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Varia RTL510 "Sensor Error"

I got a Varia RTL510 yesterday and have just taken it out on a 10mile ride, and a few times during the ride a "Sensor Error" message popped up on my Edge display that needed tapping to dismiss. What would this actually mean?
I have an Edge 1000 and the Varia is mounted on my saddle bag loop using a spare quarter turn Edge mount and a band holding it on with a screw through the loop and the mount hole (ground down flat), and my plastic mudguard is clear giving the radar a clear line of sight.

0 asmcdaniel over 5 years ago

... "Sensor Error" message ... What would this actually mean? ...

That sounds like a question for Garmin Support or a Guru like aweatherall

Did you try the RTL510 on the standard mount to see if the mount you improvised is creating the problem?

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago

Do you recall what the actual error number was?

0 allygraham over 5 years ago

There was no error number, just a "-" on the line below "Sensor Error".
I went out on a 26mile on mainly hardpack bridleways today, used the same makeshift mount, but the error did not pop up. There were a couple of miles on roads, and the radar worked as well as the day before. But it occurred to me during the ride today that the loop I did yesterday when the message popped up, and my first ride with it, was round Gatwick Airport... maybe the error was interference or the result of airport RF / RADAR?

0 JRat1 over 5 years ago

That's an interesting observation about the proximity to an airport. If you pass that way again and the problem re-occurs then make a mental note of whether your were cycling towards or away from the centre (where the airport is most likely located). Sensibly, the Varia's radar will most likely pick up interference when it is facing towards the airport radar (ie when you are cycling away from the airport).

0 allygraham over 5 years ago

I will do that. The ride is one of my regulars, and as I literally do a loop round the airport on the closest public roads to the airport (apart from to the south), sadly can't now remember where on the ride the error occurred.

0 allygraham over 5 years ago

From my ride today, arrows pointing where the Varia Radar was pointing / looking (roughly).

Wonder what to make of it. I think that the east arrow is almost pointing to an aircraft radar a few miles away, and the south one about a mile away, but I would maybe have expected the error to occur more times than this based on my route as I was pointing in these directions more times, but then of course the sensor error may not be predictable in that way, just that it does happen some times if over loaded?

0 DerDirk over 5 years ago

Varia RTL510 <...> a "Sensor Error" message popped up on my Edge display<...>. What would this actually mean?

That message comes up regularily when I underpass a highway during my daily commute (bicycle trail running south to north, highway crosses east-west both directions). I suspect the cars above me give a false radar echo, confusing the device. (RTL510 with quarter turn seat post mount, Edge 1000).
Funny thing is, it only happens when I'm coming from the south, in the evening, but not in the morning riding in the opposite direction.

Regards, Dirk

0 allygraham over 5 years ago

Got a couple of errors again, similar locations, but is said 0:9 this time.

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago

Error code 0:9 is a warning about radar saturation. [TABLE="border: 0, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0, width: 768"]
[TR]
[TD]Warn the user that the radar is temporarily blind but that it will clear automatically. (Could occur if multiple radar devices are operating in the same proximity)[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

0 allygraham over 5 years ago

So it would fit with being in close proximity to the airport and harmonics of plane radar... maybe.
I unfortunately have not been able to do much off road (away from airport) riding due to illness, but I will report back if it ever happens when being away from the airport, as it is clear it happens a few times in vicinity, and is not that unexpected I guess, not really thinking any issues requiring a warranty return.