Niky-O from Austria contacted me recently about a special order. he wanted a Race Spec Porsche 911 GT3 which i thought was strange considering this particular car is not very competitive with other GT Class dNano cars. in its stock setup, the track measurement is the most narrow of all available cars and its got a short wheelbase with a rear-mounted (RM) motor. an MM mounted motor with a longer wheelbase will normally give better overall handling. to compensate for some of these issues, there are a few things i’ll do to make this car competitive but just like every dNano, it starts with a basic chassis set.  normally, i don’t do extra things like lowering the car, changing spacers setup or wheel sizes but in this case, i decided to put my own touch on this one so he could be at least a few degrees closer to a winning car… after its over, its all about who’s driving the car.  if you have additional questions, comments or just want to say hi, shoot me an e-mail or post on the nanotrax forum to share your thoughts and experiences with our growing dnano family!

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within the past 24 hours, the hard drive on our web server hosting all nanotrax sites suffered a critical failure.  for the next few days, you’ll notice things aren’t as they should be.  i’m aware of the problem and i’m working with my hosting technical support to resolve issues as quickly as possible.  if you need any assistance with the main pages, forums or online shopping, please contact me directly by sending an e-mail to qon@nanotrax.net.  thanks for your patience, understanding and continued support!

since a recent race report, we’ve had a running joke in the club amongst Hugh, Calvin & Myself.  winning means layin’ the pimp slap down on your opponents and i think my win today certainly qualifies high on the ‘dnano pimp slappin’ meter after gettin’ spanked for several weeks in a row by Robby, Ian and a few others in the club.  though its great to get a ‘W’ under my belt, i can’t take the credit as i drove a car hooked and tweaked by Dahm, our most frequent Thai participant in our club races and a highly skilled automotive technician who works in full size car racing and go-karts.  he visits the shop often to practice and work on tweaks for his dNano collection.  one of his best works is a Porsche Carrera GT.  out of the box, its not exactly a competitive car, but after a few weeks in Dahm’s hands, its amazingly fast, owns the lap record on F1R (CW) and is one of the most precise, easy to drive cars i’ve had the pleasure of pimp slappin with.  he’s not a highly skilled driver, so he asked if i’d like to give his creation a run in this week’s club race and i gladly accepted.

we have club racing weekly on Sundays with qualifying starting @ 5pm.  we run a 1-hr session, broken into 15-minute increments with Groups of 2-4 drivers taking turns in 4 sessions to record their fastest lap and earn a place on the final grid.  a 10-minute break precedes the 30-minute final and today’s competition was interesting to say the least.  i grabbed the TQ spot with an 8.98 best lap followed by Ian, Olaf, Hugh, Calvin & Dahm.  Ian started fast as he always does, but the speed and handling of the Porsche was too much and it led the rest of the way.  Dahm and Hugh battled for position for a long while until Hugh broke a servo gear assembly in his 787b, ending his hopes of finishing the race.  in the last 5 minutes, Olaf had taken the 2nd spot away from Ian but his battery gave in, allowing Ian to re-secure the 2nd spot while Dahm gave Calvin a lesson, maintaining his position in 4th.  Ian still holds the points race lead but Olaf won’t relenquish the crown without a fight so we’ll see how this season unfolds. last week, we welcomed Ek as a new member and Julian Campbell visited to race with us from Indonesia (see photos).  we’ve had an unusual number of new visitors, all asking for membership information so check below the race report for the latest info!

Rentals & Access – NanoTrax is a miniature r/c racing club and caters primarily to members but we’re always excited to welcome people want to ‘have a go’ and interested visitors in general. if you’re looking to give 1:43 scale radio control car racing a try, we have five (5) rental cars available for 300THB per hour. all non-members, must pay a facility use & maintenance fee (120THB per day) to race on every visit. if you plan on visiting often, purchase membership for only 7,000THB per year and this fee is waived. occasionally, F2L is closed to all visitors but when available, can be used for group racing. currently, we cannot accept groups larger than 5 participants and reservation must be made in advance for groups of 5 or more. renters must be at least 12 years of age, provide a 500THB deposit and agree to a 150THB per incident damage fee when applicable (our circuits are built to protect models, normally rentals go without any damage). please contact me @ 084.782.9648 (English or Thai) for more information.

Membership Info – members are provided many benefits including 1) complimentary facility use and maintenance, 2) storage for car & tools, 3) hi-speed wi-fi internet for mobile devices & internet work station, 4) full time happy hour (buy 2 get 1 free beer, draft or bottle), 5) championship participation and points collection, 6) 15% discount on all parts and accessories available in the shop, 7) up to 6 months membership suspension for non-local members, 8) member tee-shirt and membership card and more! we’re able to keep the shop open due to the support of our members and we do our best to take care of them to show our appreciation. we do reserve the right to reject applications or cancel active membership for any reason, this right will be used only to preserve the atmosphere of fun and friendly competition amongst all participants.

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our website was designed for high resolution monitors and ideal for browsing with Firefox.  are you using the latest version of Firefox (Ver 3.6)? if so, that means you can modify the theme of your browser with Personas.  show your love for mini r/c racing by ‘wearing’ the NanoTrax Persona.

Policy Change / Service Update Notice (22/02/2010)
1) club racing is now a members only event. occasionally, we will have special races that will be open to non-members and will announce these events in advance.  all non-members will be required to pay a registration fee for special events in addition to normal facility use and maintenance fees. 2) for groups interested in holding organized race events at nanotrax, Circuit F2L is available for reservation at a fee of 500THB/hour (2 hour limit) and a limit of 8 drivers (12 total visitors allowed including drivers).  the reserving party must notify nanotrax management at least 24 hours in advance, pay a non-refundable 1000THB deposit and during the event, the party will have exclusive use of the circuit. racing event fees are in addition to facility use & maintenance, beverages, food and incidental damage.  3) local members storing items in the ‘garage’ at nanotrax must visit the facility at least once every 90 days to avoid having items placed in extended storage.  the ‘garage’ is a place provided to give regular visitors convenient access to their property.  there is limited space available and while we appreciate all members, the ‘garage’ must be available for customers who visit on a regular basis.  4) annual membership is ‘stopped’ when a member travels abroad for a period of no more than 9 consecutive months.  if the suspension period expires without a visit into the shop, said membership will automatically expire.  all property stored at nanotrax then becomes the property of nanotrax and can be disposed of at nanotrax management discretion.  5) starting February 1, 2010 dnano available for rent will all have basic option parts and fees will be 300ThB/hour and a 500ThB damage and rental fee deposit per car.  damage to rental cars will be assessed at 150THB per incident, with a maximum of 450THB per car.  for questions or concerns regarding our policies, please contact support@nanotrax.net or visit the support forum.

i’ve been informed that the ‘DSP’ in ‘SSG-DSP’ should be ‘DPS’ and ‘DPS’ stands for ‘Damper Plate System’.  does this mean i have to do my video all over again?  no worries, i’ll try to do a bit more detailed, thorough research before my next one.  one thing i do know is how to install it and since the X-Power SSG-DPS doesn’t come with instructions, browse thru this gallery for a step-by-step tutorial:

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Olaf recently decided to add a new dNaNo Audi R8 to his collection but instead of dropping a complete ASC Body, he went with the R8 Body Kit.  neither of us are professional airbrush artists, but we both have a love for this little car.  if you recall, i made 2 attempts at mimicking Leonardo Da Vinci by painting a Porsche 911 GT3 and Lamborghini Gallardo Body Kit).  here’s a few pics of his completed, uniquely painted R8.  i think he did a pretty good job and i especially like his custom built spoiler.  have you painted a body kit?  if so, post pics of it on the forum!

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i was building a “Race Spec” dNaNo today for a customer and it occurred to me that i should give him an explanation for everything i’ve done before shipping this special gift he planned to give for the holiday season.  though some may look at it as ‘just a toy’, the dNaNo is a precision racing model with various optional parts that have a distinct affect on its performance:

1) Gyro Unit – the dNaNo is a real car.  its tiny but everything about it makes it like a full size car.  when it runs across an uneven surface or surface with seams, those slight changes can knock the car off a straight course causing it to be difficult to handle.  the gyro is an orientation instrument that helps correct these occurrences making the car drive smoother and straighter.  additionally, it assists with throttle and breaking to limit the car only to what it can handle making operation more manageable.  basically, it makes driving easier and more enjoyable.

2) Ball Bearings & Ball Differential – as i’ve discussed in my Diffs & Bearings video, ball bearings are parts that help make operation between moving masses smoother by reducing friction.  this means with bearings, your car is free to move at higher speeds as its more free to reach its limits.  just changing the bearings will make a huge increase in overall speed in the dNaNo.  the Ball Diff increases the efficiency of cornering by allowing the rear wheels to rotate at different speeds while distributing power transfer evenly to the rear wheels.  this means that your car can travel at high speed thru corners without losing speed, traction or control.

3) 32T-34T Spur Gear + 7T or 8T Pinion Gears- this optional part increases the acceleration by modifying the gear ratio from the stock 5.16 to 5.66 (higher ratio means greater acceleration but less top speed and lower means less acceleration with greater top speed).  most of your time in racing is made up in the corners and acceleration is critical to winning since, normally, your car will never have the opportunity to reach top speed in a race.  the 34T-Spur/6T-Pinion is the best racing combination for a layout with lots of tight corners.  if you’re running on a circuit with long, sweeping curves or extended straights, try 34T/7T (4.86) or 32T/7T (4.57).

4) Suspension (Gold/Hard Front Shock Springs + Rear Suspension Plates) – rear suspension is important for stability and on most surfaces for mini radio control models, you’ll need to keep it pretty stiff for the most settled operation.  you want to decrease “bounce” in the rear and “roll” in the front and this is accomplished with a “hard” setup.  when surfaces change, you may need to adjust this but on foam or more slippery surfaces, this will give you the best traction and handling.  you’ll find your car more settled and less ‘fidgety’ especially in cornering.

5) Aluminum Options (Front Suspension Plates/Rear Wheel Hubs) – the dNaNo is very light when its all plastic which is ok for speed but because of its size, its also very easy to put it on its roof when taking corners at high speed.  an element of resolving this issue is adding weight and aluminum parts – while seemingly very light – will add a few micrograms of weight that will help to increase stability.  the car will ‘feel’ heavier and may be a little louder but you can fix that with a bit of grease in the right places after installation.  greasing the joints will quiet and smooth out operation but attract dust so stay on top of it with a small brush after every run.

6) Tires (25-45F/6R) – nothing affects car handling like tire compound.  the dNaNo is very sensitive to tire compound change and you can immediately tell the difference in traction when comparing the stock #50 to anything softer.  the traction increase when changing to a softer compound (25-45 degree PN Racing) is necessary to allow the car to maintain speed while cornering.  traction increase can also cause the car to roll so adjustments to the steering angle (turning radius modification) will help to bring the car into a desirable range for manageable high speed cornering.  the rear tires need to be a bit softer than the stock #10 to 6-8 degree to keep it from oversteering.  which compound you choose will depend upon the surface you’re racing on.

7) SSG-DPS Kit - have you noticed your dNaNo ‘bouncing’ a bit in the rear during high speed cornering?  this is a serious problem and can upset handling and your ability to maintain a consistent racing line.  to reduce this, a ‘Damper Plate System’ should be installed which will significantly decrease this effect.

8) Racing Wheels (Aluminum or Plastic) – if you want to maintain a lightweight, quick car then you’ll want to stick with plastic.  pick up some racing wheels that will give your car some style or add weight.  aluminum is great for when you’re using a high torque motor and you need a bit more stability in cornering.

remember, a fast car is only part of winning races.  you have to know every detail of your car for proper tuning and to occasionally resolve problems that may arise during operation.  speed is a big part of winning, but speed without control is worthless.  be consistent and methodical about your hobby and you can be successful.  dNaNo is just one model in a hobby that’s lots of fun no matter what but can be even more fun when you win ;-).  any questions or comments, post them here or send an e-mail to qon@nanotrax.net -interested in picking up a Race Spec dNaNo built by yours truly? check it out @ our online shop.  until next time, see ya on the track!

thanks to everyone who attended our grand opening yesterday, it was a pleasure having you here! we started off the day with a traditional buddhist blessing given by 9 monks. our visitors began to arrive including news reporters & good friends. shortly therafter, Laew Jhek cut the ceremonial shop ribbon to officially open NanoTrax and begin the tour of the shop. everyone ended up on the 2nd floor lounge, trading turns racing dNanos on Race Course F2L. i think we picked up a few new R/C addicts including several female drivers. the rest of the day, a few more people dropped in to bring gifts and get their own tour of the shop. Khun Eau, our shipping coordinator from TPP Shipping came through with 2 girlfriends and they all took a mini-r/c crash course in the lounge. a big thanks to all the news reporters who took interest in our facility including the guys from R/C Action, Pattaya People and Pattaya Expat. big shout to my close friend, Dee, for being my camera man, he’s responsible for the beautiful pics in the gallery. the food & drink was provided by Dave from Manhattan’s Pattaya and last but not least, our friends from PRC, Thum & Yoh visited this morning with a beautiful flower arrangement from Charlie Siribodhi, President of the RCCA.

ทางร้านเนโนแทรคซ์ ขอขอบคุณทุกท่าน ที่มาร่วมแสดงความยินดี กับทางร้านเราในวันเปิดร้านที่ 30พฤษภาคม 2552 โดยทางร้านได้เรียนเชิญ คุณคทาวุธ ยุวรรณสิริ ประธานกรรมการบริษัท ที.อาร์.อาร์ ออโตพาร์ท จำกัด หรือ เจ้าของร้าน เม้งเฮดเดอร์เทอร์โบ เป็นประธานตัดริบบิ้น ทางร้านถือว่าเป็นเกียรติอย่างยิ่งที่ท่านให้เกียรติ มาเป็นประธานเปิดร้านให้แเก่ทางร้านเรา ทีมงานร้านเนโนแทรคซ์ ขอกราบขอบพระคุณเป็นอย่างสูง ไว้ ณ โอกาศนี้ด้วยนะคะ โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว คุณคทาวุธ มีศักดิ์ เป็นคุณตา ของ ผู้จัดการร้านเนโนแทรคซ์ หรือ จุ๋มนั่นเองคะ โดยจุ๋มจะเรียกท่านว่า อาเหล่าเจ็ก(ภาษาจีน) บรรยากาศภายในวันงาน เริ่มตั้งแต่เวลา 07:30น. ทางร้านได้นิมนต์พระจากวัดชัยมงคล 9รูป มาทำพิธีทางสงฆ์ คือ ทำบุญเปิดร้าน เพื่อเป็นสิริมงคลแก่ร้านเรา หลังจากนั้นเวลา10:10น.ทางร้านได้เชิญนักข่าวและแขกผู้เข้าร่วมงาน ร่วมพิธีตัดริบบิ้น ทางร้านนับว่าเป็นเกียติอย่างยิ่ง นี่ถือว่าเป็นงานแรกของเรา หากมีอะไร ไม่ถูกต้องหรือขาดตกบกพร่องประการใด รวมทั้งทำการดูแล และต้อนรับไม่ทั่วถึง ทางร้านก็ต้องขออภัย ไว้ ณ ที่นี้ด้วยนะคะ สำหรับแขกที่เข้าร่วมแสดงความยินดี ก็จะมี จาก คุณคทาวุธ ยุวรรณสิริ ประธานเปิดงาน Meng Header,คุณชาลี ประธานสมาคมรถบังคับวิทยุแห่งประเทศไทย (RCCA)โดยมี คุณตั้ม-คุณโย ทีมงาน จาก Pattaya R/C Powerboat เป็นตัวแทนแสดงความยินดี, ทีมงานคุณอิ๋ว จาก TPP Shipping, ทีมงานคุณชัยวัฒน์ จาก RC Action , ทีมงาน Pattaya People, คุณอร จาก Pattaya Expat Magazine, ทีมงาน First Eastern Supply,คุณปรีชา-คุณพงศกร จาก Swan ฺBeach Hotel,ญาติพี่น้อง และเพื่อนบ้าน สำหรับ ทีมงาน BSN News ที่สนใจในร้านของเรา และที่จะลืมเสียไม่ได้ ขอขอบคุณ K.Dave ที่ได้นำอาหารอร่อยๆจาก Manhattan’s Pattaya มาให้กับทางร้านเรา  สำหรับท่านที่ไม่ได้เข้ามมาร่วมในวันงาน ทางร้านหวังเป็นอย่างยิ่งว่า ท่านจะได้มีโอกาศเข้ามาเยี่ยมชมร้านของเรา ในเร็ววันนี้ ทางร้านยินดีต้อนรับทุกท่านเสมอนะคะ

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New Pricing & Shop Schedule
after a long discussion with the Mrs. NanoTrax, we’ve decided to cut our prices to the bones in a radical attempt to turn more visitors into dNano owners. the more ‘owners’ we have, the more participation in scheduled racing at NanoTrax. review the table below for current pricing on all featured services and products.  (หลังจากที่เราเปิดร้านให้ผู้ที่สนใจเข้ามาแวะชมร้าน ก่อนที่จะมีพีธีเปิดร้านอย่างเป็นางการ  1 เดือน จากประสบการณ์ที่ได้มาช่วงทดลองเปิดร้านจุ๋มกับพี่ขวัญ ได้ปรึกษากันว่าเราจะลดราคาสินค้า เพื่อที่จะเพิ่มจำนวนลูกค้าที่มีรถเป็นของตนเอง เพราะถ้าลูกค้ามีรถเป็นของตนเอง เค้าจะได้แต่งรถได้ดั่งใจกว่าที่จะเช่ารถเล่นอย่างเดียว เพราะรถที่ทางร้านมีไว้ให้เช่า เป็นเดิมๆ ทุกคัน เพราะเรามีสำรองไว้สำหรับลูกค้าที่ต้องการทดลองเล่น และอยู่ในช่วงตัดสินใจที่จะซื้อรถรุ่นไหน และที่สำคัญเราจะได้มีสมาชิกนักแข่งเพิ่มมากขึ้นด้วย เพราะทางร้านจะมีการจัดแข่งสัปดาห์ละ 1 ครั้ง และเวลาที่ เราจัดแข่งรถส่วนใหญ่จะเป็นรถที่แต่งครบชุดอยู่แล้ว เพราะฉนั้น อยากที่รถเดิมๆที่ยังไม่ได้แต่งอะไรเลยจะชนะรถคันที่แต่งแล้ว โดยทางเราจัดตารางเวลาไว้ดังนี้):

for additional inquiries, email us or register to post comments to the blog & NanoBoards Forum. Mrs. NanoTrax promises to post updates in Thai language much more often now that we’ve reached a point where we can focus on customer service.  those who weren’t able to attend the party, we appreciate your support & hope to see you in the near future.  up next:  Trick’d Out Mazda!

(12.2 mB)

if you’re a representative of a news media publication & wish to publish the included content, simply download the linked zip file(s).  the archive includes images, press release (thai/english) & prepared inteview.  use requires that any post of the material includes a link to (or mention of) our website, NanoTrax.com.  any additional inquiries can be directed to our Store Operations Manager, Joom. (คลิกตรงนี้สำหรับท่านที่ต้องการใช้รูปภายในร้าน)

Grand Opening Pics Release (17.5 mB, คลิกตรงนี้สำหรับท่านที่ต้องการใช้รูปในงานวันเปิดร้าน)

what is a dNano?
a dNaNo is a 1/43 scale miniature radio controlled model developed & produced by Kyosho. it’s a combination of two items in one because great care has been taken to create a scale car model identical to its full size counterpart and a revolutionary miniature r/c car that includes features never before seen in this hobby. those who love to race competitively will enjoy the ability to “hop-up” their cars with various option parts and those who enjoy finely crafted car art will appreciate the detail of each exotic car in Kyosho’s Auto Scale Collection.

why is it so expensive?
while all hobby grade models are built with high quality materials to insure durability, the dNano additionally requires special methods to be produced. one has to realize, this car is a revolution in nanotechnology with parts so small, the average user must use a magnifying glass to see and manage its working parts. production of the parts and construction of the car come at a high cost, not to mention the cost of bringing this product to the foreign market. nonetheless, those who do invest in one or more of this collection can understand the value of such a product due to its beauty and unique craftsmanship. comparatively, the cost of getting into the r/c hobby at larger scales is much higher. the dNano and its included capabilities allow one to enjoy the hobby for fun or for competition at relatively low cost.

what’s the big deal? its just a toy right?
yes & no.  in many ways the dNano & other r/c models are toys but they are toys built for adults.  they are made to play with but aren’t expendable or as easily broken as children’s toys.  the dNano can be taken apart, put back together, repaired, rebuilt, beautified or modified by its owner. during our younger years when we played with toys, we could hardly appreciate these aspects of the hobby and therefore, hobby grade r/c models aren’t properly classified as “toys”.   as previously mentioned, the cost of producing this item far exceeds the cost of making simple toys so i’m sure with this knowledge you can understand those in this hobby who don’t appreciate the dNano being referred to as a toy.  those who appreciate r/c at its finest understand its much more and will certainly enjoy the feeling of owning and/or racing such a car.

what is NanoTrax?
a 600+ square foot showroom & sports lounge on 2 floors, NanoTrax is the first shop in Thailand built specifically for miniature R/C racing. our location is one of the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.  based in Pattaya Thailand, it features indoor tracks for racing Kyosho dNano & Mini-Z.  the showroom & lounge offer multiple items for sale including authentic NanoTrax items, dNano & Mini-Z Chassis Sets, Auto Scale Bodies, replacement parts, option parts, beer, drinks & food.  NanoTrax is one of few exclusive retailers of the Kyosho dNano and Mini-Z Series & parts in Thailand. customers can visit our shop @  62/242-3 M.12 Thep Prasit Road Nongprue Banglamung Chonburi 20150 Thailand for practice car runs, club racing & other racing events. Our website is the place to find the latest information on practice, racing schedules for NRC & products we have available in the shop.

can NanoTrax ship internationally?
yes!  everything we sell in the shop, is now available in our online catalog.  if there’s something you want that isn’t listed, contact us by phone or email NanoTrax Sales.  we ship all items by registered mail or EMS insuring that you will receive your order within 5-10 days following our receiving payment.

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Link Exchange Info:
we’re more than happy to exchange links with other quality R/C sites.  simply add our link to your main page and we’ll add a link to yours on ours.  simple, easy, helping one another like they did it in the old days.  please use the following text link or banners to link to NanoTrax:

Anchor Text:  NanoTrax dNano Shop
Site URL:  http://www.nanotrax.com

Banners For Linking:

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Location & Contact Info
we do our best to be available at to our customers at all times.  this of course means opening up the lines of communication to the world.  when contacting us, please keep in mind our time zone is GMT +7:00 Bangkok and we keep normal working/sleeping hours.  we will glady accept phone calls from 10am – 6pm, 7 days a week and emails will be replied to within 24 hours of receipt.    any vacations or time away from an internet connection will be noted clearly on the site or email auto-responders.  our shop’s business hours are 1PM-10PM daily (sometimes closed on mondays) and is located in Pattaya, Thailand @ 62/242-3 M12 Theprasit Road Nongprue Banglamung Chonburi 20150 Thailand. NanoTrax.com and all associated domain names are properties of Harlowe Enterprises, LLC.

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Mobile Phone Contact:
+66.(84).782-9648 (Qon/English & Thai)
+66.(89).932-0834 (Joom/Thai Only).

eMail Contact:
Sales Inquries:  eMaiL sales@nanotrax.net
Site Issues:  eMail webmaster@nanotrax.net
Direct Contact:  eMail joom@nanotrax.net (Joom), qon@nanotrax.net (Qon)

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Payment Info:
we accept payment for orders thru Paypal (send payments to sales@nanotrax.net).

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Legal Contact Info:
all images & text on this site are considered copyrighted and/or trademarked material, property of Harlowe Enterprises, LLC.  if you wish to republish this info in any form, you must request permission in advance.  you can contact us by email to submit your request.

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last updated 04-March-2010