Model VB-215DX
p
2 Meter 15 Element Yagi for SSB/CW
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Hy-Gain Model 215DX is a high
performance yagi antenna for SSB/CW DXing in
the Amateur 2 meter band.
It features 15 elements on a 28 foot (4.03
wavelength) boom, with superior gain, low
sidelobes, and high front-to-back ratio. It also
features an encapsulated feedpoint and a
weatherproof, low loss type N connector for use
in all types of climates. The useable frequency
range of 144-146 MHz makes the 215DX suitable
for 144 MHz EME and terrestrial DX, and 144146 MHz satellite communications. The 215DX
antennas may be easily stacked for increased
erformance
ELECTRICAL DESIGN
MECHANICAL DESIGN
The 215DX mechanical design features a 6section boom which can be easily disassembled
and reassembled for portable operations. A sturdy
tubular boom support is included to reduce boom
droop and to add structural strength for severe
icing conditions.
Most hardware is stainless-steel including the
element retaining rings (push nuts). All insulators
are UV protected. The coaxial balun assembly is
made from high quality RG-303/u and RG-142
B/u PTFE dielectric and FEP jacketed coaxial
The 215DX is constructed so that the addition of
2 or 3 more directors will not adversely affect the
balance or structural integrity of the antenna.
The 215DX design is based upon the DL6WU
log-tapered design information. Performance was
verified by testing on Hy-Gain's antenna range
and by computer modeling with the NEC-2 and
Yagi Optimizer(C) computer codes. The
antenna's per f orm ance ch ar ac ter is tic s wer e
optimized for the 144-144.5 MHz frequency
range. This electrical design also permits the
addition of more director elements for additional
gain, with little or no retuning.
Yagi optimizer(C) copyright by Brian Beezicy
Figure 1
VSWR Chart
Figure 2
Gain Chart
PREPARATION FOR ASSEMBLY
y
y
g
g
FOR OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS: If you use the
Metric System, see the American-to-Metric
conversion table in the rear of this manual. Most
illustrations in this manual will provide bcth
American and Metric Dimensions.
Choose a moderate-sized clear area to assemble
the 215DX Beam. The area must be at least 5' x
6' (1.5 m x 1.8 m) for each boom section. A
bench-vise is recommended to hold the booms
while the elements are being installed. An
alternate method is to drive a 5' (1.5 m) length of
mast material into the ground and attach the
entire boom and boom-to-mast bracket to this
mast temporarily during assembly. If you
assemble this antenna over a grassy area,
precautions should be taken so that hardware is
not accidentally lost during assembly. A concrete
drivewa
Tools: The following
easy assembly of the 215DX Beam:
Qty Tool Type
1 Tape measure, 12 ft.
I Nut Driver, 1/2 in.
1 Nut Driver, 7/16 in.
1 Nut Driver, 3/8 in.
1 Nut Driver 11/32 in.
1 Screwdriver, small flat blade
is an excellent area for assembly.
tools are required for
One nut driver should have a hollow handle.
This can be used for pushing on the
pushnuts. Standard 'wrenches or adjustable
wrenches may also be used in place of the
nut drivers.
Make all measurements to the given dimensions,
plus or minus, not more than 1/16 inch! The
assembly of this antenna will be easier if you
read this manual completely through at least
twice and follow the recommended directions.
Allow at least 4 hours for assembl
.
ASSEMBLY OF THE BOOM-TOMAST
BRACKET AND BOOM
Select the boom sleeve, insert, and splice, boom
sections and mast bracket parts as shown in
Figure 3. Line-up the holes in the 6 boom
sections as shown. The #3 and #4 boom sections
should meet at the center of the boom-to-mast
brackets for best wind area balance.
The boom sections can be identified by their
length and diameter. The mating ends of each
boom section can be identified by the element
mounting hole reference dimensions as shown in
Fi
ure 2.
If the elements are to be installed in the boom
sections indoors, label each boom end with
masking tape at this time, and assemble the
boom sections together when the antenna is
ready to be attached to the mast.
If the elements are to be installed in the boom
outdoors, assemble the boom sections together at
that time and ti
hten all hardware securely.
When unpacking your antenna, check inside of
all tubing for small parts and elements. To
conserve space, these smaller articles are
sometimes put inside larger pieces. Check all
parts against the parts list in the rear of this
manual to ensure no parts are missing.
Figure 3 Assembly
of Boom
DETAIL A
temItean
,
d
d
l
I
No. Description No.
15 Boom 1
16 Boom 2, 1 1/8" x 48", drilled 33 Caplug, 1 1/8", bl ue
17 Boom 3, 1 1/4" x 7 2" , dr il l ed 42 Bolt, #10-24 x 1 1/2", hex he ad
18 Boom 4, 1 1/4" x 7 0" , dr illed 46 Bolt, 1/4"-20 x 3/4", hex head
19 Boom 5, 1 1/8" x 57 1/2", drille d 48 U-Bolt, 5/16"-18 x 3 5/8"
20 Boom 6, 1" x 48" , dr il le
21 Center Bo o m S pl ice, 1 1/8" x 26" 55 Nut, 1/4"-20, hex head
22 Boom Sleeve, 1 1/4" x 2" 56 Nut, 5/16"-18, he x head
23 Rear Boom Splice, 1" x 6" 60 Lock
29 Bracket, Boom Body, 1 1/4" 61 Lockwasher, 5/16" split, stainless s te el
30 Bracket, Boom-to-Mast, 1 l/4" 62 Lock-washer, #10, internal, stainle s s
1 1/8" x 48", drille
32 Caplug 1", black
54 Nut, 910-24, hex , s tainl ess stee
-
washer, 1/4" internal , stainless
_
DETAIL B
Figure 4 Assembly of Boom and Boom-To-
Mast Bracket
ASSEMBLY OF DRIVEN ELEMENT
p
Install the two driven element clamps (Item 40)
on the boom sleeve (Item 22) and Boom No. 1
(Item 15) using a single 10-24x 2 inch bolt (Item
45) and a No. 10 lockwasher (Item 62) and 10 -24
hex nut (Item 54), as shown in Figure 4, Detail
A.
Install the two DE halves (Item 25) into the DE
clamps using 10-24x1 inch bolts (Item 49), No.
10 lockwashers (Item 62) and 10-24 hex nuts
(Item 54). The overall length of the DE should be
38 inches (965 mm). Tighten all hardware
securely.
Install the T-match tubes (Item 26), and T-match
straps (Item 41) using 1/4 inch and No. 10
hardware as shown in Figure 4, Detail B. Do n ot
tighten hardware at this time.
ELEMENT SPACINGS
Element Spacings from previous element
Inches MM
DE 163/8 416
D1 73/8 187
D2 14 356
D3 177/8 454
D4 203/4 527
D5 23 584
D6 24 1/2 622
D7 261/4 667
D8 27 1/2 699
D9 285/8 727
D 10 29 1/2 749
Dll 301/2 775
D12 313/8 797
D13 321/4 819
Insert the long end of the reflector into the
mounting holes on the #1 boom section, as
shown in Figure 5. Slide another element
insulator over the other end of the reflector, and
push it onto the element until it seats into the
mounting hole. Recheck the exposed length of
the reflector and re
Carefully slip the 3/16 inch pushnuts (Item 52)
over each end of the reflector and push them
along the element until they are snug against
each element insulator. Check the exposed length
of each side of the reflector after this process to
ensure the correct dimensions. Remove any metal
shavings which might short the element to the
boom.
NOTE: You may wish to use a hollow
handled nut-driver or the short length of 3/8
inch tubing (Item 67) to help push the
element insulators and pushnuts onto each
element. If you accidentally slide a pushnut
on too far, then you should cut it off the
element and try again with one of the spare
pushnuts.
Select one each of elements - Dl, D2 (Items 2
and 3). Identify these elements by the length and
color bands listed in Table 1. Install these
elements on the #1 boom in the holes shown in
Figures 3 and 4, using the insulators and
pushnuts and methods as described earlier.
Select one each of elements - D3, D4 (Items 4
and 5). Install these elements on the #2 boom in
the holes shown in Figure 3.
osition if necessary.
ASSEMBLY OF OTHER ELEMENTS
Select the reflector element 3/16" x 39 3/4"
(Item 1), marked with two black bands near one
end. Also select two (2) insulators (Item 34) and
two (2) pushnuts (Item 52).
Push one of the element insulators onto the
reflector, so that it's inside shoulder is 19 5/16
inches (491 mm) from the nearest end.
Select the remaining elements - D5 thru D13
(Items 6-14). Install these elements on the #3,
#4, #5 and #6 booms in the remaining holes as
shov;n Figure 3.
After the installation of all elements check each
exposed length from Table 1. Also check to
make sure the elements are in the proper order
on each boom section. If any element has to be
adjusted or moved, there are extra pushnuts
supplied for partial reassembly.
Item Item
No. Description No. Desc ription
1 Reflector, 3/16" x 39 3/4" 41 T-match strap
2 D1, 3/16" x 37 7/16" 45 Bolt, #10-24 x 2", hex head
3 D2, 3/16" x 37 1/8" 46 Bolt, 1/4"-20 x 3/4", hex head
15 Boom, No. 1, 1 1/8" x 48" 49 Bolt, #10-24 x 1", hex head
22 Boom Sleeve, 1 1/4" x 2" 50 Bo lt, # 10-24 x 1/2", hex head
25 Driven Element, 7/16" x 18 1/4" 52 Pushnut, 3/16"
26 3/8" x 16 (T-match tubes) 54 N ut, # 10-24, hex head
34 lnsulator ele ment 55 N ut, 1/4"-2 0, hex head
35 Caplug, 7/16" 60 Loc kwasher, 1/4", int ernal
40 Driven Element clamp 62 Lockwasher, #10, internal
Figure 5 Rear Boom and Driven Element
Assembly
hem Part Total Length Exposed Length
)
y be
ped securely to
boom.
Element
R 1 160096 393/4 1010 195/16 491 2 - Black/Black
D1 2 160097 377/16 951 185/32 461 1- Brown
D2 3 160098 371/8 943 18 457 1 -Red
D3 4 160099 363/4 933 1713/16 452 1 -Orange
D4 5 160100 367/16 926 1721/32 448 1 - Yellow
D5 6 160101 363/16 919 1715/32 444 1 - Green
D6 7 160102 3515/16 913 1711/32 441 1 - Blue
D7 8 160103 3513/16 910 179/32 439 1 - Violet
D8 9 160104 359/16 903 175/32 436 2 - Violet/Violet
D9 10 160105 353/8 899 171/16 433 1 -White
D10 11 160106 351/8 892 17 432 2-Brown/Black
D11 12 160107 35 889 1615/16 430 2 - Brown/Brown
D12 13 160108 3513116
D13 14 160109 349/16 878 16 25/32 426 2 - Brown/Orange
No. No.
Inches mm Inches mm Color Bands
884 ,
1629/32 429 2 - Brown/Red
TABLE 1
Element Length and Color Band Identification
ATTACHMENT OF
BALUN ASSEMBLY
Select the balun assembly ( Item 31), the
connector bracket (Item 37), and t he hard ware
shown in Figure 6. Insert the 10-24 x 1 1/2 inch
bolt (Item 42) through the connect or brac ket
before attaching the bracket to the t ype "N"
connector on the balu n asse mbly using 4 -40
hardware (Items 44, 59, 57) as shown in Figure 6.
Attach the balun asse mbly with c onnector bracket
to the boom using 10 -24 hard ware ( Items 42, 62,
as shown in Figure 6.
54
It you are assemblin g more than one ant enna , for
stacking, ensure that the s quare sold er lug a nd
shrink-tube marked side o f the R G-303 balu n are
on the same side of e very anten na. This is very
important for proper p hasin g of 2 or mor e
antennas.
Attach the balun assembly to the T -match tubes
(Item 26) with #8 -32 hardware (Ite ms 43, 58, 51)
as shown in Figure 6. Ti ghten all hard ware
securely. The feedpoint end of the balun asse mbly
ma
ta
the
No. Description Item
, sp
,
g
15 Boom, No. 1, 1 1/8" x 48"
22
25 Driven Element, 7/16" x 18 1/4" 46
26 3/8" x 16 (T-match tubes) 51
31 Balun Assembly, 215DX 54
37 Connector Bracket 55
40 Driven Element clamp 57
41 T-match strap 58
42 Bolt, #10-24 x 1 12", hex head 59
43 Bolt, #8-32 x 12", round head 60
44 Bolt, #4-40 x 3/8", pan head 62
Boom Sleeve, 1 1/4" x 2'
.
ATTACHMENT OF BOOM
SUPPORTS
No.
45
Description
Bolt, # 10-24 x 2", hex head
Bolt, 1/4"-20 x 3/4", hex
head Nut, #8-31, hex head
Nut, #10-24, hex head
Nut, 1/4"-20, hex head
Nut, #4-40, hex head
Lockwasher, #8,
internal Lockwas her ,
#4
lit Lockwasher
Figure 6
Balun Assembly
Select the boom support tubes ( Items 24 , 27, 28),
U-bolt (Item 48), U-bracket cl amp ( Item 38),
boom support straps ( Item 36) and associated
Attach the boom supports to the 1 1/8 inch boo m
sections as shown in Fi gure 7. The b oom supp orts
can be above the boom tube or below the boom,
when installed. Ti
hten the # 10 hardware
Install the assembled antenna with boo m support
on a temporary mast at e ye-level, so that the
boom support tubes may be adjusted t o level th e
boom. The dimensions s h own in Figure 7 are
close, however so me adj ustments may be
necessary.
Disassemble the U-bolt and U-brac ket clamp and
tape the boom support tub es to the boom u ntil
installation on your mast or tower
NOTE: The 215DX antenna asse mbled per
these instructions should be balan ced wit h
respect to wind load. If you wish to balance
this antenna with respect to wei ght, the bo omto-mast bracket and U-brac ket clamp may be
moved closer to the D7 el ement. If us ed in a
phased array, all antennas should be
assembled identically.
INSTALLATION
p
Attach your feedline to the t ype "N" connect or on
the balun assembly. T ight en securel y and tape the
coax to the boom every 2 feet for str ain relief. Do
not allow the feedline to t ouch an y director
element.
The driven element and f eedline may be
positioned on either the bottom or top of the
boom; however when stac king 2 or mor e
antennas, the balun asse mbly and the marked side
of each balun should be o n the same side for all
antennas in the array. The 215DX sh ould be
installed with the boom supp ort tubes either abo ve
or below the boo m. Position t he boom-supp ort Ubolt for minimum boom s ag, and ti ghten sec urel y.
Recommended feedline for the 215DX a ntenna is
a low-loss cable such as Beld en 821 4, 99 13, or
Times LMR-400 with type "N" connectors.
WARNING
All request, inquires, war rant y claims, or t o order
replacement parts contact :
Hy-Gain
308 Industrial Park Road
Starkville, MS 39759 USA
Phone: (662) 323-9538
Fax: (662) 323-6551
ANNOUNCING
Hy-gain also makes si milar antennas f or 50 M Hz
and 4321MHz for S SB/ CW DX. Pr oduct 23 0S-1 ,
model 64DX features 4 el e ments on a 12 fo ot
boom for 50-54 MH z. Product 231S , model 7 031DX features 31 eleme nts on a 24 f oot boo m for
432-438 MHz. Product 343S, Model 66DX
features 6 elements on a 2 4 foot boom for 50 -54
MHz.
Do Not allow any part of the antenna to touch
powerlines. This could cause severe burns
and/or fatal injuries.
When mounting the 215DX beam above or below
any other antennas, all ow at least 5 feet for
minimu m i nt era ct i on.
The recommended stacking dista nces for t he
215DX antenna is (167 inches / 4.25 m) in the Eplane and (159 inches / 4.03 m) in the H-plane
SERVICE INFORMATION
If you encounter technic al proble ms and ne ed
assistance, you should contact t he Telex/H y-Gain
Customer Service De
You should retain your sa les receipt or other
proof of purchase for antennas that are still under
warranty. (See separate s heet for Hy-Gain
Warranty)
artment in Lincoln, NE.
The 215DX may be modified by addin g more
directors. The addition of D14, 34 7/16 inches
long, at 32 3/4 inches from D 13 and D 15, 34
5/16 inches lon g at 32 3/ 4 inches from D1 4 will
produce a gain of 15.0 dBd at 144.2 M Hz. T hese
element lengths are valid using the same method
of mounting on a 7/8 i nch dia meter by 6 7 inches
long boom extension. If a 1 inch diameter boom
extension is used, thes e ele ment lengths are s till
valid. The driven ele ment ma y need to be
changed, however, to obt ain a good V SWR.
Look for updates on the Hy-Gain WE B pa ges:
http://www.hy-gain.com
Item
No.
Part
No.
Description Qty
1 160096 Reflector, 3/16" x 39 3/4" .. ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... .... ...... ....... ..... .... ..... ....1
2 1600 97 D 1, 3/16" x 37 7/16 . ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... 1
3 160098 D2, 3/16" x 3 7 1/8" . .... .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..1
4 160099 D3, 3/ 16" x 3 6 3/4" . .... .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ...1
5 160100 D4, 3/16" x 36 7/16 ........ ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... 1
6 160101 D5, 3/16" x 36 3/16 .... .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... . 1
7 160102 D6, 3/16" x 35 15/16 .... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... .... 1
8 160103 D7, 3/16" x 35 13/16" . .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... .. 1
9 160104 D8, 3/16" x 35 9/ 16 .. ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .. 1
10 0160105 D9, 3/ 16" x 3 5 3/8" . .... .... ...... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ...1
11 160106 D 10, 3/16" x 35 1/8 ” ... ... ...... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... . 1
12 160107 D11, 3/16" x 35" ....... ...... ........ ......... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ......1
13 160108 D 12, 3/16" x 34 13/ 16 ... ...... .:.... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... 1
14 160109 D 13, 3/16" x 34 9/1 6 ... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... 1
15 179691 Boom 1, 1 1/8" x 48" drilled........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ........ l
16 179692 Boom 2, 1 1/8" x 48" drilled..... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ... l
17 179693 Boom 3, 1 1/4" x 72" drilled..... .......... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... .1
18 179694 Boom 4, 1 1/4" x 70" drilled..... .......... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... .1
19 179695 Boom 5, 1 1/8" x 57 1/2" drilled..... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... .....1
20 179696 Boom 6, 1” x 48" drilled ........... ....... ....... ........ ....... ..... ......... ....... ....... ...1
21 179697 Center Boom Splice, 1 1/8" x 26".. ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... .... ..... ..... .1
22 179698 Boom Sleeve, 1 1/4" x 2" ............. ....... ....... ....... ...... ......... ....... ......... .....1
23 179699 Rear Boom Splice, 1" x 6" ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....1
24 191027 Boom Support, 1" x 72"....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... 1
25 179701 Driven Element, 7/16" x 18 1/ 4 ... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... .. 2
26 179702 T -Match T ube, 3/8" x 16" drilled ....... ..... .... ..... ..... ... ...... ..... ..... ..... ....... ..2
27 191014 Boom Support, 1" x 60", drilled ............ ....... ....... ....... ........ ......... ....... ...1
28 191015 Boom Support, 7/8" x 57", drilled ......... ....... ....... ....... .......... ....... ....... ...1
29 385144-1 Bracket, Boom Body, 1 1/ 4" .......... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ......1
30 385142-1 Brac ket, Boom-To -Mast, 1 1/4"... ....... ........ ......... ....... ....... ........ ....... .....1
31 878271 Balun Asse mbly, 215DX .. ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ... 1
36 160011 Plate, mast supp ort...... ....... ....... ........ ....... ......... ....... ...... ......... ....... ....... .1
878269 Pa rts Pack, 232S, Insulator ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....1
32 450401 Caplug, 1, . Blac k.... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... .1
33 450421 Caplug, 1 1/8" Blue........... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... .1
34 460337 Insulator, element, Blac k..... ..... ....... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..30
35 455644 C aplug, 7/16", Blac k ...... ......... ..... ......... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... . 2
878272-2 Parts Pack, 232S, Straps...... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... .. 1
37 179663 Connector brac ket..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ....... ..... .... ..... ... ....... ..... ....1
38 540036 U-bolt, 5/16"- 18" x 2 11/16 .... ....... ....... ....... ....... .......... ....... ....... ....... .1
39 358758 Clamp, tubing, # 16 ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..2
40 160055 Boom Element Strap .............. ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....2
41 160074 DC Clamp, OSC AR.... .. ... ....... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ...2
-
Ite
m
42 500159 Bolt, #10-24 x 1 1/2", hex head ...........................................„.........„ 18
43 500185 Bolt, #8-32 x 1/2", round head ............................................................ 3
44 500374 Bolt, #4-40 x 3/8" pan head .........:..:...................................................3
45 500321 Bolt, #10-24 x 1 3/4", hex head ..........................................................1
46 505266 Bolt, 1/4" - 20 x 3/4", hex head cap.................................................... 8
47 (Not Used)
48 540067 U-Bolt, 5/16" - 18 x 3 5/8".................................................................2
49 504069 Bolt, # 10 - 24 x 1 ", hex head ..............................................................2
50 500158 Bolt, #10 - 24 x 1/2", hex head ...........................................................2
51 550063 Nut, #8 - 32, hex head ....................................................................... 3
52 550081 Pushnut, 3/16"...................................................................................35
53 (Not Used)
54 554071 Nut, #10 - 24, hex head, stainless steel .............................................23
55 554099 Nut, 1/4" - 20, hex head ..................................................................... 8
56 555747 Nut, 5/16" - 18, hex head ....................................................................6
57 559612 Nut, #4 - 40 hex head......................................................................... 3
58 560035 Lockwasher, #8 internal, stainless steel .............................................. 3
59 561530 Lockwasher, #4 split, stainless steel .................................................... 3
60 562961 Lockwasher, 1/4" internal, stainless steel ............................................ 8
61 564792 Lockwasher, 5/16" split, stainless steel ............................................... 6
62 565697 Lockwasher, #10 internal, stainless steel ..........................................23
63 (Not Used)
64 179856 Support angle boom ...............................................................................2
65 179857 Support angle mast................................................................................2
66 191028 Boom support, 7/8" x 60", drilled ..........................................................1
67 179720 3/8" x 6", tubing.....................................................................................1
Part
No.
878270-2 Parts Pack 232S, Assembly Hardware .................................................. 1
Description Qty
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