[Eliot Ness]

I recently picked up a Simpson 260 series 4 meter in excellent cosmetic condition since it is in the optional roll top case.  Unfortunately when I opened it up it had the worst case of battery corrosion I have ever seen.  There was at least 1/2 inch caked on the D cell terminals, and it extended to one of the pots and several PCB traces.

Let me take a minute here and rant about Duracell batteries.  Those leak more than any battery I have ever seen.  I've had them ruin at least three flashlights in as many years, and now when I get anything that uses Duracell batteries I replace them with Energizers or Kroger brand Alkaline.  Sorry, rant over.   

After cleaning the corrosion the battery contacts or clips had been eaten up so bad they wouldn't hold the batteries in or make contact very well.  After some on-line research I found that Simpson still makes the end contacts for the AA and D cell and Newark carries them for just $0.59 (Simpson p/n:03-811310, Newark p/n: 31M9796):

http://www.newark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...reId=10194

The corner J clips for the AA's are no longer made by Simpson, but IMS makes them and sells a kit of the 4 AA and D cell contacts and the two corner (or J clips) for $12.67:

https://metersales.com/products/1478

These battery contacts are used on all 260's that use 4 AA's and one D cell.  I believe that will include the series 3 - 5, and at 59 cents it beats trying to kludge up a set of clips.