green814: Sounds like exactly the way I'd handle the situation in your shoes!
Creakyknees: First, man, I know the feeling with your handle there. I've got a bum knee, and I think I can hear it complain on the bad days. As for the tip, no problem. How do you have it mounted?
mechbgon: I'd like to nominate you MVC (most valued contributor) of this thread! Thanks not only for all the photography tips, but for the heads up on those C cells as well. I think I'll order a couple of those C cells up. I'm going to hold off on the charger, I have multiple NiMH R/C chargers, so I really should be able to rig something up that'll charge them from a charger I already have. An old junk C-cell light would sure make a handy starting point. Then again, I bought a roll of 1/8" music wire yesterday, I suppose I could make a spring, use PVC as the tube and make a tab for the positive end, and charge them in stick configuration. Or, I could look around for an old junk C cell flashlight. That might be less work.