On 1/13/2011 1:46 PM, Baron wrote:
D Yuniskis Inscribed thus:

On 1/13/2011 4:24 AM, baron wrote:
Eldor Inscribed thus:

Hello all NG

I am looking for a fake AA battery, i.e. a conductor of the same
size, so that I can put it in an AA battery holder and have a lower
voltage (N-1 x 1.5V) . Actually I want multiple of them so that I
can make a "configurable voltage" battery.

I have looked around but I can't find it. Does anybody know any?

Alternatively I could look for a battery which can be charged at
various voltage levels, but it needs to hold a significant charge at
any voltage level. I don't think it exists.

Thanks for any help

Whats wrong with a piece of rolled up cardboard ?

Cardboard isn't a very good conductor at low voltages :

Sorry ! My brain fart :-(
I meant to write "Whats wrong with a piece of alloy foil wrapped over
rolled up cardboard ?"

Wrapping the foil might be tricky -- especially if it
*is* "foil" -- since you want a durable and reliable
contact surface yet can't really tolerate lumps, bumps,
etc. "Shrink-wrap-aluminum"! Now *that* would be
an idea! : (not "shrink-WRAPPED-aluminum")

The ideal would be to turn a length of copper dowel to
the correct profile and then encase in shrink wrap.
But, I suspect the OP doesn't have access to a lathe
(though many people *have* lathes so "asking around"
could be an option -- note that the profile is probably
published as a standard someplace so it's just a matter
of getting someone to give you 3 minutes of time on a
lathe).

My "dummy cells" look like "I" beams in cross section.
I.e., imagine the top and bottom 1/10th of an inch of a
cell joined by a thick *sheet* of metal. Very obviously
castings and saved on material by not making them
solid cylinders.