Rechargeable Battery

Rechargeable Battery

There are very few downsides to buying an NXT. In fact, I can only think of three...

1. They cost a lot of money
2. They are extremely addicting and sometimes keep you from doing more important things- like homework
3. They use a lot of batteries

There is hardly anything you can do about the first two. I think it is worth the money, and I am patient enough to wait until after I'm done with my homework to use my NXT. However, there is another option for the third problem- the rechargeable battery.


Is the rechargeable battery worth the price?
This obviously depends on how often you use your NXT. If you use it often enough, the amount of money you usually spend on AA's will eventually pay for it. I have two NXTs, and only one rechargeable battery. I use the rechargeable battery with every project, and I only use regular AA's whenever the rechargeable battery is charging, or I'm making a project which uses two NXT bricks. If you're trying to decide whether or not to buy the NXT rechargeable battery, I suggest you refer to the algebra formula I devised below...

How long to pay off rechargeable battery (in weeks) = price of NXT rechargeable battery ÷ [(6 x price per AA battery x hours you use your NXT each week) ÷ life of AA batteries in hours]

Other things to consider...
Another thing to remember if you're thinking about buying the rechargeable battery is the difference in size and weight. Personally, I think that the small amount of extra space the rechargeable battery takes up is worth how much less it weighs. The rechargeable battery weights approximately 1.8 ounces (51 grams) less than 6 regular batteries, which is significant for creations that need to be low weight. 

(disclaimer: the formula above should be accurate, although I'm not completely sure because I wrote it in a very short amount of time. Also, this formula does not take into account the energy you use for charging the rechargeable battery, and also the fact that the battery may eventually stop working over time. Do not let this post dictate completely whether or not you buy a rechargeable battery. Rather, only use it as a suggestion).