rickpbush:
I am also a bit dubious about putting a pot directly between the + and - of my battery. Please could you tell me, theoretically, if I did have a pot connected to the terminals of my battery, if I turned it to 0 ohms, would it short the battery or is it only going to be 0 ohms from the wiper pin but lots of ohms across the in and out therefore providing a safe resistance ? Sorry for my ignorance it's just that the answer to that question will help solidify my understanding
Why don't you grab a multimeter and find out...?