Gossen Super Pilot Battery Adaptors

I tell ya, this return to my film roots is starting to feel like pulling a watermelon out of the bottom of a stack! :confused:

My later gear has all had built in metering, but I have a Gossen Super Pilot from quite a ways back that is still intact. Unfortunately, it was designed around a PX13 mercury cell. I am aware that this can theoretically be fixed by placing a Schottky diode in series with a silver oxide battery. I even thought about doing it myself until discovering that Radio Shack no longer appears to acknowledge the existance of said diodes. The next choice is an adapter from C.R.I.S. that occupies the space of a PX13 and accepts a 386 silver oxide battery. A nicely done and elegant solution "requiring no modifications."

Althought they are rather costly, I decided what the hey, it's only money and bought one. It arrived today and I have discovered that my particular Super Pilot has a dual leaf spring with about 9.5 mm between its intended contact points. (See attached photo.) It looks as though the negative button end of the 386 cell isn't large enough in diameter to make contact. In fact, the button on a 625 cell I had in there to play with is barely wide enough.

So -- before I break out the screwdrivers and soldering irons (and chain saw) -- has any lucky soul already dealt with this issue? I could use the adapter in my Canon F-1, so if I go back to plan A, it won't be wasted. (The F-1 has a (sensible) simple leaf spring in the center.) I think I can still find appropriate diodes via mail order.

I am not dead in the water, I also have a Pilot that was my dad's. It appears to be photovoltaic -- yea! no batteries! It's much smaller and takes much faster readings, though I suspect it doesn't handle lower light levels as well.

Anyway, if you've been there, done that, and got the tee shirt, I'd be delighted to hear your story.

DaveT

Have you consider powering the meter with an external battery pack with say a AA and a 3 pin adjustable regulator. You can have a very precise and steady voltage plus the price of AA is dirt cheap.

Enh, I suppose I could, but it's pretty kludgey. The regulators I have hands-on acquaintance with require more voltage drop than the 0.2 or so we're looking at plus they draw more power than the meter. It does look as though there may be some "micropower" regulators that might work. I would really rather keep it all self contained, I'm having enough trouble getting used to carting a separate meter around.

If I can't find a suitable diode in my highly disorganized junk collection, I think I'll buy a few from Jameco and install one inside the meter. The appropriate silver oxide battery can be had for 2 or 3 dollars and will probably last at least a year or two. I consider that a minor expense to avoid dangling "things."

Thanks for your thoughts. (I was hoping one or two of 14,000 APUGers might have already crossed this bridge.)

DaveT (eyeing spotmeters on *bay)

I use zinc air hearing aid batteries, I bought a bunch, like 7or 8 16 packs, when my local radio shack franchise store closed out their radio shack stuff. I use an o-ring around each to keep then centered in the battery compartment.


erie