USR's original design goals for the Pilot included rechargeable batteries. The Dot Commands even include some of the early work for rechargeable. Apparently they were never happy with the reduced battery life. The official documentation states that you should only use Alkaline batteries, which is good advice. If you choose to use them anyway, keep a your data backed up by HotSync-ing often.

NiCads are the most popular type of rechargeable, and are probably the worst way to power your Pilot. At full charge they only give about 1.2v, compared to about 1.6v for a new Alkaline. They also have the nasty trait of losing power if left unused a few days, and quickly lose the last half of their charge.

Renewals are a better choice than NiCads. Remember that you have to recharge them when they drain to about 50%. Some users report getting 2-3 weeks out of a set.

Send feedback to Mitch Ross at mitchr@bright.net