adn as for the battery issue Tascam's (service dept?) did tell someone that a 9 volt DVD battery does fall in the specified range. Then there is the fact that the HD-P2 will accept a range of input voltages so we know it's possible to make the deck reliable with external batteries.
Let's talk about this for a minute because Tascam does not list any specifications for external powering. In fact, if you look at their website and review the manual, the only specification they list is that it should be powered by 8 x AA batteries or the supplied AC adapater. Any external voltage or amperage ratings are entirely omitted from all product documentation I have reviewed. The unit itself says 12v, but nothing in the documentation.
Now, of the many portable audio devices you own, how many of them completely fail to state this specification? I'm sure there are few, but I can't think of any that I personally own or have used. My PSP-2 is 5-9v, my AD2k+ is 11-18v (I think... would need to double check). These are obviously meant to be portable devices, so why would they entirely omit what is a pretty standard specification for field audio recorders?
I would love to know the exact specification. If it's 12v only, fine by me, but I think we have enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that 9v works pretty well. The jury is still out w/r/t if 9v powering might cause earlier than expected component failure, but I think the question should be posed to Tascam and the specifications confirmed. When I asked the teac factory service mgr, he wasn't really willing to make this confirmation, either way. He pretty much said "use the supplied ac adapter," but not in so many words.