were not performers. I've seen I think it was Cthuhlu's mesh RDA clearing out for less than half the price. Usually, only dead stock clears out at that price by the vendor so I assumed that the whole mesh thing never really catch on in the market as yet. I'm really hoping that soon we'll be seeing some we'll designed and executed ideas for Mesh RTA's. Sub-ohm tanks have thought me that mesh coils have a lot of potential.

2018 has been the year of the deep welled drippers with squonk pins and mesh coils in subohm tanks.

I've got a Fireluke and a Falcon and now I need to upgrade to the Mesh Pro and the Falcon mesh!

Mesh did what notch coils tried to do and failed.


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