[Milsurplus] BC-611 power

[Brooke Clarke]

Hi:

 From what I've read the W.W.II vintage "D" cell was a carbon zinc type 
not too different from the Leclanche wet battery.  These had less than 
half the capacity of today's Alkaline "D" cell.   
http://www.pacificsites.com/~brooke/Leclanche.shtml

Note that a couple of decades ago Mercury became a no-no that's why all 
the mercury batteries stopped being made (including BA-1001 through 
BA-1999).  But mercury was also used in the first generation Alkaline 
cells and when it was removed the battery companies had to scramble to 
come up with replacements.  That's why there's over a dozen patent 
numbers on Energizer alkaline batteries.  This also has resulted in a 
lower internal resistance allowing modern alkaline batteries to supply 
higher currents than they used to.

The modern alkaline cell is mechanically different from the old zinc 
carbon cell.  The zinc carbon cell was made using a cup of zinc with the 
positive button contact insulated at the positive end.  If you removed 
the paper wrapper the cylinder was all part of the negative terminal.  
BUT, today's alkaline cells have the positive contact and the cylinder 
all the positive terminal and the bottom is the negative contact.  
Instead of using a paper wrapper they use a thin plastic wrapper.  This 
can cause problems if the battery holder is at ground and nicks the 
plastic causing a short.  This is easily happens when the battery holder 
uses metal "C" clips like in the PSR-1 seismic detector.
http://www.pacificsites.com/~brooke/GSQ160/Geo_ID.shtml#PSR1

Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke, N6GCE

-- 
w/Java http://www.PRC68.com
w/o Java http://www.pacificsites.com/~brooke/PRC68COM.shtml
http://www.precisionclock.com