Well, the new battery came off of the new drop charger at 8.6V. I hit the local repeater easily and clearly, and I'm looking forward to chewing the fat with the local hams again! And I'll have to smudge the ink on my new ticket eventually. I'm studying for my general so when the time comes, I'll have to cross out Technician and replace it with General. I'm not passing the practice tests yet but I'll get there!