PE>>>> The negative node/terminal (forget the proper name) on the
PE>>>> battery was very hot, too hot to touch.  The lights were still
RG> 
TS>>> If it's your lucky day, the battery hasn't been charging because
TS>>> of the faulty earth contact.
PE>>     ^^^

PE>> "the" implies that there definitely is one.

RG> Your battery only has one earth, doesn't it???

I didn't think it had any.

PE>> Why do I have a faulty earth contact,

RG> Because it has probably never been cleaned.

Fair enough.

PE>> and where is it?

RG> On the battery...  the terminal marked "-"

That's the negative terminal.  Why are you calling it "earth"?

PE>> Can you tell this from the fact that it's hot?

RG> Can we tell it is a faulty contact from the fact it's getting hot?
RG> Sure we can - a good contact doesn't get hot.

I had imagined that the battery was fucked up inside, and some chemical
reaction was happening all by itself, and making the negative terminal hot.

PE>> I'll have to see if my new battery is also hot.

RG> The battery shouldn't get hot at all (unless you're overcharging it).
RG> The terminal on your new battery shouldn't get hot like the old one,
RG> 'cos I assume that when you change it you'll be cleaning the contacts.

You assumed wrong.  I didn't know to do that.

Anyway, I've got some more experimentation to do I see.  :-)

BTW, did you get my message on my apparently-bust CMD hard drive? 
Regardless, I have an additional question - are those CMD people still
contactable in the Commodore echos?  If so, which one, I haven't seen much
traffic in the one I've got tagged (64_TALK).  BFN.  Paul.
@EOT:

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