Varia V3.40 The radar detection distance becomes shorter and dull

1. Download the file he linked to
2. Rename it to GUPDATE.GCD
3. Connect radar tail light to computer
4. Drag and drop GUPDATE.GCD to the Garmin Folder
5. Eject radar tail light from computer
6. Power on the radar tail light and it will install version 3.0
7. Done! You are now back on 3.0

I reverted last night and confirmed that I am back on 3.0 (yay)

Thanks for the help. It was the file renaming I wasn't doing correctly. Edge is now showing ver 3.0 :)

... I've noticed shorter detection distance as well. I've also noticed that it fails to detect slower moving vehicles more often than it did on 3.0 and that it does not do as good of a job at detecting multiple vehicles...

It would be useful to provide empirical evidence to support the claim that the detection distance has decreased, and/or that there are other problems, with firmware ver 3.40 .

For my part, I have seen no issues with ver 3.40, and certainly no indication of any decrease in the detection distance.

Unfortunately, that is not empirical evidence; it is merely a re-statement of the initial claim, just using different words.

Others in this thread, including me, assert that the detection distance has not decreased with ver 3.40 . What evidence do you have that this is not the case? Merely saying it does not make it so.

And in fact, the only empirical evidence adduced in this thread indicates the exact opposite of what you claim:

My experience has been no degradation in Varia performance with V3.4. In fact, vehicle distance detection capability is slightly better and no loss in multiple vehicles detection. Bottom line-slightly better performance with V3.4.

I might add above data was obtained over a measured level test site that I have used to test previous versions integrated with a Edge 520.

bikejack has looked at the detection performance over a known distance, and finds no evidence of degradation. And just to preempt a possible objection, bikejack's usage of the Varia radar seems every bit as "real world" as yours.

Please don't get me wrong. I have no wish to seem confrontational. But claims do need to be backed up with actual evidence. While it's certainly possible that a firmware update can go backwards, this would be the unusual case, since firmware updates normally improve performance of a device. If there's an assertion that this is not the normal case - that the firmware update has degraded rather than improved device performance, then that claim needs to be supported by actual evidence.

Maybe you should try actually riding in real world conditions with it.. I am sure Garmin tested it in a lab or a test site (LOL) and it looked just fine..

Testing from a specific point / measured from a level test site is evidence? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

If my unit would have have shipped with 3.4 on it and based on how 3.4 performs inREAL WORLD use, I would have returned it. Luckily I got to experience 3.0 for plenty of miles to know and see how it's suppose to work..

I ride 30-40 miles a day in medium to heavy city traffic and am probably passed by 1000+ cars a day so I think I have a good enough handle on the radar to notice a difference. But I guess test site data is more important than real world usage... LOL

Thank you raqball!, but I do ride in real world conditions with the Varia radar. My experience is that there is no decrease in the detection distance with fw ver 3.40, and there are no other issues since the update from fw ver 3.00 .

Your claim the the detection distance has decreased is not supported by any actual evidence. Your statement that the detection distance has decreased does not count as actual evidence. For example, there is no indication of how you have measured the detection distances. If you have actually measured these distances (which would count as evidence of a decrease) then it would be useful for you to tell us how you did these measurements, and to provide actual numbers that you have measured; a belief that the distance has decreased is not a measurement, at least not in the real world. In the absence of that, there is no reason to give any credence to the claim.

And your claim that there is no degradation is not support by any actual evidence either. The evidence you keep mentioning is ONE person who said they did a test on a flat area. They didn't provide any data to back that claim up. How about some 3.0 v 3.4 numbers from his test? If what was posted and you keep mentioning is evidence to you then WOW!

How about some comparison #'s from your evidence? I will then find a flat surface area (LOL) and do the same test with 3.0 and then again with 3.4/ I'll test single vehicles and multiple vehicles..

You are going in circles and quite frankly, making yourself look bad.. At any rate, I am pretty much done responding to you at this point...

You are going in circles and quite frankly, making yourself look bad.. At any rate, I am pretty much done responding to you at this point...

From what I've read of this thread so far there's only one person making their self look bad and it isn't Krectr. :rolleyes:

This is a follow-up on my car distance alert issue I posted earlier. After contacting Garmin USA and trying raising the Varia Radar Light as high as possible they decided to send me a replacement.

I did a controlled test measuring off 140 meters or 459 feet with distinct markers at beginning and end on a straight flat road and checking maximum distance for car alert with the replacement unit. The results were around 400 to 450 feet and pretty close to Garmin specifications-an improvement from the old unit. Actually the old unit was more like 300 feet under the same test conditions. Visually measuring distance can be deceiving.

Garmin customer service was terrific and very responsive.

As my previous post (quoted above) indicates I have had issues with the Varia radar which prompted me to do a lot of testing to obtain data to present to Garmin that I had a faulty unit. The above testing was with V/3.0 with replacement unit.


My controlled tests with V3.4 on the same test site with same replacement unit indicated consistently vehicle detection at 50 to 100 ft better than with V/3.0. Garmin pointed out to me that visually eyeballing distances can be deceiving hence the controlled measured test.

As far as real world usage I have put on 200 miles with V3.4 over similar terrain and traffic conditions experienced with replacement unit with v/3.0 installed. Varia performance bore out what my test results indicated-slightly better detection performance. In fact the unit seemed to have noticeable better detection sensitivity to overall traffic.

I am not here to dispute other posters comments but to share with you all my experience and I have had issues.

My bottom line assesment is V3.4 was worth the update. I have never lost connection with the radar unit as well. In fact the tones or beeps when a vehicle is detected seem slightly louder with V3.4 :D

From what I've read of this thread so far there's only one person making their self look bad and it isn't Krectr. :rolleyes:

Maybe you should read the thread again then. He is hanging his hat on data that does not exist for either argument... He is basically arguing with anyone who says the update is bad and is trying to discredit them by saying no data exists to support that fact.. He then claims that data supports his theory that it's a good update but absolutely NO DATA exist and the person he keeps quoting had previously posted NO data whatsoever..

Is really quite amusing and sad at the same time.

Why did you post in this thread? Do you have something to offer or are you just trolling?

Edit to add: Guess we will find out tomorrow morning when I conduct my tests.. If the data proves 3.4 is better then I'll eat crow but based on my 1500 plus miles of use I'm willing to bet that my tests will show that multiple vehicle detection has degraded significantly..

Start thinking up reasons now to discredit my testing if that happens.. LOL