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I tried a different set NiMH batteries. Still goes dead in a very short time. If I buy a volt meter, is there a way to test the batteries under load?

A "pure" multimeter (volt meter) won't test batteries under load. But, as I think about it, I'm not sure a dedicated battery tester for A cells does, either. In any case, I have long used a Pulse Load Multi-Battery Tester (Mini-MBT) , see ztsinc.com. It will test just about any battery now used in portable devices.