Never tested it myself, but it should actually work. My camera batteries last about 6-8 months. So that should be enough time over the winter ;-) I've never had any problems so far, apart from the occasional spider getting in front of the sensor and taking lots of "horror videos" as a result... :-D
no, must be charged via charger every 4-6 months. I returned the set because the base station never worked properly and the customer service was/is lousy - I can't recommend it.