[SEL] re dead battery/Army life

[Jerry Evans]

At 07:00 PM 29/01/2009, you wrote:
>Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:49:52 -0800
>From: "Jim Kirkes" <jd.kirkes at verizon.net>

>Once some years ago when I was in the Army they sent me to
>mechanics school.  I remember a lecture on batteries in
>which the instructor debunked
>the concrete floor discharge idea.  He did say though that
>if a dirty wet battery was placed on a wet concrete floor it
>would probably discharge.  Later when I was back at my
>regular company I happened to put some brand new tank
>batteries on the floor and was promptly sawed on by a
>sergeant who said it would wreck the batteries.  I explained
>what I had learned in school and got sawed on some more and
>wound up getting some wood to put the batteries on.  One of
>the many reasons I did not pursue a military career.
>Jim
>Jim and Diane Kirkes
>Hemet, California U.S.A.

Hi Jim,
         Reminds me of my army days - the instructors were not usually 
known for their brain power.
         In lectures we used to love asking them a question that we knew 
they would not be able to answer. The stock answer was "Sh_t question - next!"

         Back to batteries on concrete floors. I've also heard that all my 
life but the idea was also debunked years ago when the casings became better.
         I loved Eldens  answer.

         I still put them on a block of wood for the following reasons:
         a) As Rob mentioned, to protect the floor from acid.
         b) So that I do not have to listen to the whining of "know all" 
friends if they see them on the concrete.
         c) Just in case :-)