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Rechargeable batteries for the RCX
I have been doing research lately on rechargeable batteries for the RCX. I have been using the discussions on VEX for guidelines on Mindstorms. I am helping run a 10 week camp, using about 12 RCXs, and replacing 6 batteries in each one every week does not seem economical. The Vex Inventor's Guide recomends Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries for their vex because they maintain their voltages reliably until they are almost completely empty (page 4*10). It highly discourages alkaline batteries, even rechargeable ones as well. Here the Vex FAQ also recommends NiHm
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NiMH and Ni-Cad batteries have a low internal resistance making them a good choice to power the robot. NiMH does have a higher energy per volume than Ni-Cad and is an excellent choice.
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However, I stumbled upon this today on LEGO.com
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Is it safe to use rechargeable batteries with LEGO MindStorms products?
While it is safe to use any rechargeable batteries with LEGO MindStorms products, they will provide less useable time per recharge than non rechargeable batteries. This can lead to problems with the RCX, Scout, and/or IR Transmitter (Tower). If you do experience problems with any LEGO MindStorms product while using rechargeable batteries, we suggest that you try a set of fresh non rechargeable batteries to see if that solves the problem.
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So here is the question, Has anyone used rechargeable batteries for the RCX for competition or non-competition purposes? What experiences or problems have been noticed with the performance of the RCX with these batteries?
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