28S woes and puzzled by 19B II

[edryer]

I always thought the 19BII has the modified battery area?

However on this advert:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-19B-II-Busin...4047445425

Shows not so.

Anyways, purchased an *allegedly* mint 28S with manuals for a small fortune ($100 in GBP) with manuals etc, wanted a pristine one and they are of course extremely rare (and possibly none exist) and being in the UK currently everything HP is double the US price....

Well it came.. and !&*&#(... it has the battery door issue, although not hugely bad, some cracking (rest of calc is mint, perhaps guy not a HP guy just didn't realise admittedly as you need to look carefully). Am too angry to send back if that makes sense... next time though I will ASK before buying about the door.

Has anyone tried the 2/3 AAA flat top cells? I guess this is the ONLY solution other than some tin foil, balsa-wood sticks and 3 X Watch batteries (have seen this, but the batteries surely will only last weeks!).

I am so angry, I love the 28S, it by far my favourite HP, and this "achilles heel" is so widespread and will eventually affect all calculators that are used I just NEED a solution )))

Incidentally I read in an HP magazine from 1989 that the 28S was until that date the BEST selling HP calculator ever (it really beat the 41 series?). Pricing was just in-between a 41CV and 41CX at $235.