Use VARIA VISION during charging

My mobile phone has ANT+ on board so using a variety of Android apps I can monitor/record my heart rate. If it didn't have ANT+ embedded then I could use as dongle and Ant stick to do the same.

Feature request

I have already a smartphone with ant+ support and I use it for android apps with ant+ support, and it can also be used as an in sight display. But when I'm not training my smartphone is usually plugged into my notebook for charging and for accessing the sd card, and I don`t carry it with me all the time.

I`m looking for a second device which can be used as a 24 * 7 insight display to carry with me. VARIA VISION can be used or that. Either just wearing attached to some lasses, or just carring the glasses with me. But the VARIA VISION runs only about 8 hours without charging, and when a power source is attached, it only shows a charging indicator on it`s display, and it can not be used during charging.

VARIA VISION can be modified so that it can be used also during charging, so that it can be used 24 * 7. This is a feature request.

I have already a smartphone with ant+ support and I use it for android apps with ant+ support, and it can also be used as an in sight display. But when I'm not training my smartphone is usually plugged into my notebook for charging and for accessing the sd card, and I don`t carry it with me all the time.

I`m looking for a second device which can be used as a 24 * 7 insight display to carry with me. VARIA VISION can be used or that. Either just wearing attached to some lasses, or just carring the glasses with me. But the VARIA VISION runs only about 8 hours without charging, and when a power source is attached, it only shows a charging indicator on it`s display, and it can not be used during charging.

VARIA VISION can be modified so that it can be used also during charging, so that it can be used 24 * 7. This is a feature request.

So...let me get this straight. First of all, what device are you using to monitor your heart rate?. I assume it's a heart rate chest strap. If it was an optical wrist based device, you would just look down at your wrist wearable...right?. Secondly, the Varia Vision in it's current form will not pair directly to any heart rate monitor. It was designed to receive and display metrics from compatible head unit/wearable and the Varia Rearview Radar.

My suggestion is to get a cheap Edge unit to display your heart rate. AFAIK, all Edge units will work while charging. Something small like a used Edge 25

Or am I misunderstanding what you want?...you want it in your field of view all the time?...a cord dangling from your glasses at all times?

I can’t imagine that it would be practical to attach a battery pack to keep the device on a “24/7” basis (even while sleeping??). It’s worth noting that the charging cable, which uses a custom connector on the Varia Vision side, is only 24" (61 cm) long. The USB side is an A connector (the larger rectangular one). It is possible to obtain USB extension cords (male / female), but the whole thing seems quite impractical to me.

I’ll also point out that the Varia Vision’s battery life is pretty good. I used it on a Gran Fondo (100+ miles with much time spent at the rest stops…) last year and it lasted the whole day.

So...let me get this straight. First of all, what device are you using to monitor your heart rate?. I assume it's a heart rate chest strap. If it was an optical wrist based device, you would just look down at your wrist wearable...right?. Secondly, the Varia Vision in it's current form will not pair directly to any heart rate monitor. It was designed to receive and display metrics from compatible head unit/wearable and the Varia Rearview Radar.

My suggestion is to get a cheap Edge unit to display your heart rate. AFAIK, all Edge units will work while charging. Something small like a used Edge 25

Or am I misunderstanding what you want?...you want it in your field of view all the time?...a cord dangling from your glasses at all times?

VARIA VISION is sold as an insight display mainly for cyclist. It can also be a helpful device for training yoga and meditation.

You say that VARIA VISION is not pairing directly to heart rate monitors. That`s wrong. There are several wrist based heart rate monitors that pair directly to VARIA VISION.

You suggest to use an edge computer to pair to the VARIA VISION and to use it for a 24 * 7 insight display which
can also be used during charging. For training mindful walking meditation we use an ant+ foot pod. The edge computer does not support foot pods, so it cannot be used for it.

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You say that VARIA VISION is not pairing directly to heart rate monitors. That`s wrong. There are several wrist based heart rate monitors that pair directly to VARIA VISION.

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You misunderstood and I should have been more specific, I did say the Varia Vision is compatible to certain wearables. It will not pair directly with a chest strap heart monitor. You never did say how you intend to monitor your heart rate.....?

Your request/expectations of the Varia Vision goes well beyond it's intended purpose. But market pressures do drive changes but you'll have to convince Garmin with numbers.

I can’t imagine that it would be practical to attach a battery pack to keep the device on a “24/7” basis (even while sleeping??). It’s worth noting that the charging cable, which uses a custom connector on the Varia Vision side, is only 24" (61 cm) long. The USB side is an A connector (the larger rectangular one). It is possible to obtain USB extension cords (male / female), but the whole thing seems quite impractical to me.

I’ll also point out that the Varia Vision’s battery life is pretty good. I used it on a Gran Fondo (100+ miles with much time spent at the rest stops…) last year and it lasted the whole day.

You are a cyclist, but I`m a yogi and practitioner of meditation. I found that the VARIA VISION could be helpful for this. Meditation training we can do 24 * 7 in every moment in which we are concious. We can train it in the supermarket in the queue, waiting for the bus, in the train, during the night when we wake up or in every other spare moment.

When we training meditation, we train to control for instance our breath and our heart, an keep ourselves centered to our inside. A display like the VARIA VISION can be helpful to keep ourselfes centered. Glanzing down to the wrist or to the smartphone can disturb our centering.

We can use an insight display in the Vajrasana meditation posture sitting on the floor, fixing our eyes to a single point. Threrefore we can wear glasses with the insight display mounted to it. A power bank is certainly unpractically for this. But when we meditate on a chair, we can but the insight display in front of us on a table, and we can attach a power bank. So we can keep the display always running, can keep the blacklight always running, so it is always clearly wisible and we don`t have to care about illumination.

During the night, we can put the insight display next to our bed, still attached to the power bank and attach the power bank to the current. So the insight display is always charched, and we don`t have to care about using the backlight to much or to care about recharching.

So therefore, for VARIA VISION to be a helpful and practical device for 24 * 7 monitoring and training yoga and meditation, it is essential that it can be used during charching.

Uh, OK… Whatever.

You misunderstood and I should have been more specific, I did say the Varia Vision is compatible to certain wearables. It will not pair directly with a chest strap heart monitor. You never did say how you intend to monitor your heart rate.....?

Your request/expectations of the Varia Vision goes well beyond it's intended purpose. But market pressures do drive changes but you'll have to convince Garmin with numbers.

I`m a yoga teacher and scientist. I trained samatha meditation for calming the mind as my mainly daily training for the last several years. I found that an insight display with heart rate is helpful for this.

VARIA VISION is my first choise for this purpuse. Its a small, robust device, and it`s reduced to the essential. I`m currently using the Forerunner 235 for heart rate monitoring, and I can`t connect it to the VARIA VISION, because it`s firmware doesn`t support it. But this doesn`t matter. I`m interested in this device in the long term.

VARIA VISION was not intended for the purpose I want to use it for. But could it not be easily adapted. There`s a growing community of yoga and meditation practitioners. VARIA VISION can be helpful for anti-stress training, training to slow down, for activity tracking and other 24/7 applications. This is a growing market.

I could use a second smartphone, a little edge or another display for heart rate to carry around 24*7. But who want`s so many devices to carry with, and always have to charge them? One little practical device like the VARIA VISION is sufficent and could be adapted for this purpuse.

For me personally, it`s essential that the insight display i use can be used during charging. If this option is not being adapted by GARMIN, there are other products on the marked which can do this.

You've answered your own question. Look at other products for your needs.