First off, my setup is:
Edge 830, Firmware 9.81 and 9.75
Sensors:
Varia RTL515 (light + radar)
Bontrager Ion 200 RT front light
Bontrager Flare RT rear light
Garmin HRM200 heart rate monitor
SRAM Rival AXS power meter
Garmin Speed Sensor 2
Problem:
At the start of a large group event (maybe 50+ riders), the Varia RTL515 and the Bontrager lights drop and cycle through “forming light network” with the Edge 830. It tries several times and then the lights and radar unit are lost for good. Other sensors (HRM/PWR/SPD) continue to work. I’ve attempted to start up the Edge away from other riders and the connection is stable to the lights and the 515. Once I pull up and get closer to other riders standing around, the Edge drops the lights and radar. The issue is never seen when I ride by myself. Light network forms, the radar is good, and all is perfect when alone.
Theories:
- Simple RF interference with nearby BT devices. However, I can see many other riders at the start with a Varia RTL515 and Garmin computers. They aren’t constantly fiddling with their computers. Seems to be unique to me.
- The Edge is in a promiscuous mode when using a light network and trying to communicate with nearby devices and fails to keep up with my already-connected lights and Varia RTL515.
Other info:
- I have participated in a few large rides with a Varia RVR 315 (non-light radar) and never experienced this problem with the same Bontrager lights. The network was formed and was stable. The rubber button cover on the RVR 315 broke and Garmin replaced it with a refurb under warranty. Battery life on the refurb was horrible (maybe 2.5 hours of radar use). I gave up on that and purchased an RTL515. From that point, I started with this large group dropping problem.
The hassle in all of this is, I can pretty much count on not having radar or lights functioning for the first leg of a large group ride (often 25 miles) on the road. At the first stop, I can disable/enable, remove/add each light and the Varia to force all to work. Also, there would be much more physical separation with other riders at a rest stop.
It’s a proximity problem without doubt. An alternative I can try is to delete the Bontrager lights and only attempt to use the RTL515 on its own for the big group rides. That might fix it but then I’m adding/deleting sensors depending on expected group size for the day. Any suggestions other than this would be appreciated.