Terry Casey wrote:
Use the clips you've already found. Drill two holes in the pcb either
side of the negative land area (or remove copper from around the holes
as needed) then solder a wire to the positive clip.

Ouch. Not on an 8-layer laptop PCB! This one is really space-constrained,
and mechanically very fragile (there's no other mounting than two small PCB
traces for the original NiCd and possibly some glue, but I can't glue in the
button cell). I'll have to think about it some more. Possibly a glued-in
base+clip might work, if I can find something thin yet rigid (and
non-metallic). Then copper screening tape for the connections.

For the vertical holder, take a piece of insulating material (scrap pcb,
Formica, etc..) and two clips. bore four holes - i.e.. two holes at
right angles to the other two. *******ise one clip as required for the
negative terminal (cut off short support legs and some of the circular
area for isolation from the positive) and fit the other as designed for
the positive. Solder wires to the fixing tabs and connect as required.

That's roughly what I was thinking of (and those have a lot more space to
play with).

As you've got 30 clips to start with, it doesn't matter if you make a
mess of it first time ...

I took a punt on a 'Signalex Personal Alarm' Poundland special, which takes
three LR44s. But it turns out they're in a stack with AA-style springs at
each end, so that doesn't help me. But I have some crummy LR44s now. Hope
I have time to blink before they leak

Theo