In message , Kevin Miller
writes
On 06/14/2010 04:15 PM, Leo Lichtman wrote:
I have soldered wires to AA's, C's and D's, and have never had a problem. I
use D cells to power the LED on my guided hollowing tool with excellent
results--the batteries last a really long time, even when I occasionally
forget to turn off the light.

Thanks all for the replies. A friend and I tried the soldering route on
the first pack I had. Didn't work very well, but I think I will try
sending the unit to Batteries Plus and seeing if I can't get it done
professionally for a reasonable price.

Using NIMH batteries would be a nice option.

How do these people sleep nights?

Part of the issue is the cost of any mould tool needed for the plastic
parts, they have a finite life before going out of tolerance. Secondly
its likely they make the packs in large numbers, with a nominal number
for failures , and a quantity for spares. There is no guarantee the
spares will sell so may end up on a shelf for a long period. Storage =
cost, so it gets to a point where the storage cost out-weighs the sale
value. So higher price allows for longer storage, and thus availability.

Remember, its not the managers, supervisors or even assembly staff
making the decisions, they have common sense to see the need. Its
usually the accountants making the decisions
--
John