Had a week of using the RTL510 and whilst I'm pretty impressed with it there was one major flaw. On many occasions where for whatever reason a car may sit behind you (eg unable to pass) the radar will see them approaching from the rear but then once they hold station behind you it will clear from the display (Edge 1030). This caught me out a few times when I thought I had a clear road on a descent to find a car on my back wheel keeping pace with me. I have stopped using for the past few rides as I can't really trust it until this is resolved. Quite often the car has turned off to the side and it clears legitimately from the display, but this needs differentiating from vehicles that just sit there.
From the instructions: "NOTE: The radar does not detect vehicles traveling at the same speed as your bike."
Hence, there must me a speed difference for the approaching vehicle to register. As chipomarc said inferred, having a device like this is no substitute for looking back. I personally love the extra information the RTL510 gives me, it will never replace a quick glance over the shoulder before a manoeuvre though.
I totally agree in the same way a reversing camera doesn’t mean you don’t need need to look around you. What I am at odds with is why having detected the vehicle in the 1st place does it let the car drop off the display when it hasn’t passed you? It is a matter of functionality not rider behaviour that I’m questioning here. My concern is for the false sense of security that this lends to the user be they experienced or inexperienced. As with many glitches it’s not all the time, quite often you’ll see that dot behind and know there is at least 1 car there. Has there been an adjustment in sensitivity for example?
I think the issue is that the radar just detects something. It can't tell you what it is, or how big it is. There is major uproar by some people that it detects bikes approaching, so the radar is pretty sensitive. The solution to that is obvious, you need to be the fastest bike on the road so no one ever catches you :-) Anyway, I doubt the radar can tell the difference (with confidence) between a bike, car or truck matching your speed behind you, so the best solution is to not warn you, as the vehicle is not approaching you. Otherwise if you're pack riding, your screen will be full of bikes sitting behind you. It's a delicate balance, and my opinion is that the most important thing to detect is something approaching you. Which I think it does very well. Attempting to keep track of something matching your speed will most likely open the doors to many more false positives.
I believe it is a DOPPLER radar device, measuring movement, not just objects. That is why it will not show cars that are behind you but going in the opposite direction. I have used it for several years now, would not ride without it. Still, always look before turning. But, if object is in radar view, I keep my eyes forward until "all clear" then look before turning.
I'm with you...I make the same. I'm a gadget man, I like to test new things.
one of my colleagues asked me why I wear fenix 5X+ still...:confused:
the Varia radar is one of the things that "keep" me on Garmin solution. I feel safe on the road. And this is very important. As I commute (not now when the snow is all over us) it is very important. even when the line is green and the car passed me, I look behind when I have to turn left (european way of driving...)
