"Watson A.Name - 'Watt Sun'" wrote:

In article ,
mentioned...
Jim Adney wrote:

On 13 Aug 2003 13:48:19 -0700 (Alan Horowitz)
wrote:

any of these new-fangled battery chemistries such that, buying an
average one off the shelf, it has a voltage that's within 1% of it's
nominal?

I seem to recall fresh ordinary carbon-zinc batteries being used as
"standards" in an earlier era. I think the voltage was supposed to be
1.56V, but that's a very old memory and could be off a bit.

-


I have never heard of using carbon-zinc (Leclanche) cells for any kind
of reference, and i have been an electronic technician for over 50
years.

When I was a youngster I got a VTVM that had instructions that had you
calibrate the DC range by measuring a fresh dry cell. Well, there
were no alkalines back then, everything was carbon-zinc.

[snip]



That is *not* the same as attempting to use LeClanche cells as a
secondary ro tertiary standard.
Yes, Heathkit (and maybe Knight) VTVM kit instructions recommended the
use of a fresh dry cell for calibration at 1.55V; that was good enough
for the 3% accuracy (at best) of the meters.