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Gsak (geocaching Swiss Army Knife)


ClydeE

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thanks, got my registration number earlier today

 

I can't wait for the next version if you are able to remove the ", it will make it a lot easier to find them in cachemate

 

one more ?, when I download points into my GPSr and palm, when I view log, there is only one 1 log per cache on my palm, is there a place where I can designate it to load more than one?

Edited by birddog14
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On the dialogue box for Export to Cachemate, look at all the options. You will see one for logs.

 

I have mine set for "No Limit" and some caches that have been in my database for a long time have lots of log entries to review . . . if I'm having trouble finding the cache.

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.one more ?, when I download points into my GPSr and palm, when I view log, there is only one 1 log per cache on my palm, is there a place where I can designate it to load more than one?

Keep hitting the down key, it only shows one log at a time. Many people have fallen for this 'error' before.

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My apologies if this has been discussed before...I don't have enough time today to read through the whole thread. I have a cache near my home that was temporarily disabled on July 17th. I have since run PQ and imported the results into my primary DB in gsak. The record in the DB shows the offline database was last edited on July 13th, and does not show as being archived. I have set database update options to Always and Found status update options to Always as well. gsak is updating the availability status of recently un-archived caches, but does not seem to be updating them if they are recently archived. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for your help and thanks for a terrific geocaching tool!

Edited by KC Collins Clan
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You're not doing anything wrong. The pocket queries generated by gc.com do not include archived caches, so GSAK has no way of knowing when a cache has been archived.

 

Here's the workaround (you only have to do the first five steps ONCE, to create a filter you can use over and over):

 

1) Open a filter in GSAK by clicking on the little magnifying glass in the toolbar, or by going to the Search menu and clicking on Filter, or by typing CTRL-F (they all do the same thing).

 

2) On the "General" tab, uncheck "Found" (so that "Not Found" and "Exclude Caches Placed by You" are both checked).

 

3) Also on the "General" tab, uncheck "Archived" (so that "Temporarily Unavailable" and "Available" are checked).

 

4) On the "Dates" tab, change "Last Update GPX" to "during" the last "7" "Days" (if you get pocket queries weekly, otherwise, change the "7" to the number of days between your pocket queries)

 

5) SAVE this filter (Click on the "Save" button at the bottom of the set filter dialog box, and give it a name like "Review for Archive".

 

6) Click on "Go". This will sort out all of the available or temporarily unavailable caches in your database that were not updated in your last pocket query. Click on the "Online Waypoint URL" link in the lower GSAK pane, or right click the waypoint and choose "Show Online (in browser").

 

7) If that cache has been archived (most on the list will be), return to GSAK, right click on the waypoint, and choose "Cache Status" and "Set to Archived".

 

The first time you do this you may have a lot of caches to review.

 

Each time you receive a Pocket Query, just choose "Review for Archive" for the "Select a Saved Filter" drop down in GSAK and then repeat steps 6 & 7 for each cache that has been archived (you won't have very many to review if you do this after each new Pocket Query).

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Is there a way to tune and optimize GSAK? I am not sure how having several databases affects the speed for the application. My default database contains over 6800 records and two other databases have over 6800 and 4800 respectively.

Lately, I have been noticing a slowdown with a huge amount of I/O writes whenever I import more data or move data between databases. Part of the reason is that my system has over 70 processes running and the page file regularly is over 600MB.

I also remember something about turning off virus checking but can't remember the details of why and how.

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Is there a way to tune and optimize GSAK?  I am not sure how having several databases affects the speed for the application.  My default database contains over 6800 records and two other databases have over 6800 and 4800 respectively.

Lately, I have been noticing a slowdown with a huge amount of I/O writes whenever I import more data or move data between databases.  Part of the reason is that my system has over 70 processes running and the page file regularly is over 600MB.

I also remember something about turning off virus checking but can't remember the details of why and how.

The next version of GSAK has a many speed improvements - especially for large databases.

 

However, with databases of around 7000 version 5.6 should still run at a reasonable speed (unless you are running on very modest hardware).

 

The one thing that will often cause speed problems (and other weird behaviour) with GSAK is virus scanning software.

 

If your virus software supports real time scanning, then exempt the GSAK install folder and the GSAK data folder.

Edited by ClydeE
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The one thing that will often cause speed problems (and other weird behaviour) with GSAK is virus scanning software.

 

If your virus software supports real time scanning, then exempt the GSAK install folder and the GSAK data folder.

I had already exempted GSAK from virus real time checking.

I am wondering whether indexing services might also be causing so many I/O writes?

The LSASS.EXE service shows a lot of I/O activity too. Other apps are not affected by the disk assesses to the extent that it is noticeable.

Once GSAK is loaded, it is not too bad. It is just the initial load and sometimes loading a new database that bogs down. It takes two minutes to launch the program.

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In another Forum I saw something about that LSASS.exe. Could your computer have gotten infected with a worm or trojan virus?

 

I found this.

 

lsass.exe also relates to the Windang.worm, irc.ratsou.b, Webus.B, MyDoom.L, Randex.AR, Nimos.worm which spread via floppy disk drives, mass-mailing and peer-to-peer sharing. Please review file path for clarification of this.

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The one thing that will often cause speed problems (and other weird behaviour) with GSAK is virus scanning software.

 

If your virus software supports real time scanning, then exempt the GSAK install folder and the GSAK data folder.

I had already exempted GSAK from virus real time checking.

I am wondering whether indexing services might also be causing so many I/O writes?

The LSASS.EXE service shows a lot of I/O activity too. Other apps are not affected by the disk assesses to the extent that it is noticeable.

Once GSAK is loaded, it is not too bad. It is just the initial load and sometimes loading a new database that bogs down. It takes two minutes to launch the program.

2 minutes is way too long to load GSAK (even on an old 133mhz box running Win 98)

 

It does sound like you have something abnormal going on there.

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Is there any way to show the online cache page in the GSAK window without opening up a browser?

Yes, on the very first line of the split screen view is the link (Online Waypoint URL)

 

Click on this link to get the online version of the cache

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I think I found a bug in the pop download with Gmail.

 

Took me a while to have the time to figure this out. Pocket Queries had stopped downloading from my Gmail account. Only the first 400 messages would download and the new PQ's started at 407.

 

I configured Thunderbird to download from Gmail to see what was happening. Just like GSAK it downloaded the first 400 messages. So I was sitting there looking at the screen trying to figure out what I had setup wrong in Gmail when all of a suddent the next 50 started to come down. Then another 50 about 30 secs later. In between I did not tell Thunderbird to get more email, they just would come down every 30 secs or so. The first time Thunderbird said downloading X out of 400, then it would say X out of 450, and later X out of 500.

 

But I never could get GSAK to do anything other then the first 400. So I got the attachments from Thunderbird and reconfigured Gmail to only download messages from today or newer.

 

Found a article on the gmail help that might explain what is happening.

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer....13291&topic=194

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I think I found a bug in the pop download with Gmail.

 

Took me a while to have the time to figure this out.  Pocket Queries had stopped downloading from my Gmail account.  Only the first 400 messages would download and the new PQ's started at 407.

 

I configured Thunderbird to download from Gmail to see what was happening.  Just like GSAK it downloaded the first 400 messages.  So I was sitting there looking at the screen trying to figure out what I had setup wrong in Gmail when all of a suddent the next 50 started to come down.  Then another 50 about 30 secs later.  In between I did not tell Thunderbird to get more email, they just would come down every 30 secs or so.  The first time Thunderbird said downloading X out of 400, then it would say X out of 450, and later X out of 500.

 

But I never could get GSAK to do anything other then the first 400.  So I got the attachments from Thunderbird and reconfigured Gmail to only download messages from today or newer.

 

Found a article on the gmail help that might explain what is happening.

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer....13291&topic=194

Thanks for the link - now I know why mail I forward to myself at Gmail from my POP client won't download! (Don't ask). :rolleyes:

 

However, this sounds more like an issue with Gmail than a bug in GSAK.

 

The easy workaround is to set up a separate Gmail account JUST for your pocket queries, and then specify this account when you save your pocket queries at geocaching.com.

 

Configure GSAK to Get Mail from this special pocket query account - it's unlikely that you'll have more than 400 PQ's sitting in your Gmail inbox (if you do, you're either getting them way too often or not checking them often enough!). :laughing:

 

edit: perseverating fingers...

Edited by Kai Team
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However, this sounds more like an issue with Gmail than a bug in GSAK.

Acuatlly I think it is a bug in GSAK because Thunderbird got all the messages, but GSAK would just keep looking at the same 400 headers and then quitting. Thunderbird downloaded the first 400, then paused and continued downloading the messages, then paused and continued downloading.

 

GSAK is the only program I used for POP access to Gmail. The I like the web interface for everthing else. But your suggestion to setup a special Gmail account just for that does interest me. When I first started sending PQ's to Gmail I did not have any invites to spare, now I got bunches.

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I think I found a bug in the pop download with Gmail.

 

Took me a while to have the time to figure this out. Pocket Queries had stopped downloading from my Gmail account. Only the first 400 messages would download and the new PQ's started at 407.

 

I configured Thunderbird to download from Gmail to see what was happening. Just like GSAK it downloaded the first 400 messages. So I was sitting there looking at the screen trying to figure out what I had setup wrong in Gmail when all of a suddent the next 50 started to come down. Then another 50 about 30 secs later. In between I did not tell Thunderbird to get more email, they just would come down every 30 secs or so. The first time Thunderbird said downloading X out of 400, then it would say X out of 450, and later X out of 500.

 

But I never could get GSAK to do anything other then the first 400. So I got the attachments from Thunderbird and reconfigured Gmail to only download messages from today or newer.

 

Found a article on the gmail help that might explain what is happening.

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer....13291&topic=194

Yea, the Google mail accounts sure do have some quirks as they behave differently in quite a few ways to other standard pop3 accounts.

 

I am not 100% sure what they are doing with this "batching" process, but it would appear that GSAK is timing out because it doesn't get a response in the normal manner. I will see if I can alter this "time out" value, but the proposed solution by Kai Team makes a lot of sense to me.

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the satalite photo one seems to have stopped going to the photo but only to the map - not a big deal as there is a button on the map to change to the photo -

 

cc\

I noticed that when I tried it. They all seem to go to the same place. Rattlehead's version works the same. If they all go to the same place, why the difference in URLs? Just curious. Thanks again!

Edit:

Nevermind, I see the difference. Rattleheads version puts the name of the cache on the pop up bubble on the google map. Very cool!

Edited by Blind Avocado
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Try these:

 

Google Maps=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%lat+%lon+(%code-%name)&hl=en

Google Satellite View=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%lat+%lon+(%code-%name)&spn=0.020,0.020&t=k

 

I just tried and they both worked fine (That is, Google maps goes directly to the map view, and Google Satellite goes directly to the satellite view)

 

Alos notice the addition of the (%code-%name) this will display the code and name of the cache in the pop up bubble (you could use any of the other GSAK special tags here if you like).

 

Edit: added other special tags blurb

Edited by ClydeE
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I created a macro to export a gpx file and then open it in Google Earth. 2 questions:

1. How do I export the caches using smartname, not the default Waypoint code?

2. What parameters should be used for GE to directly open my gpx file at the start? Now it only starts but doesnt open anything.

 

Many thanks for help.

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I created a macro to export a gpx file and then open it in Google Earth. 2 questions:

1. How do I export the caches using smartname, not the default Waypoint code?

 

In the box that says "You can build the waypoint name using tags" you currently have %code - just change this to %smart

 

2. What parameters should be used for GE to directly open my gpx file at the start? Now it only starts but doesnt open anything.

I actually havn't tried Google earch but I suspect the syntax is the same as doing this in MapSource which is explained in this post

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I actually havn't tried Google earch but I suspect the syntax is the same as doing this in MapSource which is explained in this post

Unfortunately is not. Wouldnt have bother you.

Then hopefully someone else that uses Google Earth might be able to shed some light on what the correct syntax for running GE from the command line with a GPX file on start ups (if in fact GE can do this)

 

You may also have better luck asking this question in another thread as this really is a non GSAK question.

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Hi Clyde,

 

I just received a new Garmin GPSMap 276, and was trying to transfer waypoints to it from GSAK 5.6.0. After hitting the "send" icon, things seem to progress normally until I get a before-unseen progress window titled "Sending Waypoints" and the notation "Label1" and "0%". At this point, GSAK locks up. I can't get an error dump to send you. I resolve the problem by disconnecting the GPS, and then the GSAK responds with the connection lost message, then everything is back to normal.

 

I saw somewhere that GSAK doesn't yet support the Garmin 2610. Does it not support the GPSMap 276 also?

 

I can workaround by transfering waypoints first to Mapsourse, then to the 276.

 

Thanks for your continued help.

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I think this is a grand total of two requests for the 276. I certainly don't have one for testing.

 

I know why it doesn't work on the 2610 - they implemented a subtly different USB protocol on it than they did on the handhelds. I don't know if the 276 uses the same different protocol as the 2610 or a different different one.

 

If you can show me the results of a 'gpsbabel -D9 -i garmin -f usb:' on the unit, I can at least tell you if it's the same problem (not to say there aren't others...) or a different one.

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I'd be happy to show you a 'gpsbabel -D9 -i garmin -f usb:' if I knew what one looked like, or where to find it. It's too bad Garmin keeps changing protocos, but hopefully it's for the best.

 

The 276C with City Select and Topo USA is really far superior to my older Street Pilot III.

 

Thanks for any help you can give.

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I've been using GSAK for about a year, but just started using macros to do the nuts and bolts stuff. A minor problem that I've run into when doing things manually, now can cause my macros to break.

 

Specifically, when sending waypoints to the GPS, it occasionally returns a communication error with the GPS. However, it seems to work just fine if I simply repeat the attempt to send. This error msg happens once in a while, always on the first attempt to send waypoints to the GPS. This has also occurred with previous versions of GSAK.

 

Is there a way to get around this in the macro language, such as retrying the command on error? Or interrogating the GPS before attempting the send?

 

I'm running Win2000Pro, GSAK 5.6 (has the correct Babel engine.) GPS is Mag SporTrak Map. The GPS connection to the PC is via a USB-to-serial adapter, set up as Comm 4.

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I've been using GSAK for about a year, but just started using macros to do the nuts and bolts stuff. A minor problem that I've run into when doing things manually, now can cause my macros to break.

 

Specifically, when sending waypoints to the GPS, it occasionally returns a communication error with the GPS. However, it seems to work just fine if I simply repeat the attempt to send. This error msg happens once in a while, always on the first attempt to send waypoints to the GPS. This has also occurred with previous versions of GSAK.

 

Is there a way to get around this in the macro language, such as retrying the command on error? Or interrogating the GPS before attempting the send?

 

I'm running Win2000Pro, GSAK 5.6 (has the correct Babel engine.) GPS is Mag SporTrak Map. The GPS connection to the PC is via a USB-to-serial adapter, set up as Comm 4.

Easiest way to get around this is to do the error trapping in the macro itself.

 

Something like:

Set $Retry = "Y"
While $Retry = "Y"
  Export Type="GPS" Settings="GPS whatever"
  Input Msg="Error on send? (Y/N)" VarName=$Retry
EndWhile

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I'd be happy to show you a 'gpsbabel -D9 -i garmin -f usb:' if I knew what one looked like, or where to find it. It's too bad Garmin keeps changing protocos, but hopefully it's for the best.

 

The 276C with City Select and Topo USA is really far superior to my older Street Pilot III.

 

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

Connect your 276C to the USB cable and turn it on.

 

From your windows desktop, do the following:

 

Start->Run->cmd.exe (or command.com if you're running Win98), OK

 

cd "J:\pathtogsak" (enter)

gpsbabel -D9 -i garmin -f usb: >output.txt (enter)

 

where

J: = drive gsak is installed on

pathtogsak = path\folder where GSAK is installed, i.e. Program Files\GSAK

e.g.

cd "c:\Program Files\GSAK"

(enter) = Enter Key

 

The resulting "output.txt" file in the GSAK install directory you can view with notepad/other editor, and copy/paste it here.

Edited by Cymbaline
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I know why it doesn't work on the 2610 - they implemented a subtly different USB protocol on it than they did on the handhelds.  I don't know if the 276 uses the same different protocol as the 2610 or a different different one.

 

If you can show me the results of a 'gpsbabel -D9 -i garmin -f usb:' on the unit, I can at least tell you if it's the same problem (not to say there aren't others...) or a different one.

Thanks to precise instructions from Cymbaline, I think I have some results:

 

Windows GUID for interface 0 is

\\?\usb#vid_091e&pid_0003#6&148be837&0&3#{2c9c45c2-8e7d-4c08-a12d-816bbae722c0}

TX [12]:00 00 00 00 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ............(UNKNOWN )

RX [16]:00 00 00 00 06 00 00 00 04 00 00 00 52 e2 c9 b7 ............R...(ACK )

 

Serial 3083461202. Synced in 0

TX [12]:14 00 00 00 fe 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ............(PRDREQ )

RX [12]:00 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ............(UNKNOWN )

 

I don't have the slightest idea what this means. :( But I'm willing to do anything that someday might help transfering waypoints from GSAK via gpsbabel to the 276C. :laughing:

 

Thanks again to the forum helpers.

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[ re: 276 USB xfers ]

TX [12]:14 00 00 00 fe 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ............(PRDREQ  )

RX [12]:00 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ............(UNKNOWN )

I see. It may mean nothing to you, but it's clear as a bell to me. (That's why I get the big bucks...)

 

This one does the same goofy bulk/interrupt pipe switching thing that the 26xx does.

I don't know if that's the only deal breaker on that model or if there's another alligator behind door #1.

 

But I'm willing to do anything that someday might help transfering waypoints from GSAK via gpsbabel to the 276C. :(

 

So far there's been a lack of interest in getting this done. From your response, I'm guessing you're not interested in coding, right? Would equipment loan be on the table?

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Wow. Tremendous support for this program. I'm just getting getting my feet wet with GSAK and probably missing the obvious, but is there a way to add some "missing" benchmark data fields from NGS to the database? Two things pop in my mind: the benchmark type (bench mark disk, reference mark disc, rivet, spike, etc.), and to somehow get the "unknown" added to the "Placed" field. This almost always means a very old benchmark, and certainly one worth re-discovering. A few older benchmarks (DC1285 for instance) don't seem to be pulling a good "Placed" date. Hope this makes sense.

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Wow. Tremendous support for this program. I'm just getting getting my feet wet with GSAK and probably missing the obvious, but is there a way to add some "missing" benchmark data fields from NGS to the database? Two things pop in my mind: the benchmark type (bench mark disk, reference mark disc, rivet, spike, etc.), and to somehow get the "unknown" added to the "Placed" field. This almost always means a very old benchmark, and certainly one worth re-discovering. A few older benchmarks (DC1285 for instance) don't seem to be pulling a good "Placed" date. Hope this makes sense.

I will admit that GSAK has been tailored to Geocaching, however I know many Benchmark hunters use it. I have been waiting for the promised Benchmark PQs from Groundspeak before doing too much Benchmark specific coding, but I must confess it does seem to be taking a long time.

 

You have a "User Data" column and you also have "User Notes". Both allow the input of anything but the "User Data" column is more user friendly for viewing and searching.

 

Being from Australia I don't get to do too much Benchmark hunting so others that do may like to comment on how they address these issues with GSAK.

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ClydeE,

 

First of all, this program rocks! It is very well put together. Now on to my quesiton. ;)

 

When I used the getmail macro, I saw it create duplicate entries everywhere. So to try and troubleshoot it (TRY), I seperated the getmail portion from the other sections that orginize the caches based on found, mine, etc. (Very cool by the way!)

 

What I found was that the duplictates where being created in the move/copy section and not the getmail call. That appears to work great. After the macro runs, I find in the "new" databases duplicates. One entry is the GC(NAME) and the other is the %SMART08 name.

 

Any ideas as to why? Does the filter capabilities have to ability to change the CODE? If so, I must have found it. As you can imagine, it creates alot more for me to track down.

 

Can you help me? or am I crazy?

 

Paul

aka Adelos

 

ps: this is with a registered version 5.6.0 build 16

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ClydeE,

 

First of all, this program rocks! It is very well put together. Now on to my quesiton. ;)

 

When I used the getmail macro, I saw it create duplicate entries everywhere. So to try and troubleshoot it (TRY), I seperated the getmail portion from the other sections that orginize the caches based on found, mine, etc. (Very cool by the way!)

 

What I found was that the duplictates where being created in the move/copy section and not the getmail call. That appears to work great. After the macro runs, I find in the "new" databases duplicates. One entry is the GC(NAME) and the other is the %SMART08 name.

 

Any ideas as to why? Does the filter capabilities have to ability to change the CODE? If so, I must have found it. As you can imagine, it creates alot more for me to track down.

 

Can you help me? or am I crazy?

 

Paul

aka Adelos

 

ps: this is with a registered version 5.6.0 build 16

Actually, I am mistaken. It IS the import process. Perhaps it is because I tried importing over 2000 at one time. I will troubleshoot it more. Email retrieves fine. The sorting works fine. Both seem good when I am dealing with a single file/email.

 

I will try to more scenarios to see what happens..

 

Adelos

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Alright.

 

Apparently, I over looked a GPX file that "I" created. I used the shortname the the code. It was getting pulling in with the other files. I dont know now why it was importing, but once I removed it. I was able to get rid of the duplicates.

 

Sorry about all of that.

 

Adelos

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