"Bruce W.1" wrote:
The only problem
I have is remembering to disconnect the battery from the resistor after
it hits one volt, Doh! Some of them were pulled down to 0.4 volts
(under load) but they recover to about a volt at rest.

There is a simple way to do that automatically. Find a relay
whose dropout voltage equals the voltage you want to discharge
the battery to. Discharge the battery through the relay coil and
the normally open point on the relay. You'll need to operate
the relay manually or via an external power source to start
the discharge cycle. When the battery discharges to the dropout
voltage, the relay drops and all current flow stops.