Thanks again guys. This is helpful to hear multiple suggestions. The only thing that I think about is if one of two packs short out causing the other pack to go low in voltage. I have not put much thought into the possibility but with little thought, the chances of a shorted battery pack would prob. be limited to one cell of the pack. If that were the case, I beleive the higher voltage of the good pack would stay constant. I also beleive that I think too much.
This is what 11 years off of the Budweiser can do.
I am going to check into Eneloop batteries.
Thanks.

Mike