Don wrote:

Well, Dynaco tube amps used batteries as a reference in theiur biasing.
http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/AdamVon/dynaresto.html

In article , says...

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.

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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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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.
The mercury cells made reasonable inexpensive secondary standards, and
the voltage known to 4 digits (if i remember correctly) and could be
calibrated and used as transfer standards to 5 digits (if i remember
correctly).
It is my guess that the Lithium cells may be the best of the various
voltage sources, for that purpose.
However, one might do better using a 1.25V band-gap reference driven
from a Lithium cell.
There now seems to be an even better reference using a new technology;
see:
http://www.xicor.com/voltage_family.php

Nope; not as a reference - used for bias.