MicroVax batteries

Time again for a stupid question. Why replace the original? I hate the idea of batteries inside equipment where the electrolyte goo can leak all over sensitive components. If I had your MicroVAX, I'd get a bunch of primary cells in a battery holder and place them outside of the case, so the goo will leak out onto the floor. A diode in series with the battery pack should disable the charging circuit and drop the pack's voltage to near-optimal. (3x1.2 NiCD = 3.6v; 3x1.5 primary = 4.5v - 0.7v for the series diode = 3.8v; pretty close). If the battery's function is to keep the clock and some RAM alive, 3 "D" cells will probably last a year or two. Make them Lithium-iron cells and you'll probably get 10 years of service. Cheers, Chuck