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In this article, I introduce you to Jackery’s complete portable solar package “Jackery Solargenerator 500”, consisting of the Jackery Explorer 500 power generator and the Jackery SolarSaga 100 foldable solar panel. I tested the system over a period of 6 months and exposed it to a wide variety of situations.
Jackery provided me with the Jackery Explorer 500 and the Jackery SolarSaga 100 for the test, and I would like to thank them once again. However, Jackery has no influence on the test result.
Table of Contents
- 1 The main features
- 2 Lieferumfang und Extras
- 3 Connection and commissioning complete solar package
- 4 Measuring instruments for this test
- 5 Operability and control behaviour
- 5.1 Jackery in test: Power supply for mobile workplace
- 5.2 Jackery in test: Power supply at an outdoor party
- 5.3 Energy measurement Jackery Explorer 500 – Discharge
- 5.4 Energy measurement Jackery Explorer 500 – Charging
- 5.5 Measurement deviation of the power consumption!
- 5.6 Pure sine wave with the Jackery Explorer 500
- 5.7 USB outputs on the Jackery Explorer 500
- 5.8 Powering other devices with the Jackery Explorer 500
- 5.9 Jackery SolarSaga 100 in the test
- 5.10 LED lamp on the Jackery Explorer 500
- 6 Conclusion
The main features
Jackery is a US-based company that describes itself as a pioneer in the portable power industry. It was founded in 2012 by a former Apple battery engineer. In 2015, the first versions of the Jackery Explorer series came onto the market and three years later, the foldable solar panels SolarSaga100 followed in the portfolio.
Jackery products have been specially designed for outdoor activities such as camping, fishing and mobile work where there is no direct power connection. Jackery systems can also be used as a small emergency power supply at home. All you need is the Jackery Explorer 500, a portable power generator, and the matching solar panel Jackery SolarSaga 100 to charge the Explorer. Both components together weigh no more than 11kg and are therefore easy to transport.
Here is a summary of the most important features of the Jackery complete solar package:
- Complete solar package consisting of power generator with 518Wh and solar panel with 100W.
- Power generation from the sun and operation via a battery.
- All necessary components built into a compact system.
- Can easily power a mobile workstation, TV, lamps, blenders, coolers and mini fridges with 12V or 230V (110 V for US) for several hours.
- Very powerful, quiet and lightweight
- Ideal for outdoor activities such as camping, parties or working on the move
- Easy to use due to plug-and-play
Lieferumfang und Extras
In this test, the Jackery Explorer 500 and the Jackery SolarSaga 100 solar panel are put through their paces. The following components are included in the scope of delivery:
- Jackery Explorer 500
- Jackery SolarSaga 100 with integrated charging cable
- Charging cable for 230 V socket
- Charging cable for car socket (12 V)
- Bag for charging cable
- Operating instructions for Explorer and SolarSaga
Before we get to the test, let’s take a closer look at the components:
Jackery Explorer 500
The Jackery Explorer 500 is a portable power generator and the heart of the complete solar set. It contains all the components that otherwise have to be individually assembled, coordinated and wired in stationary complete solar systems, such as the Offgridtec Autark S-Master 100W Solar – 600W AC (read the review here).
This means you don’t have to worry about assembling the classic individual components such as Battery*, Solar Charge Controller*, Voltage Converter* and Battery Protection*. Anyone who has ever set up a stationary solar complete set with all these components knows that this is not always easy.
Top: You don’t need any previous electrical knowledge for the complete solar set from Jackery, which makes the system interesting for many solar enthusiasts without a technical background.
Even if the comparison with a stationary solar system is lame, I would still like to emphasise the simplicity of complete mobile solar systems, as these make photovoltaics accessible to a large audience and thus facilitate entry into the subject.
The Jackery Explorer 500 contains a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 24 Ah at a voltage of 21.6 V, which corresponds to 518 Wh of electrical energy. The Jackery Explorer has the following connections:
- 1 x Schuko plug for 230 V with 500 W (up to 1000 W short-term peak power possible)
- 3 x USB-A connections with 5 V, 2.4 A each
- 1 x car connection 12 V, 10 A; 2 x 6.5 x 1.4 mm DC output: 12 V, 7 A
- 1 x solar input with 8 mm DC, 12 V ~ 30 V (max. 100 W)
On the front of the Jackery Explorer, the solar input for a DC 8 mm connection is located on the left (1). Next to it is a small display that shows the charging power in watts (2), the extraction power in watts (3) and the charging status in percent (4) as well as a charging bar (5). The display is also very easy to read in sunshine.
To the right of the display is a button with which the display illumination can be activated (6). In the lower area there are car connections (7) 3 x USB-A connections (8) and a Schuko plug for 230V alternating current (9). On the side of the Jackery Explorer 500 is a fairly bright LED lamp that can be switched on and off using a button.
The Jackery Explorer is available in three sizes, the Explorer 240, Explorer 500 and Explorer 1000. In the following table I have compared the 3 Explorers:
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2023-12-10 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Jackery SolarSaga 100
The foldable solar panel SolarSaga 100 can be conveniently folded and weighs only 4.68 kg. On the back there is a small pocket containing the charging cable (approx. 3 m long) and a USB charging plug with two USB ports (1x USB-A 5V/2.4A and 1x USB-C 5V/3A). In addition, there are two foldable stands on the back so that no further stands are needed.
The surface of the Jackery SolarSaga 100 is made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), which is a Teflon derivative. As a result, the solar panel has a low dead weight, is very robust and has a high light and ultraviolet transmission. According to the manufacturer, the conversion efficiency is up to 23 %, which is really remarkable. Nevertheless, this is not a unique selling point, as more and more manufacturers with foldable solar panels (such as the PowerOak 120*) claim a high conversion efficiency in this range.
Below you will find a summary of all the important technical data on the Jackery SolarSaga 100.
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2023-12-10 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Connection and commissioning complete solar package
As already mentioned, the Jackery complete solar package does not require any previous electrical knowledge for installation and operation. To put the complete package into operation, unfold the solar panel, point it towards the sun and plug the charging cable into the DC input in the Explorer 500. You can then read the charging power on the Explorer display.
If you want to draw power from the Jackery Explorer, the respective areas (car socket, USB, Schuko plug) must be activated by pressing the buttons above the areas. After that, one or more devices can be connected and the commissioning of the solar complete package is finished. Super simple!
Measuring instruments for this test
Five measuring devices were used in this test. For the AC, I used an energy monitor (Energy Monitor SEM 16+) to measure power consumption, voltage and energy consumption, and an oscilloscope multimeter (ET828 Multimeter Digital) to check the sine wave. For the USB ports I used a USB multimeter and a USB charge tester as a resistance module. For measuring the sound pressure level I used the VOLTCRAFT Sound Level Meter SL-10.
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2023-12-10 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
Operability and control behaviour
I thought about the situations in which I could use the Jackery Explorer 500 with the SolarSaga 100 solar panel. Two scenarios came to mind: a mobile workplace and an outdoor party. I was able to use the Jackery devices in both scenarios and want to show you the results here.
Jackery in test: Power supply for mobile workplace
Many people dream of being able to work on the road. To travel somewhere by car or by homebuilt van in order to do one’s work in peace and quiet in the nature. Even though I tend to be one of those people who prefer to work from home or the office, I have tried to simulate a mobile workplace that makes it possible to operate a mobile workplace with the Jackery system. The mobile workplace consists of:
- 1x laptop (13″)
- 1x additional monitor (21.5″)
- 1x desk lamp
I have had the workstation in operation for one hour and the results are really amazing. The average power consumption of the mobile workstation was 53 W, so the battery power dropped by 10% from 97% to 87% in one hour. The mobile workstation can therefore be operated for 7 – 8 hours on a full charge without any problems.
Update 27.10.2021: I initially thought that Jackery was measuring its own consumption and that the energy meter was only recording the power consumption of the appliances.
During operation, the Jackery Explorer has a self-consumption of approx. 10 Wh via the 230 V AC connection. This energy is needed for the voltage converter and the ventilation of the unit. I have compared the measured values in Figure 5.
Important: There is a measurement deviation of 1 – 13 W in the measured power consumption via the energy meter (energy monitor SEM 16+) and via the Jackery display. The reversal point is at approx. 170 W. Below approx. 170 W the measurement deviation is positive and above approx. 170 W it is negative. Since I have been working with the Energiemonitor SEM 16+* for many years, I trust the information of the energy meter somewhat more than the Jackery measurement. More about this in the section Measuring deviation of power consumption.
The voltage converter itself has hardly any noise emission. However, if the power consumption in AC mode exceeds approx. 50 W, the fan activates. Since the average power consumption in this test was approx. 53 W, the fan was permanently active. A good way to measure the sound emission of the Jackery Explorer 500.
Update 16.11.2021: I did another more accurate sound pressure level measurement with the Voltcraft Sound Level Meter SL-10*, as I found the app’s specifications for sound level measurement too low. I came to the following results:
Since I don’t have an accurate measuring device at hand, I determined the sound pressure level with the help of my smartphone and a sound measuring app. When I measured the sound pressure level, I came up with the following values:
| Sound pressure level – Directly on the unit – Fan side | 66,1 dBA |
| Sound pressure level – 1 metre from the unit – fan side | 44,9 dBA |
| Sound pressure level – Directly on the unit – Front side | 56,1 dBA |
| Sound pressure level – 1 metre from the unit – front side | 41,8 dBA |
To get a feel for these values, the following values are given in the Sengpielaudio sound level table:
- 30 dB: “Quiet bedroom at night”.
- 40 dB: “Quiet library, general”.
- 50 dB: “Normal flat, quiet corner”.
- 60 dB: “Normal speech at 1 m distance”.
It is therefore advisable to place the Jackery Explorer a little further away from the workplace so as not to be excessively disturbed by the fan. You can use a suitable extension cord for this purpose. I have listed all the measured values of the test below:
| Energy consumption after one hour | 0,053 kWh |
| Measured voltage (5 checks), each time | 230 V |
| Highest measured output | 62,2 W |
| Lowest measured output | 41,0 W |
| Deviation from Jackery measurement (measurement error Jackery Explorer 500) | ca. +10 W |
Jackery in test: Power supply at an outdoor party
Small outdoor parties without large equipment have also become a welcome change from house parties due to the corona pandemic. Especially when it comes to lighting or charging mobile sound boxes and smartphones, the question often arises as to how the power supply can be ensured throughout the night. Here I have had the Jackery Explorer 500 in use.
Since the batteries of the sound boxes (Behringer MPA40BT - 40 W*) were optimally charged, Jackery was mainly responsible for lighting and charging smartphones and powerbanks at this outdoor party. In maximum operation, the following devices were connected to the Jackery Explorer 500:
- 2 x USB-UV Black Light Lamps*
- 1 x E27 RGB LED - Rotating Crystal Discoball *
- 1 x USB LED Copper Wire Fairy Lights - Single Colour - 10 Metres *
- 1 x USB LED copper wire fairy lights - multicoloured - 10 meters *
- 1 x Powerbank 20,000 mAh*
- 1 x Smartphone 3,000 mAh*
- 1 x USB distributor with four ports*
On the Jackery Explorer, a maximum power consumption of 29 W was recorded with all the listed components in operation. Since not all devices except the lighting were permanently connected, the average power consumption throughout the night was approx. 22 W. The party lighting can therefore be operated for about 22 hours without any problems when fully charged. That was also the first conclusion after the party. The charge bar lost about 25 percentage points after 6 hours of partying. A super result.
Note for outdoor parties: Take a tarp for the Jackery Explorer 500 and protect it sufficiently from water and deactivate it if it rains. The Jackery Explorer 500 is not waterproof!
Energy measurement Jackery Explorer 500 – Discharge
Jackery has successfully mastered the first tests under real conditions and the values are quite impressive on paper. However, I wanted to take a closer look at whether a maximum power consumption of 500 W (with short-term peaks of up to 1,000 W) and an electrical energy of 518 Wh are possible. To do this, I first checked what electrical energy can be delivered by the Explorer 500.
Using my power meter and a few devices, I tried to connect an approximate load of 500 W to the Jackery Explorer. The following devices delivered a power of just under 500 W:
- 1 x Hairdryer in the first stage without heating function
- 1 x E27 85 W photo light*
- 1 x 100 W Red Light Lamp *
After all the devices were connected, I switched on the alternating current (AC) at the Explorer 500 and started measuring the electrical energy with the aim of discharging the battery as much as possible. A closer look here reveals the measurement deviation from the energy monitor to the Jackery measurement. I will discuss this in the following section.
First of all, I can report that the Jackery Explorer has run the whole time without any problems and has delivered an electrical energy of 507 Wh. This is an excellent result. However, since it is unhealthy for a lithium-ion battery to be completely discharged, I assume that Jackery has deep discharge protection with its integrated battery management and approx. 10 – 20 % of the battery charge is not fallen short of in order to protect the battery. The temperature at the fan rose to 33.5 °C.
The Explorer 500 manual states that short-term load peaks of up to 1000 W can be absorbed. I briefly set the hairdryer to a higher level in the load test, so that the energy meter recorded just under 850 W power consumption. After about 3 seconds, the Explorer switched off. The short-term load peaks are therefore really only intended for very short load peaks.
Energy measurement Jackery Explorer 500 – Charging
Since it was difficult for me to determine the energy measurement for the charging process via the solar panel, I charged the Explorer via a socket and connected the energy meter in between. The complete charging process via a socket (230 V) took 7 hours, 28 minutes and required 668 Wh.
The charging process takes place via the power supply unit with a power input of approx. 85 W. As soon as the charging bar shows 99 percent, the charging power slowly decreases. Therefore, charging the last percentage point takes more than 30 minutes. I think that this is due to the battery management of the Explorer in order not to overcharge the battery.
Measurement deviation of the power consumption!
Important: There is a measurement deviation of 1 to 13 W in the measured power consumption via the energy meter (energy monitor SEM 16+) and via the Jackery Explorer 500 display. The reversal point is at approx. 170 W. Below approx. 170 W the measurement deviation is positive and above approx. 170 W it is negative. Since I have been working with the Energiemonitor SEM 16+* for many years, I trust the information of the energy meter more than the Jackery measurement.
I noticed the measurement discrepancy between the power consumption of my energy meter and the measured power on the Explorer display right at the beginning. If you activate the AC power via the AC button, the Jackery Explorer immediately displays a power consumption of 7 W without any devices connected. At first I thought that Jackery was measuring its own consumption for ventilation and inverter and that the energy meter was only measuring the power consumption of the connected devices.
So wie es aussieht, handelt es sich hierbei jedoch um einen Messfehler vom Jackery Explorer 500. Anhand der nachfolgenden Tabelle ist die Messabweichung deutlich zu erkennen. Im Volllasttest bei 495 W lag diese bei – 13 W und bei einer geringen Last von 52,1 W bei + 8,9 W. Die Messung des Jackery Explorer 500 muss bei ca. 170 W Leistungsaufnahme am genauesten sein, da es bei einer Leistungsaufnahme von 166 W eine Abweichung von nur + 1,0 W gibt. Den genauen Umkehrpunkt habe ich nicht ermittelt. Nachfolgend findet ihr die Tabelle mit den gemessenen Abweichungen sowie die Bilder der Messung:
However, it looks like this is a measurement error from the Jackery Explorer 500. The following table clearly shows the measurement deviation. In the full load test at 495 W, it was – 13 W and at a low load of 52.1 W it was + 8.9 W. The measurement of the Jackery Explorer 500 must be most accurate at approx. 170 W power consumption, as there is a deviation of only + 1.0 W at 166 W power consumption. I did not determine the exact reversal point. Below you will find the table with the measured deviations and the pictures of the measurement:
| Status | Explorer 500 | Energy meter | Deviation |
| AC Active, no load | Output: 7 W | 0,0 W | + 7,0 W |
| AC Active, Load: Home Office | Output: 61 W | 52,1 W | + 8,9 W |
| AC Active: Red light lamp | Output: 107 W | 99,6 W | + 7,4 W |
| AC Active: 2 lamps | Output: 147 W | 144,3 W | + 2,7 W |
| AC Active: 3 lamps | Output: 166 W | 165,0 W | +1,0 W |
| AC Active, Load: Hairdryer | Output: 340 W | 350,3 | – 10,3 W |
| AC Active, full load test | Output: 482 W | 495,0 W | – 13,0 W |
| AC Deactive: Charging | Input: 86 W | 90,5 W | – 4,5 W |
Note: Since I have been working with the Energy Monitor SEM 16+* for many years, I trust the information of the energy meter here a little more than the Jackery Explorer 500 measurement.
Pure sine wave with the Jackery Explorer 500
The question of whether inverters have a pure or a modified sine wave comes up again and again. In the German power grid, the AC voltage has a pure sine wave at 230 V / 50 Hz. Many electrical devices such as coffee pad machines, shavers or electric toothbrushes need a pure sine wave to function. Other devices such as game consoles, mobile phone chargers or computers, on the other hand, get by with a modified sine wave without any problems. The Hoelzle company has compiled a nice overview of pure and modified sine waves and listed the recommended sine wave voltage of various devices.
My measurement with the ET828 Multimeter* shows a pure sine wave at ≈ 228 V / ≈ 50 Hz on the Jackery Explorer 500:
USB outputs on the Jackery Explorer 500
The three USB-A ports are considered a shortcoming in many reviews, as there is no USB-C interface or Qualcomm Quick Charge port. The manufacturer’s specifications for the USB-A ports are 5V with 2.4 A each. Using my USB Multimeter*, I performed a full smartphone charge with a Samsung Galaxy S7* and came to the following results. According to this, a Galaxy S7 can be charged about 37 times with the Jackery Explorer 500.
| Voltage: | ≈ 5,09 V |
| Current: | max. 1,56 A |
| Capacity: | 2590 mAh |
| Energy: | 13.085 Wh |
| Loading time: | 2 h 29 min |
Afterwards, I checked with a load tester whether the specified values for the USB ports fit. The results show that the Explorer 500 meets and even exceeds these values without any problems. Up to 2.77 amps, the voltage is kept above 5 volts. From 2.78 amps, the voltage collapses and drops below 5 volts.
Powering other devices with the Jackery Explorer 500
There are many applications for the Jackery Explorer 500. Since I have not tested them all, I would like to show a few specifications from the manufacturer Jackery. In this context, however, I must confess that I could not always understand how Jackery arrived at the values and with which power specifications, currents or voltages they calculated.
I have tried to recalculate the values with different devices and have often come up with different results purely in terms of calculations. Therefore, I would like to point out once again: The values listed here by Jackery serve as guidelines.
| Chargeability / Operation | Explorer 240 | Explorer 500 | Explorer 1.000 |
| Smartphone | 24 times | 53 times | 100 times |
| Drone | 4 times | 9 times | 17 times |
| Laptop | 2 times | 4,5 times | 8 times |
| Lamp | 18 h | 38 h | 76 h |
| Mini fridge | 4 h | 9 h | 17 h |
| Television | 3,5 h | 7,5 h | 13 h |
| Beamer | 2 h | 4,5 h | 7,6 h |
| Mixer | 3 h | 7 h | 13 h |
Jackery SolarSaga 100 in the test
The summer of 2021 was a bit rainy and many would have liked more sun. Nevertheless, I used the SolarSaga 100 several times and can only report positive things. The solar panel sent up to 14 W of input power to the Explorer even on cloudy days. That’s not exactly amazing, but I find it surprisingly good.
When the sun was shining, the SolarSaga 100 did an excellent job and reliably charged the Explorer again and again. The highest recorded input power was 83 W. That is really good from my point of view. In an Amazon review*, I even saw that an incredible 100 W charging power was achieved. Why incredible? Well, even if the solar panel can theoretically achieve 100 W charging power under laboratory conditions, this is difficult to achieve under real conditions. With such a value, all parameters have to be right.
I would like to list a few parameters and influences that affect the input power:
- Intensity of the sunlight
- Angle of the earth to the sun
- Angle of the solar panel to the sun
- occasional shading by clouds.
I had an average of 72 – 76 W charging power in good weather and full sunlight, which was sufficient for charging the Jackery Explorer 500 throughout the day. Since I live in an attic flat, I simply hung the solar panel out of the window in sunny weather and was thus able to charge the Explorer. Those who live in rented accommodation, have a balcony and would like to experience photovoltaics can therefore also take a look at the Jackery system as a balcony solar system.
To give you an idea of how long the complete charging process takes with the SolarSaga 100 and the other two charging cables, I refer to the values given by Jackery. The information on the charging time via the mains plug is quite accurate, as I needed exactly 7 hours 28 minutes for a complete charge of the Explorer 500, as described in the section “Energy measurement – charging”.
| Explorer 240 | Explorer 500 | Explorer 1000 | |
| Charging time SolarSaga 100 | approx. 5,5 h | approx. 9,5 h | approx. 8 h (with 2 solar modules) |
| Charging time mains plug | approx. 5,5 h | approx. 7,5 h | approx. 7,5 h |
| Car charging time | approx. 6,5 h | approx. 7,5 h | approx. 14 h |
LED lamp on the Jackery Explorer 500
I would like to say a few words about the built-in LED lamp in the Jackery Explorer 500. When I saw the lamp on the Explorer for the first time, I just thought: “What do you need it for? Absolutely useless.” During outdoor parties I was proven wrong and changed my mind about it. The LED lamp definitely has its right to exist, is a useful addition and is also pretty damn bright. I have photographed the light cone of the lamp in the following picture (right), as I found it quite impressive.
Conclusion
Positive characteristics
The portable solar complete package from Jackery, consisting of Explorer 500 and SolarSaga 100, is a really successful photovoltaic set. The Jackery Explorer 500 brings a pure sine wave in AC mode, is powerful, well matched and impressively mastered all tasks in my tests. The SolarSaga 100 solar module is also the perfect complement for charging the Explorer with energy from sunlight. Due to its simplicity in construction and operation, Jackery thus enables many people to get started with solar technology.
No previous electrical knowledge is required for the complete solar set from Jackery, which makes the system interesting for many solar enthusiasts without a technical background.
For me, it was surprising that the Explorer 500 supplied the entire party lighting with “green” power at several outdoor parties and is now almost indispensable. Even for a mobile workplace with an additional monitor, the battery is easily enough for a day’s work. Moreover, in good weather, the Explorer can be charged with the SolarSaga 100 and discharged with consumers at the same time. A first step towards electricity self-sufficiency.
I also like the small details that have been taken care of. These include the LED lamp and the excellent readable display. In addition, only the most important information such as power input, power output and a charging bar with remaining percentages are shown on the display. The compactness and light weight of the two components are also really positive.
Negative characteristics
I see the price of the Jackery system as the biggest negative point. At just under €900, the complete package, consisting of Explorer 500 and SolarSaga 100, is a real investment and significantly more expensive than stationary solar systems with individual components. A complete stationary solar package from Offgridtec (see test report), for example, is already available for less than 600 €. However, prior knowledge of electrical engineering and a certain amount of research and familiarisation with the subject are prerequisites here. These are all unnecessary with the Jackery system.
Another negative thing I noticed was the measurement deviation of the power consumption of the alternating current on the Jackery Explorer 500. This amounts to up to +/- 13 W. The measured power consumption on the Jackery Explorer 500 is most accurate at approx. 170 W.
Another negative point is the lack of a USB-C interface. However, I did not notice this in a negative way. In addition, the Jackery Explorer 500 and the SolarSaga 100 are not waterproof and cannot be protected or deactivated in the rain.
Summary conclusion
Rating: Jackery Solargenerator 500
Anyone who has the necessary small change and wants an easy introduction to solar technology should take a closer look at the Jackery system. There is nothing simpler. Those who want to get more intensively involved with photovoltaics, do some tinkering and save money can take a closer look at the stationary complete systems from Offgridtec. The Jackery components Explorer 500 and SolarSaga 100 therefore receive a clear recommendation from me.
Summary
ADVANTAGES: Easy to install and operate, no technical background necessary, complete system perfectly harmonised, suitable for many applications, battery lasts a very long time depending on the use, charging time via solar panel very good, CO2-neutral power production
DISADVANTAGES: High price, measurement deviation in power consumption via AC, not waterproof, outdated USB interfaces
Go to shop*
* Affiliate Link - Last updated prices on 2023-12-10 / Picture source: Amazon affiliate program
I hope that this test report has provided you with some information about the Jackery system and helped you with your purchase decision. If you have any questions, suggestions or criticism, please use the comment function.
Greetings! Martin
Further links and sources:
Jackery Website (GER)
Jackery Website (US)
Jackery Explorer Instructions (Eng)
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